Richard Lewis, the beloved comedian, stand-up comedy all-star, and series regular on Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, has died after suffering a heart attack. He was 76. Lewis’ death was confirmed by his publicist, Jeff Abraham. “His wife, Joyce Lapinsky, thanks everyone for all the love, friendship and support and asks for privacy at this time,” Abraham said.
Richard Lewis’ comedic journey began with dual debuts in the New York and Los Angeles comedy arenas in the 1970s. Mentioned in the same breaths as comedy legends like Andy Kaufman, Richard Belzer, and Elayne Boosler, Lewis’ comedy style was darker and more self-deprecating than his fellow kings and queens of comedy. Not afraid to lampoon his shortcomings, Richard Lewis shared grim comedy about his addictions and bizarre thinking.
Lewis revealed that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in April 2023 and planned to retire from his stand-up career.
Related Curb Your Enthusiasm...
Richard Lewis’ comedic journey began with dual debuts in the New York and Los Angeles comedy arenas in the 1970s. Mentioned in the same breaths as comedy legends like Andy Kaufman, Richard Belzer, and Elayne Boosler, Lewis’ comedy style was darker and more self-deprecating than his fellow kings and queens of comedy. Not afraid to lampoon his shortcomings, Richard Lewis shared grim comedy about his addictions and bizarre thinking.
Lewis revealed that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in April 2023 and planned to retire from his stand-up career.
Related Curb Your Enthusiasm...
- 2/28/2024
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Update: Variety is reporting that the Ryan Reynolds and Colin Hanks John Candy documentary will likely be picked up by Amazon’s Prime Video, with the comedy said to be in negotiations for the film. Colin Hanks will be directing the documentary, with Reynolds on board as a producer. Hanks, whose father Tom Hanks memorably co-starred with the late comic legend in Splash and Volunteers (which also starred Hanks’ future wife Rita Wilson), apparently has the full corporation of the Candy family. This includes his widow, Rose and their two children, Jen and Chris. The film will reportedly contain home videos and never seen footage from the archive, as well as interviews with Candy’s friends and family. No release date is set yet, although given that John Candy is a Canadian icon, maybe a fall TIFF debut is in the cards?
Original Story: John Candy is a comedy legend.
Original Story: John Candy is a comedy legend.
- 2/10/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Ryan Reynolds is paying tribute to an actor and comedian who will always have a special place in his heart.
The Deadpool 2 star, 43, reflected on the enduring legacy of fellow Canadian John Candy on Wednesday, marking the 26th anniversary of his death.
Candy was found dead in a Mexican hotel room on March 4, 1994 while working on his last movie, Wagons East and is thought to have died from a heart attack, although no autopsy was performed at the time. He was 43.
“So…John Candy passed away 26 years ago today,” Reynolds wrote alongside a montage of clips from some of the...
The Deadpool 2 star, 43, reflected on the enduring legacy of fellow Canadian John Candy on Wednesday, marking the 26th anniversary of his death.
Candy was found dead in a Mexican hotel room on March 4, 1994 while working on his last movie, Wagons East and is thought to have died from a heart attack, although no autopsy was performed at the time. He was 43.
“So…John Candy passed away 26 years ago today,” Reynolds wrote alongside a montage of clips from some of the...
- 3/5/2020
- by Maria Pasquini
- PEOPLE.com
Chicago – It was 25 years ago today – March 4th, 1994 – that comic actor John Candy died on the set of the film “Wagons East.” It was his 45th feature film, that extended back 21 years. One of his co-stars was John C. McGinley, best known as the irascible Perry Cox on the sitcom “Scrubs.” In a HollywoodChicago.com exclusive soundbite below, McGinley describes the atmosphere on the fateful day the cast was told of Candy’s passing.
John Candy was born in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. After college he had a bug for performing, and eventually ended up in Toronto with the Canadian branch of “The Second City,” which included fellow performers Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy. Radner and Aykroyd went to “Saturday Night Live,” and Candy, O’Hara, Levy, Joe Flaherty, Andrea Martin, Harold Ramis and Dave Thomas went on to form the hilarious “Sctv,” which gained cult...
John Candy was born in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. After college he had a bug for performing, and eventually ended up in Toronto with the Canadian branch of “The Second City,” which included fellow performers Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy. Radner and Aykroyd went to “Saturday Night Live,” and Candy, O’Hara, Levy, Joe Flaherty, Andrea Martin, Harold Ramis and Dave Thomas went on to form the hilarious “Sctv,” which gained cult...
- 3/5/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
I remember the day — March 4, 1994 — when I learned that John Candy, big of heart and large of funny bone, had died from an apparent heart attack at age 43. I was a movie critic and a film writer in the Life section of USA Today, distracted by the Winter Olympics TV coverage of Nancy Kerrigan’s silver medal comeback. But the minute I heard that one of the warmest and funniest actors around had passed away, I poured myself immediately into writing his appreciation.
As someone who grew up in Buffalo, I was lucky to have early access to “Sctv,” the Canadian sketch-comedy counterpart to “Saturday Night Live,” long before the series was picked up by NBC. I was cued into the genius of Candy and his clowning cohorts Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Joe Flaherty, Andrea Martin, Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas as they inhabited sundry out-sized characters who worked at a fictitious television station.
As someone who grew up in Buffalo, I was lucky to have early access to “Sctv,” the Canadian sketch-comedy counterpart to “Saturday Night Live,” long before the series was picked up by NBC. I was cued into the genius of Candy and his clowning cohorts Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Joe Flaherty, Andrea Martin, Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas as they inhabited sundry out-sized characters who worked at a fictitious television station.
- 10/31/2018
- by Susan Wloszczyna
- Gold Derby
Jen and Chris Candy, the now-grown children of late comedian John Candy, do not try to avoid their father’s legacy. It would be nearly impossible to do so: Both strongly resemble the lovable, Canadian-born star of Sctv and Uncle Buck, who passed away at the age of 43 in March 1994. Shortly before what would have been Candy’s 66th birthday (he was born on Halloween 1950), his son and daughter have granted a wide-ranging interview to Ryan Parker of The Hollywood Reporter. Topics include Candy’s proudest achievements in show business, his longtime collaboration with writer-director John Hughes, his struggles to control his weight, and the horrible day the comedian died in Durango, Mexico, while making the ill-fated Western comedy Wagons East!
The Candy kids were only 9 and 14 when the sad news reached them. It was a Friday, and their father was buried that Monday. Though ...
The Candy kids were only 9 and 14 when the sad news reached them. It was a Friday, and their father was buried that Monday. Though ...
- 10/24/2016
- by Joe Blevins
- avclub.com
From a crazy early Nic Cage role to a lesser-known film starring Robert De Niro, here's our pick of 25 underappreciated films from 1989...
Ah, 1989. The year the Berlin Wall came down and Yugoslavia won the Eurovision Song Contest. It was also a big year for film, with Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade topping the box office and Batman dominating the summer with its inescapable marketing blitz.
Outside the top 10 highest-grossing list, which included Back To The Future II, Dead Poets Society and Honey I Shrunk The Kids, 1989 also included a plethora of less commonly-appreciated films. Some were big in their native countries but only received a limited release in the Us and UK. Others were poorly received but have since been reassessed as cult items.
From comedies to thrillers, here's our pick of 25 underappreciated films from the end of the 80s...
25. An Innocent Man
Disney, through its Touchstone banner, had high hopes for this thriller,...
Ah, 1989. The year the Berlin Wall came down and Yugoslavia won the Eurovision Song Contest. It was also a big year for film, with Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade topping the box office and Batman dominating the summer with its inescapable marketing blitz.
Outside the top 10 highest-grossing list, which included Back To The Future II, Dead Poets Society and Honey I Shrunk The Kids, 1989 also included a plethora of less commonly-appreciated films. Some were big in their native countries but only received a limited release in the Us and UK. Others were poorly received but have since been reassessed as cult items.
From comedies to thrillers, here's our pick of 25 underappreciated films from the end of the 80s...
25. An Innocent Man
Disney, through its Touchstone banner, had high hopes for this thriller,...
- 4/28/2015
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
John Candy will forever be remembered as one of the greatest comedic actors in Hollywood history. Sadly, in 1994, while filming the comedy Wagons East!, Candy passed away in his sleep from a heart attack. He was 43.
Over two decades later, John Candy's son Chris Candy, an actor as well, sat down with Et Canada to discuss the life and legacy of his late father.
In Memoriam: SNL Stars We've Lost
"With him being gone 20 years now, you feel like he's within you a little bit," he told Et Canada, whose interview with Chris kicked off their Celebrity Kids Week. "He was just an amazing actor. There was only one John Candy, and he was it."
Chris, 30, also opened up about what he feels made his father such a beloved entertainer, and how it's influenced his own efforts as a performer.
Video: Splash Flashback! On Set with Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah and John Candy
"My dad's ability...
Over two decades later, John Candy's son Chris Candy, an actor as well, sat down with Et Canada to discuss the life and legacy of his late father.
In Memoriam: SNL Stars We've Lost
"With him being gone 20 years now, you feel like he's within you a little bit," he told Et Canada, whose interview with Chris kicked off their Celebrity Kids Week. "He was just an amazing actor. There was only one John Candy, and he was it."
Chris, 30, also opened up about what he feels made his father such a beloved entertainer, and how it's influenced his own efforts as a performer.
Video: Splash Flashback! On Set with Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah and John Candy
"My dad's ability...
- 12/1/2014
- Entertainment Tonight
The late James Gandolfini's final movie, “The Drop,” opens Friday, the latest in a sadly long list of movies with stars who died before their films opened. Some have scored big at the box office, like “The Dark Knight” with Heath Ledger. Others, like John Candy's Western spoof “Wagons East!,” tanked spectacularly. Chernin Entertainment's “The Drop” is directed by Michael Roskam and co-stars Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace in a crime drama about mob money laundering in New York bars. Distributor Fox Searchlight has the film, which has a solid 76 percent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, in roughly 500 theaters.
- 9/12/2014
- by Todd Cunningham
- The Wrap
There can be only one. Since 1974, the answer to the question, "What is the best Western comedy?" has been Blazing Saddles. Whether he likes it or not, Seth MacFarlane's new film A Million Ways to Die in the West will be compared to Mel Brooks' classic movie, and not just by me in this Film Face-off. For those who are already upset that I'm not talking about Shanghai Noon, City Slickers, Wagons East and The Shakiest Gun in the West, I don't know what to tell you. Oh wait, I do... stop it. Now, on to the battle in the wild, wild west. Plot/Lead Blazing Saddles In order to get rid of a town on a future railroad path, a corrupt politician (Harvey Korman) hires a black sheriff (Cleavon Little), who is more cunning than...
Read More...
Read More...
- 6/3/2014
- by Jeff Bayer
- Movies.com
Paul Walker's death is expected to result in the largest insurance claim in Hollywood history.
The actor was killed in November, with Fast & Furious 7 still in production. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the project will continue by using face-replacement technology costing around $50 million.
A 13-week shoot will conclude in July with a big crowd scene involving 600 people, with insurer Fireman's Fund expected to pay the costs to Universal.
Movie insiders have stated that a computer-generated face replacement will be used to complete Walker's scenes, along with his brothers Cody and Caleb and another actor.
Caleb Walker will be used for his body size and mannerisms, as well as Cody's eyes and the acting performance of another unnamed individual.
Peter Jackson company Weta will complete the effects using three cameras to capture the stand-ins for face replacements.
There will also be unused material featuring Paul Walker from the previous two Fast & Furious films.
The actor was killed in November, with Fast & Furious 7 still in production. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the project will continue by using face-replacement technology costing around $50 million.
A 13-week shoot will conclude in July with a big crowd scene involving 600 people, with insurer Fireman's Fund expected to pay the costs to Universal.
Movie insiders have stated that a computer-generated face replacement will be used to complete Walker's scenes, along with his brothers Cody and Caleb and another actor.
Caleb Walker will be used for his body size and mannerisms, as well as Cody's eyes and the acting performance of another unnamed individual.
Peter Jackson company Weta will complete the effects using three cameras to capture the stand-ins for face replacements.
There will also be unused material featuring Paul Walker from the previous two Fast & Furious films.
- 5/22/2014
- Digital Spy
Feature Ryan Lambie 11 Mar 2014 - 05:39
In the late 80s, Carolco was one of the biggest studios in Hollywood, but by 1995, it was gone. Ryan charts its dramatic rise and fall...
Paul Verhoeven is not a happy man. It's 1994, and the Dutch director of (among other things) RoboCop and Total Recall is in a pivotal meeting with executives at Carolco Pictures. They're in the boardroom to discuss Crusade: a lavish, $100m historical drama described as Spartacus meets Conan.
With a script by Walon Green (The Wild Bunch, WarGames), and a cast headed up by Arnold Schwarzenegger, it sounds like the kind of star-filled, opulent film Carolco Pictures is famous for making. The supporting cast includes Jennifer Connelly and Robert Duvall. The script is vibrant and brash. There are massive sets being built in rural Spain. But privately, Carolco's bosses are anxious; they have another hugely expensive project in the works...
In the late 80s, Carolco was one of the biggest studios in Hollywood, but by 1995, it was gone. Ryan charts its dramatic rise and fall...
Paul Verhoeven is not a happy man. It's 1994, and the Dutch director of (among other things) RoboCop and Total Recall is in a pivotal meeting with executives at Carolco Pictures. They're in the boardroom to discuss Crusade: a lavish, $100m historical drama described as Spartacus meets Conan.
With a script by Walon Green (The Wild Bunch, WarGames), and a cast headed up by Arnold Schwarzenegger, it sounds like the kind of star-filled, opulent film Carolco Pictures is famous for making. The supporting cast includes Jennifer Connelly and Robert Duvall. The script is vibrant and brash. There are massive sets being built in rural Spain. But privately, Carolco's bosses are anxious; they have another hugely expensive project in the works...
- 3/10/2014
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Beloved Canadian comedic actor John Candy died 20 years ago today, well ahead of his time. Though just 43-years-old when he passed, the larger-than-life personality left behind an admirable careers-worth of classic movie comedy moments. He also had a flair for the dramatic; perhaps both sides of the artist were best captured by his portrayal of shower curtain ring salesman Del Griffith in John Hughes’ 1987 hit film “Planes, Trains & Automobiles.” Candy also starred in “Stripes,” “Splash,” and “The Great Outdoors,” to name a few. He died of a heart attack in his sleep while filming western parody “Wagons East!”...
- 3/4/2014
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Astonishingly it’s been exactly 20 years to the day since the amazing Canadian actor John Candy passed away. The man was famed for being one of the greatest movie comedians ever to have walked the earth and this post pays tribute to the great man looking at some of his greatest movie movie moments.
John Candy was only 43 when he died on March 4th 1994 of a heart attack while filming the movie Wagons East!. He died way too young but left us a plethora of amazing movies and TV shows behind for us to remember him by. Below is a just a snippet of our favourites although there are so many more.
If any of these movies are unfamiliar to you, do yourself a favour and buy it now! We dedicate this post to you John!
—————
Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
Directed by John Hughes, this is arguably one of John Candy...
John Candy was only 43 when he died on March 4th 1994 of a heart attack while filming the movie Wagons East!. He died way too young but left us a plethora of amazing movies and TV shows behind for us to remember him by. Below is a just a snippet of our favourites although there are so many more.
If any of these movies are unfamiliar to you, do yourself a favour and buy it now! We dedicate this post to you John!
—————
Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
Directed by John Hughes, this is arguably one of John Candy...
- 3/4/2014
- by David Sztypuljak
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Before the advent of Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios was the leader in quality family entertainment. Now that they're both a part of the same company, it's even better. But back then, the Disney Company attempted to differentiate their movies by asking different famous actors to come in and perform their characters in a film. Inspired by Robin Williams' fantastic performance as the Genie in Aladdin, Disney Feature Animation (at the time) decided to get more ambitious with their casting. These are ten actors who were asked to be a part of a film and never got to make it; either due to scheduling conflicts, money issues or even death!
10. Joe Pesci as Mushu in Mulan
In a weird form of typecasting, Academy Award-winner Joe Pesci was originally cast as the little dragon, Mushu. After a few tries at the character, the filmmakers just felt his voice wasn't appropriate...
- 9/28/2012
- by Zack Parks
- GeekTyrant
Our post about gay actors playing straight characters got us thinking about the flipside, straight actors playing gay characters.
But a list of straight actors successfully playing gay would be obvious (Tom Hanks, Heath Ledger, Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and frankly dull. So we decided instead to sharpen our knives and make a list that's a hell of a lot more fun.
Straight actors who crashed and burned attempting to play gay.
Most of these performances rely on cliche and stereotype, and to be fair, a lot of our favorite gay performances from straight actors do lean heavily on the flamboyant. But actors such as Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) manage to inject warmth, heart, and sincerity into the theatrics.
These actors, on the other hand, either try way too hard, or not hard enough, and embarrass themselves ... and us.
Mark Adair-Rios and Peter Oldring, Love That Girl
If you've never seen...
But a list of straight actors successfully playing gay would be obvious (Tom Hanks, Heath Ledger, Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and frankly dull. So we decided instead to sharpen our knives and make a list that's a hell of a lot more fun.
Straight actors who crashed and burned attempting to play gay.
Most of these performances rely on cliche and stereotype, and to be fair, a lot of our favorite gay performances from straight actors do lean heavily on the flamboyant. But actors such as Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) manage to inject warmth, heart, and sincerity into the theatrics.
These actors, on the other hand, either try way too hard, or not hard enough, and embarrass themselves ... and us.
Mark Adair-Rios and Peter Oldring, Love That Girl
If you've never seen...
- 5/16/2011
- by snicks
- The Backlot
- So many questions. So much speculation. The past 72 hours are filled with bereavement, well spoken tributes and a little bit of nonsense. For the curious: here is a sampling of info that puts his untimely death into perspective. Fact: Warner Bros.'s marketing people are scratching their heads. "Hollywood has not seen a high-profile star’s death in the middle of a movie in some time. When Brandon Lee was killed in 1993 on the set of “The Crow,” Mr. Kingman said, the filmmakers “were very clever and creative and completed the movie with a double, and that movie turned out to be successful enough to entice people to do a sequel.” (It made more than $50 million at the domestic box office.) River Phoenix died of an overdose in 1993, halfway through making “Dark Blood,” which was abandoned. John Candy died in 1994 with a third of his scenes left in “Wagons East,
- 1/28/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
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