John Candy’s advice for making it in comedy: “You don’t try”
John Candy was one of the biggest stars of the 1980s, stealing the show many times over with roles in Stripes, Splash, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs, and, of course, the incomparable Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and in the wake of his passing at merely 43, created an entire generation of mourners and people keen to honour his legacy through their own work.
One of his many disciples was Conan O’Brien. The red-headed talk show host was a great admirer of Candy’s work and comedy in general, but he wasn’t initially sure about following in his footsteps. He got into Harvard University with the aim of studying law, the same career as his father, but his destiny changed forever when Candy himself paid a visit to the prestigious institution.
As he explained to Cracked, O’Brien was one of the tour guides who spent about a day and a half with the Canadian legend, showing him round the famous Lampoon building and chatting to him about the ins and outs of their craft. Across this period, he was given a vital piece of advice about what it takes to succeed in the cutthroat world of show business.
O’Brien recalled, “I just said, ‘You know, Mr Candy, I’m thinking I might try comedy’”, and this really got his attention. “His head whipped around,” he continued, “he looked me right in the eye and he said, ‘You don’t try comedy. You do it or you don’t do it’… That was my attitude going into [comedy] in ‘85. I’m not going to take the Lsat (Law School Admission Test). I’m not going to have a backup. This just has to work.”
Following his graduation from Harvard, O’Brien moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream as a comedy writer and put this advice into practice. It didn’t take long for his talents to be noticed by those at the very top. Lorne Michaels hired him as a writer on Saturday Night Live, which quickly opened more doors to shows like The Simpsons. After that, the roles kept on coming, as he eventually moved to the front of the camera with his talk show, movie parts, and Oscar-hosting duties; it’s all fallen neatly into place.
Candy’s career also could have gone in a very different direction had he not listened to his heart. A star high-school football player, he had dreams of making it big in the sport, which, like so many unfortunate young prospects, had to be recalibrated due to an injury. Much like O’Brien, Candy threw himself into comedy while at university, his undeniable ability landing him a job on the Canadian show Second City Television, in which he starred alongside bright lights such as Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, and Harold Ramis.
Sometimes, you simply have to follow your dreams. We can’t all have a moment like that without heroes, but hopefully the story of Conan O’Brien and John Candy will inspire some of you to follow their example of jumping in heart-first.
