By all accounts, John Candy was such a decent and kind person that when Colin Hanks set out to direct the definitive documentary about his life and career, he knew there wouldn’t be any “dirt” to uncover. In the words of Candy’s friend Bill Murray, “I wish I had some more bad things to say about him.” But ‘John Candy: I Like Me’ (streaming now on Amazon Prime Video) does explore the beloved comic actor’s many personal demons. In this episode, Hanks breaks down why he wanted to make a film about Candy, including his personal connection to the comedy star through his father, Tom Hanks, and their shared struggles with issues of anxiety and mortality. Hanks discusses his heartbreaking interview with Macaulay Culkin, reveals the piece of archival footage he was most excited to uncover, and later, discusses his own journey from teen actor to filmmaker—including his first-ever response to the “nepo baby” discourse.

Follow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein

Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod

Watch full episodes of The Last Laugh podcast on the Daily Beast’s YouTube channel

Highlights from this episode and others at TheDailyBeast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘John Candy: I Like Me’ Director Colin Hanks