When Ryan Reynolds showed up on set for Deadpool 2 with a battered paperback titled The Canadian Mounted tucked into the hero’s backpack, no one on the crew thought much of it—until they learned Reynolds had personally paid Paramount Pictures $5,000 to license the prop. It wasn’t just a joke. It was a vow. A quiet, stubborn act of devotion to a man who’d been dead for 30 years: John Candy.
The Book That Started It All
The Canadian Mounted isn’t a real book. It was invented for the 1987 comedy Planes, Trains and Automobiles, where Candy’s lovable, chaotic travel salesman Del Griffith clutches it like a talisman. Reynolds, born in Vancouver in 1976, grew up watching Candy’s films on VHS tapes his dad rented from the local video store. "It wasn’t just funny," Reynolds told Collider. "It was like watching someone who genuinely liked being around people. Even when he was being ridiculous, you felt like he was your best friend." That feeling stuck. When Reynolds landed the role of Deadpool, he knew he had to honor Candy—not with a cameo, not with a line, but with something only true fans would notice.He didn’t ask for permission. He didn’t wait for a studio memo. He called Paramount’s props department himself. "I said, ‘I want to buy the rights to that book. I’m putting it in every Deadpool movie. I’ll pay you.’" The studio laughed. Then they agreed. The $5,000 wasn’t for the physical prop—it was for the licensing rights to reproduce the book’s design, cover, and even the fictional author’s name. Reynolds paid it out of pocket. "It’s not about money," he told David Letterman on Netflix’s My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. "It’s about not forgetting." The book appears in Deadpool (2016), Deadpool 2 (2018), and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). No one else knew. Until now.
Why John Candy? Why Now?
Candy died in 1994 at age 43, in a hotel room in Durango, Mexico, from a heart attack. Reynolds was 17. He says he cried for three days straight. "He was the guy who made you feel like everything was going to be okay—even when it wasn’t," Reynolds told Stephen Colbert. "He was generous with people when no one was watching. That’s rare in this business." That generosity shaped Reynolds’ own approach to comedy. He’s said he mimics Candy’s timing, his pauses, his ability to make absurdity feel warm. In Deadpool & Wolverine, he even wrote Wolverine’s most emotional monologue—"I remember writing that speech," Reynolds said, "and I was the perfect person to write it because I’m self-loathing. That’s when you activate all those systems." The scene, where Wolverine finally breaks down, echoes Candy’s own ability to make audiences laugh until they cried.Reynolds’ obsession isn’t just nostalgic. It’s active. He’s producing a documentary, John Candy: I Like Me, set to premiere at the Toronto International Film FestivalToronto this September. Getting Bill Murray to participate was a hurdle. "Bill said, ‘You can’t do a documentary about John. He’s unimpeachable. He never did anything wrong… Except one thing.’" Reynolds laughs now. "I begged him. I said, ‘Don’t tell me what it is. Just show up.’ He did. And it’s the most human thing I’ve ever seen on camera."
The Ripple Effect of a Tiny Tribute
Reynolds knows most viewers won’t catch the book reference. He doesn’t care. "That’s the point," he told Letterman. "It’s just one of those little things. You try to never forget those people who have helped grow you where you are." But the ripple effect? That’s bigger than he imagined. Fans started posting photos of the book on Reddit. YouTube deep-dives popped up. One TikTok video, showing the book in all three films side-by-side, got 8.7 million views. A Canadian museum in Newmarket, Ontario—Candy’s hometown—now displays a replica of the book in a permanent exhibit titled "The Legacy of Laughter." Even Conan O’Brien, who once called Candy "the most beautiful human being I’ve ever met," recently tweeted: "Ryan Reynolds just turned a prop into a monument. That’s not fandom. That’s love."What This Says About Hollywood
In an industry that chases viral moments and algorithm-friendly stunts, Reynolds’ act feels radical. He didn’t monetize the tribute. He didn’t turn it into a merch line. He didn’t even mention it publicly for years. He paid $5,000 to keep a joke alive—not for clout, but because Candy made him believe comedy could be kind.Reynolds’ career—once defined by smirks and sarcasm—has evolved into something more tender. He’s producing documentaries. He’s mentoring young Canadian actors. He’s talking openly about grief. "John Candy didn’t just teach me how to be funny," he said. "He taught me how to be present. And that’s harder than any punchline."
What’s Next?
The documentary John Candy: I Like Me is expected to be a cultural moment—not just for fans of 80s comedy, but for anyone who’s ever lost someone who made the world feel lighter. Reynolds says he’s already in talks with the Canadian Film Centre to create a scholarship fund in Candy’s name for emerging comedic actors. "He never had a chance to be remembered as a mentor," Reynolds says. "I’m going to make sure he is."Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Ryan Reynolds pay $5,000 for a prop book?
Reynolds paid Paramount Pictures $5,000 to secure licensing rights for the fictional book The Canadian Mounted from Planes, Trains and Automobiles, ensuring it could appear as a recurring Easter egg in all three Deadpool films. The payment wasn’t for the physical item but for the legal right to reproduce its design—a tribute to John Candy, whose performance deeply influenced Reynolds’ comedic style and career.
How many times does the book appear in the Deadpool films?
The book appears in all three Deadpool films: Deadpool (2016), Deadpool 2 (2018), and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). In each, it’s tucked into Deadpool’s backpack or lying on a table during quiet moments. Reynolds insisted on its inclusion despite studio concerns that the reference was too obscure, believing its emotional weight mattered more than audience recognition.
What’s the documentary John Candy: I Like Me about?
The documentary, premiering at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, explores Candy’s life, legacy, and impact on comedy through interviews with family, friends, and peers—including Bill Murray and Reynolds himself. It also reveals previously unseen footage and addresses Candy’s personal struggles, countering the myth that he was flawless. Reynolds calls it his most personal project yet.
Why is John Candy still relevant today?
Candy’s humor stood out because it was warm, human, and unguarded—qualities that feel rare in today’s ironic, hyper-edited comedy landscape. Reynolds and others credit Candy with proving you could be wildly funny without being mean. His influence lives on in actors like Reynolds, Seth Rogen, and Maya Rudolph, who’ve all cited him as a model for balancing laughter with heart.
Did Ryan Reynolds ever meet John Candy?
No, Reynolds never met Candy in person. Candy died in 1994 when Reynolds was 17, just as he was starting to take acting seriously. Reynolds says his connection to Candy was entirely through film—watching Uncle Buck, Spaceballs, and Planes, Trains and Automobiles on repeat. That absence, he says, made the tribute feel even more necessary.
What’s the significance of the book’s title, The Canadian Mounted?
The book is fictional, but its title mocks the trope of rugged Canadian frontier tales. In Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Candy’s character reads it as a joke—something trashy and absurd, like "sub-Danielle Steele." Reynolds says it symbolizes Candy’s love for the ridiculous, the unpolished, the deeply human. To Reynolds, it’s not just a prop—it’s a symbol of joy found in the imperfect.