John Candy played Gus Polinski in Home Alone.
Home Alone is a classic Christmas film directed by Chris Columbus and released on November 16, 1990. It was the 2nd highest-grossing film of 1990, earning $476.7 million worldwide. The film was nominated for many awards including 2 Academy Awards, 2 Golden Globe Awards, Grammy Awards, etc. After the success of this film, it went on to become a franchise. The cast of the film includes Macaulay Culkin, Catherine O'Hara, John Heard, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, etc.
Among the cast, John Candy is also a part of the film. Even though he had a small role in the film, it was a memorable part and loved by the audience. He was one of the beloved actors in Hollywood in the 1980s and 1990s. Let’s take a look at his career and the character he plays in Home Alone.
Who does John Candy play in Home Alone?
John Candy played the role of Gus Polinski in the film. Gus Polinski is a musician and a lead member of a traveling polka band. He meets Kevin's mother, Kate McCallister, for the first time at the airport. He offers to help Kate reach Chicago when he learns about her situation. She agrees to travel with him in his moving van with other people. They will drop her in Chicago on their way to Milwaukee.
On their way, he and his band played the song Deck the Halls to lighten the mood and asked Kate to join them. Kate was upset and felt guilty that she left her son at home. Gus comes to cheer her up, and she shares her thoughts, expressing that she feels like a bad parent. She asks him if he ever left his child at home like she did. He shares his experience of leaving his child at a funeral home once. It was not a good experience, but after some time, his child forgave him, and they began talking again. He assures her that everything will be fine and her child will get over it.
Who is John Candy?
John Franklin Candy, also known as John Candy, was a Canadian actor and comedian, born on October 31, 1950, in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. He started his acting career with the TV show Cucumber in 1972. He made his film debut with the film Class of '44 in 1973. He gained wide popularity when he joined the cast of the comedy variety TV show Second City Television (SCTV) from 1976 to 1979.
He has done many films over his career, including Deadly Companion (1980), The Blues Brothers (1980), Going Berserk (1983), Brewster's Millions (1985), Spaceballs (1987), Who's Harry Crumb? (1989), Uncle Buck (1989), Home Alone (1990), JFK (1991), etc. He has also done many TV projects, including The David Steinberg Show (1976), Second City TV (1976–1979), Saturday Night Live (1981), The Last Polka (1985), Camp Candy (1989), etc. Throughout his career, he was nominated for 9 Primetime Emmy Awards and won 2 of them.
He got married to his wife Rosemary Margaret Hobor in 1979. The couple had 2 children together- a son, Christopher Candy, and a daughter, Jennifer Candy. He passed away at the age of 43, on March 4, 1994.
Read more about Home Alone:
FAQs about John Candy
A. Yes, John Candy was a part of Home Alone.
A. John Candy was married to Rosemary Margaret Hobor.
A. John Candy had two children.
!["I'm open to anything. Certain things [just have] to align" - Dakota Johnson reportedly wants to play a 'psychopath'](https://statico.soapcentral.com/editor/2025/07/5739c-17518934076962-1920.jpg?h=166)
