John Candy

Highest Rated: 93% National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)

Lowest Rated: 0% Wagons East! (1994)

Birthday: Oct 31, 1950

Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Canadian funnyman John Candy was known around Hollywood as one of the most amiable, easygoing people to work with. Onscreen, that inherent genial nature combined with his terrific comedic sense created some of most memorable movie characters of the '80s and '90s like "Uncle" Buck Russell and Del Griffith in "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" (1987). Candy first became known to millions in the late '70s as a cast member of the legendary Canadian sketch comedy show "SCTV" (Syndicated, 1977-80, NBC 1981-82, Cinemax, 1983) before going on to enjoy success in dozens of features, including seven for the era's box office comedy king, John Hughes. However, the major talent was capable of far more than increasingly subpar Hollywood offerings, and Candy's frustration manifested itself with excessive eating and heavy smoking. When his life was cut short by a heart attack in 1994 at the age of 43, there was a sense that he had only begun to showcase his real depth as an actor.