Happy Easter! Have Some Candy x

Hi everyone

Sorry it has been a while, I just wanted to wish you all a Happy Easter!

As you know John was Catholic so would have celebrated Easter in every sense,
so alongside the religious aspect, he no doubt held great Easter Egg Hunts for his two kids Jennifer and Christopher (how much fun that would have been).

I'm not so religious but more spiritual, I believe in something, whether you want to call that God or the Universe I don't really have a label for it. I do think we are all connected, it's great to be in touch with the earth and that we should all treat each other as we would like to be treated. John did this in abundance, he had the utmost respect and generosity for everyone he met until they gave him reason not to, he reminds me very much of my dear late Dad.

So although I may not celebrate Easter in its religious guise, I do love to celebrate it. It's the start of Sping, a great time to make resolutions, it brings new and fresh hope, it's a time for new projects, to pick up old projects, give a helping hand, as well as scoffing lots of lovely chocolate eggs (it should be more celebrated than New Year in my eyes).

One of the many things I love about John is the amount of charity work he did, he was always helping someone or championing a good cause. He would throw parties for terminally ill children where there would be pizza and celebrities. He would raise funds and profile for various charities such as Scleroderna Research, Comic Relief, local hospitals and make large donations without mention of it in the media. John is so well known for comedy and acting, but he should also be known as a real humanitarian.

The book is coming along (still a little slow) I am doing a bit better but pain is really slowing me down,  I will get there though and I really appreciate all your patience.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend and thanks for all your support
Lots of love

Tracey xxxx

PS If you fancy helping someone who needs it, please consider supporting my dear friend in this campaign Help Octopus/Caveman
Octopus/Caveman (Co-host of Popcorn With Candy) is having a very hard time at the moment and to top it off he was brutally attacked last week. If you could give a pound or a dollar you could make all the difference to him - the money will help him replace what he lost and the kindness will give him a much needed boost xx

Popcorn With Candy

So my last blog talked about people supporting each other and how the SCTV crew elevated each other every chance they had. I am so lucky to have people around me that support and plug me when they can. In a slightly different angle for the blog (and because they were so kind to have me on their podcast) I thought I would throw Popcorn With Candy’s Octopus/Caveman and Peter some questions so you could learn a little bit more about their show:

So tell me what Popcorn With Candy is?

P: Popcorn With Candy is a chance for my brother and I to work together on something bigger than ourselves.

O/C: Popcorn With Candy is a show where we discuss the films of the late great John Candy.

Who came up with the idea?

P: O/C has been talking about doing a couple of podcasts for a few years and I have told him that I would help, just because his Ideas are great. But we were talking and the idea put itself together.

O/C: I had been interested in podcasting for some time. It started in such a blur. We both sort of dove into it. I remember a few episodes in, asking Peter “How did we start this?” I do remember Peter telling me about a similar show about another actor, I listened, thought it sucked and told him “We can do better.”

Why John?

P: We love John and his movies. We have always had a strong connection with Uncle Buck, Delirious, Only The Lonely and Spaceballs. It was more like John came up in conversation and we looked at each other and said "That's the Podcast!"

O/C: The choice to go with John I think, came from a Facebook post where I said “I miss John Candy” it had one like and one comment, both from Peter and he said “You and me both brother.” The choice was clear.

How far in are you?

P: We just finished our 12th movie (National Lampoons Vacation) and just posted our 12th podcast (Heavy Metal). We are looking at his Film Career, avoiding most TV Movies. We have a couple in the list that were TV movies but those are there for good reason. The list is currently 41 movies long.

O/C: 12 Episodes so far. We’re finally past some of the weird 70’s movies John was in. From here on out it’s all gold.

Which has been your most enjoyable episode so far?

P: I think Stripes is my favorite so far. I love that movie and it was so easy to talk about it. We both had a lot of fun talking about it and I also really enjoyed listening to it later.

O/C: This is an interesting question for me. I loved Lost and Found, not the episode so much as discovering this hidden gem of a movie. The biggest laugh out of me had to be the “hut hut cops” from Blues Brothers. I’ll have to go Blues Brothers as my favorite episode.

Favorite Candy movie?

P: I love Uncle Buck, it just resonates with me. I have a lot of trouble leaving it at that because one of my favorite movies is Little Shop of Horrors. John’s role in that is so small that I wouldn't call it a John Candy movie if we weren't doing this podcast.

O/C: Delirious. No Contest. I love that movie so much.

Is there anything you have learnt from John doing this process?

P: I knew going into this that he didn't like the fat jokes. Watching him in his early career, I realized that he would do anything to please the people around him. He made everyone so happy by sacrificing himself constantly.

O/C: Learning about John, I feel like I want to try and be a better person. Sorry to get deep here but he, by all accounts, was such a sweet guy. He motivates me to want to be better.

Please tell me you aren’t stopping with Candy? Who is next?

P: This has been too fun to stop yet, but we aren't even half way done yet. We are pretty sure we are continuing with someone else, but we aren't sure who. We have a short list, and one name stands out, but we haven't decided yet.

O/C: I’m really pushing to do Popcorn With Abe Vigotta after John. 

You can listen to Peter and Octopus/Caveman here Popcorn With Candy and there is even an interview with myself (thanks so much guys). You can also follow them on twitter @popcorn_with They are so much fun, huge John Candy fans and it's a great show so make sure you check them out. 

Lots of love and thanks as always 

Trace xx

Support Each Other

I have learnt so many lessons from John, but one that springs to mind at the moment is to support each other. Being part of SCTV was probably one of the happiest times for John, in fact I think most of the SCTV actors, crew, writers would probably say the same. It was one of the most supportive and creative times for them all and I feel at a time when they really needed each other. Confidence, love, laughter, a safe space and people to bounce off. They were kind of making the show for themselves and then of course others found it funny and it went from there.

A lot of people question if there was something in the water back then with comedic greats coming out of Canada including John Candy, Dan Aykroyd, Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Dave Thomas, Rick Moranis, Joe Flaherty et al. However in Martin Short's latest book I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend, Short attributes it to the fact they all helped each other - if one of them got an opportunity they tried to create one for the others.

When I interviewed Rob Salem for the book, he told me how John didn't just break America but also boundaries for his fellow Canadian actors. Before John, to go from Canada to America was not a favorable thing to do with the Canadian press, who in the main could be quite scathing of anyone who crossed over to the Hollywood dark side. However, people could not help but love John (probably because he never forgot his roots and gave so much back to Canada) and he really paved the way for other actors to follow suit.

I have heard a lot of stories of John trying to help fellow actors, aspiring actors, people that he liked in general by giving them opportunities, advice, recommendations and if possible, jobs.

I remember back in my Uni years one of my old lecturers Phil Saxe telling us that as one became successful in your group (of friends, colleagues, coworkers etc) as a rule others would rise up with them. So the key isn't just to look after yourself but to look after those around you, luckily this isn't only the most productive way but also the nicest too (the main thing is you all have to be on the same page, everyone must want each other to succeed).

I'm so very lucky that whilst writing about John I have found some of these creative supportive people myself, so every now and then in the blog I will be highlighting them.

The book is not far off  (I have one more surgery to go so I may hold release till after then) and I am lacking in a little confidence so thank god for my very own John Candy's surrounding me at the moment.

Support each other, lots of love to you all and thanks so much for your patience. 

Trace xx

Welcome to 2016!

So we survived 2015, well done us. I know we had our ups and downs but when all is said and done, we made it.

Every year I write this post and every year I say hopefully the book will be out, blah blah blah... well this is the year the book will be out (I promise) and I am excited and terrified in equal measure.

This year I stayed in touch with lots of the people I have interviewed for the book as well as doing some last minute interviews. Everyone I have spoken to has been a boon, just a joy, but never did I think I would actually get to interview Big Bird himself (you don't get bigger than Big Bird). The wonderful Carroll Spinney who has played Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch from day dot, chatted to me about the sketch he did with John on Sesame Street where John (playing Yosh Schmenge) delivers clarinet lessons to Oscar's pet worm Watch it here. A documentary also came out last year about Carroll called I am Big Bird and it is just a fascinating and heartwarming watch that I highly recommend.

I was also interviewed by Edinburgh 49, the wonderful guys from Popcorn With Candy and had a few things published on Huff Post.

Thank you so much to everyone who pre-ordered a book in 2015, to those who gave me a few words of support (I needed every single one of them), shared a post or was just generally nice. In 2015 I also experienced just how nasty some people could be, I guess if you put yourself out in the public domain not everyone is going to be kind - so one of my resolutions this year is to toughen up!

The other, as every year, is to be more like John Candy. Live life, work hard, love your friends and family with every thing you have, be kind, think of others and laugh, a lot.

Whatever is ahead for us in 2016 it is a new chapter and as long as we are still standing at the end of it, well we did OK.

Lots of love to you all, let's do this

Tracey x

It's just not Christmas without Candy

I love this time of year, I love Christmas and the feeling it brings. I used to work twelve hour shifts alone on Christmas Day and it would surprise me every year how I could feel Christmas in the air, it was palpable, even though I was on my own. There is a universal goodwill that effects everything. It's like the scene in Ghostbusters 2 where everyone is singing 'Higher and Higher' after the Ghostbusters have goo'ed the Statue of Liberty to combat negativity, it's contagious.

I am aware that Christmas isn't always like this for everyone and if that is you please know that you aren't alone, this too shall pass and things can change in a blink. Keep hope, don't give up (I have had a few like that myself too).

But ultimately for me, Christmas isn't Christmas without some re runs of John Candy films. Just this week all over social media people have been commenting about Home Alone, Uncle Buck, Planes Trains and Automobiles, Cool Runnings, all the classics. People really miss John and marvel (especially at this time of year) just how awesome he is.

There have been some amusing theories recently about John Candy's character in Home Alone, Gus Polinski (Polka King of the Midwest), actually being the devil. When Catherine O'Hara's character, Kate, says to the airport clerk at Scranton Airport (right by the crossroads - a popular place to summon Satan) that she would literally sell her soul to the devil to get home - Gus intervenes to offer her help. He also mentions in the van/clarinet scene how he once left a child in a funeral parlor. Plus he plays the clarinet - a woodwind instrument (woodwind being favored by the devil). This is backed up with thoughts of Del Griffith also being the devil trying to make Neil Paige late home for Thanksgiving in PTA - in the scene where Del is driving the wrong way and they have a near miss with two lorries, he literally turns into the devil for a few seconds.

By the way my head had to think about these theories but my heart still says no.  Although I think both Candy and Hughes would be amused that their work is still being talked about today (and they would probably give some ambiguous comment to keep it fun), in my eyes John Candy was nothing but an angel, a sweet funny one at that.

Watching Uncle Buck is a must for me every year, OK it isn't a Christmas film, but to me it represents everything Christmas is about. Love, fun, family and cooking up garbage. I get goosebumps from the title music alone and by the end I am always in tears. It should be compulsory for everyone to have their very own Uncle Buck.

So make sure (if you haven't yet already) that you tell someone you love them, look out for each other, help someone who needs it and watch a Candy movie.

If you need some last minute help with Christmas prep check out SCTV's Pre-Teen World Christmas Special Pre-Teen World Christmas

Thanks for all your support as always and a Merry Schmenge Christmas to you all!

See you on the other side,

Lots of love
Tracey xx

PS During the holidays do yourself a favor and make sure you have a listen to Popcorn With Candy. It's a great podcast from Octopus/Caveman and Peter, who are going through the films of John Candy one at a time

Thanksgiving, Popcorn and a little bit of Patience

So I haven't blogged for a few weeks and I thought I better fill you in on what has been going on...

Firstly a belated Happy Thanksgiving to all those who celebrate in the US, I hope you had a wonderful time and I am pretty sure most of you watched the wonderful Planes, Trains and Automobiles, which has become a huge tradition for so many at this time of year. I recently got to read the original script for PTA and I learnt why Dell has a black eye in the scene after they get pulled over by the State Trooper. In the original script the duo actually get arrested too, on leaving the station Neil proclaims that at least the car is the rental company's problem, Del then has to confess that he was trying to save Neil money and didn't take out any insurance, hence Del getting slugged by Neil. 

Myself, well I'm thankful for a lot of things, for John, for you guys reading my blog, for the people who have taken time to help me and for the friends I have made along the way. 

Two new friends include these amazing brothers, Octopus/Caveman and Peter, who have recently started a podcast called Popcorn With Candy. They are going through the films of John Candy in chronological order and it's a great listen. So far they have covered Class of '44, It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time, Tunnelvision, The Clown Murders and have just put up an interview they did with me. Please go and support them, they are funny, entertaining and big John Candy fans, follow this link Popcorn With Candy. My apologies to them both as I was nervous as hell and got total verbal diarrhea - the last thing I want to be remembered as is an annoying Blabbermouth! I'm not that used to being interviewed but they put me right at ease and I even gave away some of the stories in the book. They have since had me back on for their episode about The Silent Partner which should be up soon. 

Well today is the day the book was originally due to come out and if you didn't know already it has been put back a couple of months. I could have rushed but it wouldn't have done it justice. I am also due for surgery any day now so I thought I would wait in case I was releasing the book whilst also being cut open (it would have made things pretty hard). I hope you guys don't mind and I'm so sorry it will take a little longer, patience is not a virtue I have but I am trying to work on that. In a way I think it will work out for the best, some interviews are still coming in. My good friend Joe Shooman (biographer/writer extraordinaire - check out his work Joe Shoo), has advised me that the book will never really be finished, it is a living entity in its own right - there will always be new information, new people to interview, so another couple of months it will be with us and then I have no doubts a second edition will be due over the years to come. 

Well I hope you are all really well, I would love to hear what you have been up to! 

Much love and thanks for all the support

Tracey xx

PS Chris, John's son, is one of the leads in Bar America, an independent film that has just been released on Amazon. It will make you laugh and cry and is a must watch, especially for all the creative types doing it for themselves. Chris is wonderful in it, occasionally he will do something on screen and you will see John in front of you, however Chris also stands up in his own right as a brilliant actor. More on this soon xx 

Watch Bar America

Happy 65th Birthday John

John, today you should be 65, instead you are 43 forever. Happy Birthday, I wish you could see how your fans have swamped the internet with memories of you, you would be so proud.

Wherever you are thank you, you have helped me more than you will ever know.

I wrote something for Huffpost that can be read here Happy Birthday John, We Miss You x

Much love to you and all those that miss you, peace be the journey

Tracey xx