From the mid-1970s, the Canadian actor, director and producer established himself as a brilliant comedian in around 40 films in international cinema. Dan Aykroyd became a star as a co-founder of the “Blues Brothers Band”, whose film in the 1980s was one of the most successful productions of the decade. In his career he was mostly seen in comedic roles in which he was a reliable character and became the victim of humorous acts. His most popular works include “Die Glücksritter”, “Ghostbusters”, “Schlappe Bullen nicht Bite”, “Miss Daisy und her Chauffeur” and “My Girl”…
Daniel Edward Aykroyd was born on July 1, 1952 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
After graduating from high school, he attended Carleton University in Ottawa. Here he appeared with a student theater for the first time. Dan Aykroyd joined the Second City Troupe in the early 1970s, performing in Toronto and Chicago. It was there that his career began. He switched to television and from 1975 was employed as an actor and writer on the newly created show “Saturday Night Live”. There he met his colleague and friend John Belushi, with whom he founded the “Blues Brothers Band” and released the album “Briefcase Full Of Blues” in 1979. In 1980 the film “The Blues Brothers” was made, which became a cult film and one of the most successful films of the decade. In the same year she leads a ten city tour through the USA. This was followed by the live album “Made In America” and an appearance by the Blues Brothers in the film “1941 – Where are you going to Hollywood?” by Steven Spielberg and in The Crazy Neighbors.
His career was based on his own creativity. He was involved in the blockbuster “Ghostbusters” (1984) with Bill Murray and Sigourney Weaver as a spiritual father and co-writer, as well as in the strip “Spies like us” from 1985. He presented his comedic skills in many other films, for example alongside Eddie Murphy in “The Soldiers of Fortune”, in “Coneheads” and in “Miss Daisy and Her Chauffeur”. This film earned Aykroyd his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 1990. He starred with Tom Hanks in 1987’s “Sloppy Bulls Don’t Bite.” In the 1990s, films such as “Chaplin”, “Sneakers – The Silent Ones” with Robert Redford, Sidney Portier, Ben Kingsley and River Phoenix, “My Stepmother is an Alien”, “My Girl 2”, “Tommy Boy”, or “Rainbow – The Fantastic Journey on the Rainbow”.
However, in films like “My Girl” he showed that he could also play sensitive roles. Aykroyd also appeared as a producer and director. In 1986 he was responsible for the TV movie “One More Saturday Night” and in 1991 he made his directorial debut with the film “Valkenvania”. In 1990 he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in Miss Daisy and Her Chauffeur, which won Best Picture. Aykroyd only appeared in a few films in the following years, such as 2002 alongside Britney Spears in “Not a Girl”. In 2004 he was in front of the camera for “Crazy Christmas” alongside Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis. “War, Inc.” followed in 2008 and 2009. and Ghostbusters: The Video Game. He moved back to his native Canada with his family. Aykroyd has been married to fellow actress Donna Dixon since April 1983, with whom he starred in “Dr. Detroit” and “The Couch Trip.” Together they are happy parents.
Filmography
1975-1976: Coming Up Rosie (TV Series)
1975-2003: Saturday Night Live (TV series)
1976 The Beach Boys: It”s OK (TV Short)
1977 Things We Did Last Summer (TV Short)
1977: Love at First Sight
1978 The Rutles All You Need Is Cash (TV Movie)
1978: Grateful Dead: The Closing of Winterland (TV Movie)
1979: Mr. Mike”s Mondo Video
1979: 1941 – Where are you going to Hollywood?
1980: Blues Brothers
1981: Steve Martin”s Best Show Ever (TV Short)
1981: The Crazy Neighbors (Neighbors)
1983: dr Detroit
1983: The Soldiers of Fortune (Trading Places)
1983: Twilight Zone: The Movie
1984: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
1984: Ghostbusters
1984 Nothing Lasts Forever
1985: Into the Night (Into the Night)
1985 Spies Like Us
1987: Weak Bulls Don’t Bite (Dragnet)
1988: The Couch Trip
1988: She’s Having a Baby
1988: Holiday Three (The Great Outdoors)
1988: Caddyshack II
1988 My Stepmother Is an Alien
1989: Ghostbusters II
1989: Miss Daisy and her chauffeur (Driving Miss Daisy)
1990: Trouble with Edward (Masters of Menace)
1990: The Hard and the Tender (Loose Cannons)
1990 It”s Garry Shandling”s Show (TV Series)
1991 Two-Fisted Tales TV Movie
1991: Valkenvenia – The Wonderful World of Madness
1991 Tales from the Crypt (TV Series)
1991: My Girl – My first love
1992: Showtime – Help My Mom Is A Celebrity (This Is My Life)
1992: Sneakers – The silent ones
1992: Chaplin
1993: The Coneheads
1994: My Girl 2 – My great love
1994: The Nanny (TV Series)
1994: North – Parents, no thanks!
1994: Undercover Cops (Exit to Eden)
1995: Tommy Boy – Through thick and thin
1995: Casper
1995: Our Hostile Neighbors (Canadian Bacon)
1995: Rainbow – The Fantastic Journey on the Rainbow
1996: Always Trouble with Sergeant Bilko (Sgt. Bilko)
1996: Getting Away with Murder
1996: The Great Basketball Kidnapping (Celtic Pride)
1996: Minnesota (Feeling Minnesota)
1996: A President Just in Case (My Fellow Americans)
1997: The Arrow (TV Movie)
1997: One Man, One Murder (Grosse Pointe Blank)
1997: Listen Who’s Banging (Home Improvement), (TV Series)
1997-1998: A Pastor Takes Off (Soul Man), (TV Series)
1998: Blues Brothers 2000
1998: Susan”s Plan
1999 Diamonds
2000: Stardom
2000: Loser – Even losers are lucky
2000: The House of Mirth
2000: Normal, Ohio (TV Series)
2001: Pearl Harbor
2001: Evolution
2001: The Spell of the Jade Scorpion
2001: The Golden Nose (On the Nose)
2001 Earth vs the Spider TV Movie
2002: Not a Girl – Crossroads
2002: Who Killed Victor Fox? (Unconditional Love)
2002-2004: According to Jim, TV series
2003: Bright Young Things
2004: 50 First Dates (50 First Dates)
2004: Internal Academy
2004: Christmas with the Kranks
2004: Shortcut to Happiness – The devil is in the details
2006: Living with Fran (TV Series)
2007: Chuck and Larry – Like Fire and Flame
2008: War, Inc.
2009: Ghostbusters: The Video Game
Why is Dan Aykroyd famous?
Dan Aykroyd is a comedian, writer and actor best known for his four seasons on Saturday Night Live (SNL) and for such hit comedies as The Blues Brothers (1980) and Ghostbusters (1984), both of which he cowrote.
What is Dan Aykroyd doing now?
He has since appeared on various television shows including It’s Garry Shandling’s Show (1990), Home Improvement (1997), Family Guy (2009), The Simpsons (2021) and The Conners (2019). Aykroyd is also a businessman, having co-founded the House of Blues chain of music venues and the Crystal Head Vodka brand.
How old is Dan Aykroyd now?
70 years
Does Dan Aykroyd really play the accordion?
But in the film, his character plays an instrument that even Aykroyd has not mastered, the accordion. “I can’t play a note on the accordion. That is purely and sincerely a recognition of my love of John Candy, because he was the Schmenge Brother. I loved how he used the accordion for comedy.
Can Dan Aykroyd play the tuba?
Dan Aykroyd, who is the dad in the movie, is much more serious than you would expect. However, the fact he plays the tuba softens him dramatically. Makes me think about taking tuba lessons… just kidding.
