Dan Aykroyd Biography

Comedian / Actor

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Dan Aykroyd was part of the Toronto comedy troupe Second City before he became a star as one of the original cast members of TV's Saturday Night Live in 1975. Aykroyd was adept at playing stern-minded squares and hopped-up TV pitchmen, and was particularly known for his parodies of presidents Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter. After leaving SNL, Aykroyd began a film career and had two huge successes: The Blues Brothers (1980, with his good friend John Belushi) and Ghostbusters (1984, with another SNL alum, Bill Murray). Both movies spawned sequels and became moneymaking franchises. Aykroyd and Belushi were good friends and an unofficial comedy team until Belushi's death in 1982. A frequent guest on TV series and talk shows, Aykroyd is also known for his own syndicated series, Psi Factor (1996-2000), a showcase for his hobby of pursuing stories about UFOs and the paranormal. He has appeared in dozens of films, in both comedic and dramatic roles, including Trading Places (1983, with Eddie Murphy); Driving Miss Daisy (1989, and an Oscar nomination as best supporting actor); Sneakers (1992, with Robert Redford); Grosse Pointe Blank (1997, with John Cusack); 50 First Dates (2004); and War, Inc. (2008, also starring Cusack).