For Jennifer Candy, John Candy was much more than an iconic comedian — he was her dad.

In a revealing new interview with [Entertainment Tonight](http://www.etonline.com/news/169431johncandydaughteropensupaboutfollowingherlatefathercomedyfootsteps/), the 35-year-old actress — who was just 14 when the star died from a heart attack at age 43 in 1994 — opened up about growing up with her famous father and following in his comedic footsteps.

jennifer candy

Jennifer during her recent Entertainment Tonight interview.

“He was your everyday kind of guy and a great dad and very lovable,” she said. “Very much similar to characters that he was on film.

“[My dad] is a pretty big icon to kind of follow,” said Jen, who works as an actress and stand-up comedienne. “So I’ve given up on that train of going, ‘I want to be just like you,’ because I will never be just like him.”

John’s 30-year-old son, Christopher Candy, is also following in his late dad’s footsteps by working as an actor. “With him being gone 20 years now, you feel like he’s within you a little bit,” Chris told Entertainment Tonight in a previous interview. “He was just an amazing actor. There was only one John Candy, and he was it.”