Tom Hanks Reflects on John Candy’s Memorable Hangover Following a Night Out with Jack Nicholson Before Filming ‘Splash’ Scene

John Candy might have been struck on the head by a racquetball in Splash, but Tom Hanks recalls that his co-star was already contending with a throbbing headache before the cameras started rolling.

In the forthcoming documentary John Candy: I Like Me—debuting at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival—Hanks reminisces about working with Candy on Ron Howard’s 1984 romantic comedy, revealing that a night of revelry with Jack Nicholson left Candy humorously unprepared the next day.

Prior to filming the iconic racquetball scene in Splash, Hanks fondly remembers the joy of improvising with Candy, describing it as “enhancing and welcoming” to his own acting abilities. However, on this occasion, the Uncle Buck star brought a unique challenge to the set—an impressive hangover.

“John comes in, and he’s completely spent,” Hanks shares in the documentary, chuckling at the memory. “He’d been out drinking, and who shows up but Jack Nicholson. They might have met for the first time then, but they definitely had a drink or two.”

Candy’s son, Christopher Candy, adds a humorous touch: “If Jack Nicholson invited me to a bar and kept me drinking all night? I’d definitely go for it!”

Hanks goes on to explain that his friend arrived on set “probably with maybe only an hour and a half of sleep,” but still “fueled by an evening with Jack Nicholson.” And somehow, that exhaustion became part of the performance. “We had to do a very physical thing, you know?” he says. “Everybody is laughing on one thing, and John is utilizing his exhaustion to a degree that works for my [onscreen] brother.”

The documentary also includes vintage footage of Candy promoting Splash, where he laughs off the moment he gets hit in the head with a racquetball. When asked how many takes it took to nail the gag, Candy grins and says, “You’re not going to believe this, but, three!”

Candy, who went on to star in Planes, Trains & Automobiles, The Great Outdoors, and Uncle Buck, died of a heart attack in 1994 at just 43 years old.

John Candy: I Like Me celebrates his life and legacy through interviews with his family — including his wife, daughter, and son Christopher — as well as a star-studded roster of collaborators like Macaulay Culkin, Bill Murray, Catherine O’Hara, Dan Aykroyd, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, and Spaceballs director Mel Brooks.

The documentary premiered October 10 on Amazon Prime Video.