'John Candy: I Like Me', A Documentary On The Late Comedian's Childhood Trauma By Ryan Reynolds

John Candy: I Like Me is a 2025 documentary directed by Colin Hanks and produced by Ryan Reynolds, which explores the life and career of the beloved Canadian comedian. The film touches on the trauma John Candy experienced from losing his father at a young age, and how this affected his mental health and career. The documentary premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 4, 2025, and began streaming globally on Prime Video on October 10, 2025.

John Candy's childhood trauma and its impact on his life

Canadian comedian, John Candy always thought his time was limited because of his father's untimely demise. John's father died from a heart attack at the age of 35, when John was just five years old. The impact of the incident on John's life served as a central theme of John Candy: I Like Me. His family reportedly never discussed it; however, it was depicted as a source of John Candy's anxiety, struggles with self-esteem, and fear of dying young in the documentary.

The 1-hour-52-minute film looks beneath John Candy's famously warm and jovial public persona to reveal his private anxieties and insecurities. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, director, Colin Hanks mentioned that John Candy's sweetness, sincerity and genuine nature developed partly as 'coping mechanisms' for his personal struggles. Colin also shared his initial doubts about making a documentary on him and what ultimately changed his mind to deliver a project that is receiving immense praise from viewers.

What made Colin Hanks direct John Candy: I Like Me, despite initial doubts?

Colin Hanks met John Candy as a young child on the set of the 1984 film Splash, which starred Colin's father, Tom Hanks. He remembered John as a remarkably kind person who made him feel heard and important, even as a kid. Colin was initially hesitant about making a documentary on someone so warm-natured and universally beloved. He wondered what the narrative angle of the film would be that would make it worth the viewers' time.

The idea of making a documentary came from Ryan Reynolds, who reached out to Colin about it, but he wasn't ready to go forward with the project until he researched two key aspects of John Candy's life. They were: the trauma of John's father's death and the Canadian comedian battling personal anxiety. Thus, John's lesser-known personal life and struggle were what drew Colin to make a documentary on him. John Candy's fear that he was 'living on borrowed time', instilled a drive to please people and provide for his family.

In conversations with John Candy's son, Christopher Candy, the director learned that John Candy had only just begun to address his deep-seated anxiety in therapy before his own early death at age 35. It highlighted how John's famous charm and affable nature were actually his way of dealing with his internal pain. That aspect of John Candy's life story seemed compelling to Colin, and he joined hands with Ryan Reynolds to make the Prime Video documentary. He said:

"The fact that John’s father passed on his fifth birthday when his father was 35. That struck me as an incredibly traumatic thing to go through as a young kid and obviously shaped his entire existence. And then Chris [John’s son] had mentioned that John had really started to suffer from anxiety attacks, panic attacks and started going to therapy to start working on himself."

What are your thoughts on John Candy's childhood trauma serving as the central plot of John Candy: I Like Me? Let us know.

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