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Dan Aykroyd Bio
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Dan AykroydComedic actor, writer, and musician Dan Aykroyd was born on July 1, 1952, in Hull, Quebec. Dan’s father, Peter Hugh Samuel Cuthbert Aykroyd, held a prestigious position as a policy adviser to Canada’s most enigmatic Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau. Meanwhile, however, Aykroyd did not act under protocol. While attending Roman Catholic high school, he became the formidable class clown, eventually getting kicked out for dressing up a pig as the head of the Roman Catholic Church and bringing it with him to class. He managed to graduate high school and he began studying criminology and sociology at Carleton University, but dropped out before obtaining his degree.
After working stints as a train brakeman and a surveyor, Aykroyd hit upon his destined career as a comedian when he began performing in various Canadian nightclubs. This led to performances with The Second City comedy troupe, while simultaneously moonlighting as an announcer for Citytv in Toronto. Around this time, Aykroyd also met comedian and writer John Belushi, who was in Toronto scouting new talent for The National Lampoon Radio Hour.
In 1975, the pair were chosen to appear in the first season of a new series being debuted by Canadian producer, Lorne Michaels. The show was Saturday Night Live, which became a vehicle for Aykroyd’s famous impersonations of Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, and Julia Child; as well as his characters, Beldar, the father of the Conehead family; and Blues Brother, Elwood. In 1977, he received an Emmy Award for his writing on Saturday Night Live. He later received two more nominations for writing and acting.
After appearing in a few unsuccessful Canadian films during the late 70s, Aykroyd was cast in Steven Spielberg's 1941 in 1979. However, he still remained a relatively low-profile personality in the until 1980, when he and John Belushi re-vamped their Blues Brothers characters to star in the film by the same name. Aykroyd teamed up again with John for the 1981 film Neighbors, but it would be the duo’s last collaboration, as John died of a drug overdose one year later.
In 1983, Aykroyd wed model and former Miss Virginia, Donna Dixon. The couple has three daughters. Prior to his marriage with Dixon, Aykroyd was engaged to Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher for a short time.
Aykroyd’s film career gained momentum in the 80s, and allowed him to share the silver screen with fellow Saturday Night Live alumni such as Chevy Chase , Bill Murray, and Eddie Murphy. In 1984, Aykroyd served as co-creator, co-writer, and one of the lead actors in the hit film Ghostbusters. He went on to co-starred with Tom Hanks in the 1987 TV show-turned-movie hit Dragnet.
In 1989, Aykroyd proved his range by playing Jessica Tandy's son in the drama Driving Miss Daisy, for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Throughout the 90s, Aykroyd continued to act steadily on the big-screen; however, his films ranged in popularity. Akroyd had roles in My Girl in 1991, with Jamie Lee Curtis and Macaulay Culkin; Chaplin in 1992, with Robert Downey Jr; Casper in 1995; Grosse Pointe Blank in 1997, with John Cusack and Minnie Driver; and the animated movie Antz in 1998, with other voices provided by Woody Allen, Anne Bancroft, and Jennifer Lopez. All movies were well-received. The same was not true for The Coneheads in 1993, with Jane Curtin and Phil Hartman; Exit to Eden in 1994, with Dana Delany and Rosie O Donnell; Sgt. Bilko in 1996, with Steve Martin and Phil Hartman; and even the long-awaited Blues Brothers sequel, Blues Brothers 2000 in 1998, with John Goodman in the role made famous by John Belushi, which were all met with disappointing reviews.
The new millennium saw Aykroyd achieving greater success in supporting roles with films such as The House of Mirth in 2000, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion in 2001, Crossroads in 2002, and 50 First Dates in 2004. However, Aykroyd was still not immune to cinematic criticism when he appeared in the 2005 film Christmas with the Kranks, which was met with considerable disdain from critics and flopped at the box office.
Refusing to give up, Aykroyd began planning the Ghostbuster's big-screen comeback, tentatively titled Ghostbusters in Hell. The film, which will also star Rick Moranis and Ben Stiller, is slated for a 2008 release date. Aykroyd also has a personal interest in real-life ghostbusting – his brother, Peter is a professional psychic researcher; and Aykroyd has an interest in UFOs and supernatural phenomena. YUDDY |
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Dan Aykroyd - was a cast member of Saturday Night Live |
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Dan Aykroyd - was a guest on Saturday Night Live |
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Dan Aykroyd - Appeared with Sigourney Weaver in Ghost Busters |
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Dan Aykroyd - Appeared with Harold Ramis in Ghost Busters |
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Dan Aykroyd - Appeared with Rick Moranis in Ghost Busters |
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Dan Aykroyd - Appeared with Annie Potts in Ghost Busters |
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Dan Aykroyd - Appeared with William Atherton in Ghost Busters |
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Dan Aykroyd - Appeared with Ernie Hudson in Ghost Busters |
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Dan Aykroyd - Appeared with David Margulies in Ghost Busters |
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Dan Aykroyd - Appeared with Steven Tash in Ghost Busters |
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Dan Aykroyd - Appeared with Amy Hill in 50 First Dates |
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Dan Aykroyd - Appeared with Allen Covert in 50 First Dates |
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