The actor revealed he actually tracked down the reporter himsefl.
Ryan Reynolds is standing up for the late comedy legend John Candy.
At the Toronto International Film Festival, where Colin Hanks’ new documentary John Candy: I Like Me premiered, Reynolds shared that he took an unusual step after seeing old footage of Candy being mocked on camera. The actor, who produced the documentary, told Entertainment Weekly that he actually tracked down a journalist who once insulted Candy’s weight.
“There was a lot of things we left out of the documentary, journalists just saying stuff. One of them I called,” Reynolds, 48, explained on Friday, September 12, per the outlet. “I didn’t put it in the movie, but I called this journalist just to see.”
Reynolds clarified that his approach wasn’t about shaming the reporter. “[I told him] I took it out of the movie, but I’d put it in the movie if you wanted to talk about it, because maybe you have something to say about it, about your journey whenever it comes to something like that. We had such a thoughtful conversation about it,” he continued.
Even with that clip excluded, Hanks’ film doesn’t shy away from showing how Candy was treated by the press. “You look at interview after interview and horrible things are being said and questions are being asked in incredibly insensitive ways,” Hanks told Variety. “It’s tough to see how uncomfortable John was in almost every clip. And he had good reason, because some of the things that people said were disgusting and would not be tolerated today.”
@hellocanadamag John Candy’s son Christopher and daughter Jennifer shared memories of their late father at the world premiere of John Candy: I Like Me, produced by Ryan Reynolds. The beloved comedian and proud Canadian died in 1994 at age 43 🇨🇦 ❤️🩹 #tiff #tiff50 #johncandy #tribute ♬ original sound – HELLO! Canada Magazine
Candy’s legacy was also represented by his children, Christopher and Jennifer Candy, who stepped out for the documentary’s world premiere back on September 6. The siblings made a rare appearance on the red carpet at TIFF, nearly 30 years after their father’s passing, with many immediately noticing the strong resemblance they share with the late comedian.
John Candy: I Like Me is set to premiere October 10 on Prime Video.
