Colin Hanks’ new documentary film “John Candy: I Like Me” details the career and character of the celebrated titular comedian/actor, tracing his rise through the Canadian comedy scene, and his big break on the sketch comedy series “SCTV” in 1976. John Candy was widely beloved during his all-too-brief life (he died at the age of 43), having headlined many major American comedy films, becoming a legit movie star. He did all this while remaining kind, frank, and polite.
One of Candy’s frequent collaborators was fellow Canadian comedy superstar Dan Aykroyd. Candy and Aykroyd first worked together in the 1976 sitcom “Coming Up Rosie,” although mainstream American audiences might better recall their shared credits in “1941” or “The Blues Brothers.” They would go on to star together in films like “The Great Outdoors” and “Nothing But Trouble.” Two comedy legends, usually seen next to one another. Between them, Candy’s films were hits, but Aykroyd had the bigger blockbusters. Aykroyd co-wrote and starred in 1984’s “Ghostbusters,” for instance, a film that made $370 million on its $30 million budget. Candy was beloved, and Aykroyd rattled the zeitgeist. Canada, it seems, was the best place to go to look for comedy superstars.
Case in point: Ryan Reynolds, the star of “Deadpool” and many other hit comedies besides, was born in Vancouver. He was — like the rest of the world — always a fan of Canadian comedians, and grew up paying very close attention to Aykroyd in particular. At a recent screening of “John Candy: I Like Me,” (which /Film’s own Ethan Anderton attended) Reynolds — one of the film’s producers — confessed that he (like so many men his age) re-watched “Ghostbusters” incessantly, loving Aykroyd’s line-readings and twitchy characterization. Specifically, Reynolds tried to imitate Aykroyd’s speedy delivery. Years later, he realized he was bringing those imitations to his performances in the “Deadpool” movies.
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Ryan Reynolds was kind of doing a Dan Aykroyd impersonation for Deadpool
Deadpool looking at Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine – Marvel Studios
Those who have seen the “Deadpool” movies (and millions have) know that the character is sarcastic, flippant, and often addresses the camera directly. The character is possessed of rapid healing powers, making him more or less immortal, a power that only enhanced his tendency to be a smartass; why hold back when you can recover from any bar brawl you instigate? Reynolds admitted that the character’s comedic delivery was inspired by Aykroyd, specifically Aykroyd’s performance in “Ghostbusters.” As Reynolds put it”
“My dad would bootleg every movie ever made when I was a kid. I used to watch ‘Ghostbusters’ over and over, the Aykroyd scenes, because I wanted to see if I could speak as quickly as Dan. Literally, it was like training for Deadpool 25 years before it happened.”
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Watching “Deadpool,” one can certainly hear what Reynolds is talking about. Both he and Aykroyd do indeed speed enthusiastically through their dialogue, something Aykroyd did with aplomb (see also his performance in “Dragnet”). Of course, Deadpool and Aykroyd’s “Ghostbusters” character, Ray Stantz, are very different characters indeed. Deadpool is a violent smart aleck who doesn’t care about much beyond his immediate circle of friends. Ray is a nerdy, science-obsessed, supernatural-phenomenon scholar possessed of a childlike wonder. Reynolds didn’t fashion his charaterization on Ray, just the comedic delivery. Imagine Ray and Bill Murray’s “Ghostbusters” character, Peter Venkman, rolled into one, and you’ll be a little closer to Deadpool. Bill Murray is not Canadian, but we won’t hold that against him.
Reynolds has said that he won’t be playing Deadpool again for a spell, but one can rest assured that he will be evoking Aykroyd in whatever comedy film he appears in next. Or John Candy, perhaps. Or any one of his utterly hilarious fellow countrymen/women.
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