Tom Hanks and John Candy left an indelible mark on viewers with their standout performances in the 1984 film Splash. Hanks, who played the lead role of Allen Bauer, infused his character with his trademark charm and wit, while Candy portrayed Allen’s lively and amiable brother, Freddie Bauer, adding an extra layer of comedic brilliance to the movie.
During a recent discussion about the film, director Ron Howard and Hanks disclosed a fascinating experience they witnessed while working with the legendary Candy during the production of the Touchstone Pictures romantic fantasy.
Tom Hanks and Ron Howard say John Candy once came to the set of ‘Splash’ drunk
During the discussion with Josh Gad, the duo revealed that Candy comported himself professionally all through their time together on the production set. However, Howard shared that on one particular occasion, the late actor turned up on set late and was visibly drunk.
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“John – totally professional guy, but he’s late. One day we have this racquetball court, and he’s late! John finally pulls up, and he kind of rolls out of the car and he says, ‘Ron, Ron. I just, I’m so sorry.’ I said, ‘Well, it’s OK you’re late, we’ll get going.’ He says, ‘No, No, No. Look, I’m drunk.’ He said, ‘Here’s what happened.'”
He performed brilliantly despite appearing drunk
The director further shared that when Candy got to the set, he explained that he got drunk through the influence of Jack Nicholson, whom he met at the bar. “‘Here’s what happened,’ you just know it’s going to be a good story, and Candy didn’t disappoint,” Howard stated. “‘I’m telling you the truth. I’m at the bar and Jack Nicholson’s at the bar. Jack Nicholson knew my name, Ron! He wanted to come over and he starts buying me drinks. And then I said, “I gotta go shoot.” And he said, “You’re gonna be all right, kid, don’t worry about it. And he kept buying me drinks! I never went to bed, Ron. I never went to bed.'”
Howard added that it was quite surprising to see Candy nail the scene despite being under the influence of alcohol. “The difficult moment was going to be the ball hitting John in the head. Then he came up to do it and, swear to god, the very first time John hit the ball,” he recalled, “it came right back and smacked him in the head. We all just collapsed in laughter.”