Dan Aykroyd

In 1983, he married actress Donna Dixon, his co-star in the films like ‘Doctor Detroit’ and ‘The Couch Trip’. They are the proud parents of three daughters. He is a permanent resident of the United States.

Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Dan Aykroyd was the son of Samuel Cuthbert Peter Hugh Aykroyd ,a British and Lorraine Helene of French Canadian ancestry. Samuel was a civil engineer besides serving as a policy adviser to Pierre Trudeau, Canadian Prime Minister. Dan’s mother was a secretary.

He grew up in a Catholic Church. He was determined to be a priest until the age of seventeen. He attended St. Pius X High School in Ottawa. Later, he studied at St. Patrick’s High School, located in Ottawa.

In 1969, he took admission at Carleton University to study political science and criminal sociology. While attending this University, he used to perform as part of Sock and Buskin Drama Guild, a community based Theatre Company at that university. But he left the University before completing his degree.

He started his professional career in acting through performing in a sketch comedy television show ’The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour’. After shifting to Toronto, he formed a comedy duo with Valerie Bromfield.

He acted as an actor, writer and producer for several comedy shots and kid shows like ‘Change for a Quarter’ and ‘Coming Up Rosie’, aired on local television of Toronto.

In 1973, he joined the Second City improvisational troupe that provided him the opportunity to work with personalities like Bill Murray, John Candy and Gilda Radner.

At the same time, he used to work as a television announcer and managed a nightclub. When renowned comedian and writer John Belushi was looking for a new talent in Toronto for a radio show titled ‘The National Lampoon Radio Hour’, he met Dan.

Along with Belushi, he featured in the first season of comedy television series ‘Saturday Night Live’ in 1975. As part of this show, he revived the musical act of the Blue Brothers with host James Belushi.

From 1975 to 1979, he was a part of ‘Saturday Night Live’ (SNL), an American late-night comedy programme as a writer and actor. He created his individual identity in this show through his lively acting and his outstanding performance as an impersonator.

He made caricatures of celebrities like Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon and Rod Serling in this show. He has also played different types of characters for SNL. One of his most memorable performances in SNL was his presentation of a fake television commercial ‘Super Bass-O-Matic ’76’ sketch.

Together with Belushi, he formed The Blues Bothers in 1978, as part of ‘Saturday Night Live’. Due to the popularity of their combined performances, they executed live gags.

The popularity of The Blues Brothers resulted in the release of a successful album titled ‘Briefcase Full of Blues’ in 1978. In 1980, a film was also made based on their widely acknowledged combined effort.