John Candy tribute's TIFF debut brings Canadian Hollywood royalty to Toronto

Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF, hosted the premiere of director Colin Hanks' John Candy: I Like Me on Thursday night, and Canadian big screen stars like Ryan Reynolds and Eugene Levy showed up to the occasion. 

This project is an ode to one of Canada's most beloved comedians, the late John Candy. Framed by eulogies from Candy's friends and former colleagues, Dan Aykroyd and Catherine O'Hara, the documentary blends archival footage with heartfelt reflections from stars like Tom Hanks, Eugene Levy, and Macaulay Culkin.

The film revisits Candy's iconic performances while also exploring the struggles he faced with anxiety and fatphobia. Reynolds, the producer of the film, took to X in 2022 to announce the project to the world. It has finally come to fruition three years later.

Director Colin Hanks debuts at the Toronto International Film Festival with his stirring documentary, John Candy: I Like Me, an ode to the beloved Canadian comedian and his impressive body of work. 

Rolling Stone does an extensive review of the documentary, beautifully summing up Candy's life (and his alter-ego persona friends dubbed Johnny Toronto) and calling Hanks' latest creation something that will "break your heart." 

Fans go wild for Canadian-born actor Ryan Reynolds as he attends the red carpet for the premiere of John Candy: I Like Me. 

Of course, Toronto had gotten a whiff of all the celebrities gracing the carpet to show their support to the late comedian, so they swarmed Roy Thomson Hall to get a closer look (and some selfies) with the coveted stars. 

Canadian star Eugene Levy worked with Candy in projects like SCTV (1976) and Armed and Dangerous (1986). 

The rather calm and collected fan pit instantly broke into an uproar when Reynolds entered the venue, sporting his good looks and a T-shirt bearing the word "CANADA" and a maple leaf.  

But there's a backstory here...

According to the CBC, Reynolds' original outfit did not arrive with the actor in time, and so he pivoted to this corduroy suit and off-white tee, which stole the show and will be a red carpet moment that Toronto will probably be talking about for a long time. 

Reynolds stole the show with his corduroy suit and oh-so-Canadian tee shirt, repping Candy and his legacy in style. 

Reynolds, known for his charm, spent a reasonable amount of time with the fans, interacting and taking photos, leaving many with tangible memorabilia from one of TIFF's most promising documentaries. 

Aside from Reynolds and Levy, other Canadian personalities who appeared on the red carpet include Paul Shaffer and George Stroumboulpoulos. 

Fans patiently waited for the star-studded carpet spectacle to begin at the Roy Thomson Hall on Thursday night. 

TIFF is showcasing the documentary for the general public from September 11 to 14 at 9 p.m. daily, at Scotiabank Theatre. 

The festival runs in various venues throughout Toronto and runs from September 4 to 14.