Born:
July 01, 1952
in
Ottawa, Canada
Best Known For:
Playing Dr Raymond Stantz in Ghostbusters
Early-life:
Dan Aykroyd was born on July 1, 1952, in Ottawa, Canada to Peter Aykroyd, a civil engineer, and his secretary wife Lorraine. He also has a brother, Peter, who is a psychic researcher. At Carleton University he studied Criminology and Sociology. He caught the acting bug with campus drama club Sock 'n' Buskin, and dropped out to work with Second City Stage Troupe in Toronto. He paid the rent as a mail sorter for Canada's postal service.
Career:
Aykroyd met John Belushi in Chicago and introduced him to the blues before the pair appeared as The Blues Brothers on Saturday Night Live. He worked on the show between 1975 and 1979. Steven Spielberg cast him in his flop war comedy 1941, and a year later he and Belushi starred in a big-screen comedy featuring their Blues Brothers characters. They reunited for flop Neighbors before Belushi's death in 1982. Following the smash hit Trading Places, Aykroyd wrote and starred in 1984 hit Ghostbusters. A string of projects followed, including Spies Like Us, Dragnet, Driving Miss Daisy, Grosse Pointe Blank and 50 First Dates. He lent his vocal talents to the 3D Yogi Bear movie, working alongside pop star Justin Timberlake, and makes regular cameo appearances.
Quote:
"I have this kind of mild nice-guy exterior, but inside my heart is like a steel trap. I'm really quite robotic."
Trivia:
Aykroyd was nominated for an Academy Award for Driving Miss Daisy.