Dan Aykroyd

From ArticleWorld

Daniel Edward Aykroyd is an actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He was born on July 1, 1952 in Ottawwa, Ontario, Canada. He attended a Catholic high school and later studied criminology at Carleton University. Aykroyd said in an interview that he had Tourette syndrome and Asperger’s syndrome, both of which were treated successfully in his preteen years. Asperger’s syndrome is a fascination with police work, thus explaining his major of criminology. He took this a step further and carries a police badge with him everywhere he goes. He left the university before finishing his degree and began working as a comedian in various spots in the Canada club circuit.

Aykroyd became more and more popular in the Canada comedy scene and soon began working with the Second City comedy troupe, and later in the National Lampoon Radio Hour, along with Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, and Bill Murray. His rise to fame came when he was given a role as one of the original cast members of the American weekly television special Saturday Nigh Live from 1975 to 1979. His writing for SNL was rewarded in 1977 with an Emmy Award and two more nominations.

On the big screen, Aykroyd played in Driving Miss Daisy in 1992 and in The Blues Brothers opposite John Belushi. Other films he appeared in include 50 First Dates, Pearl Harbor, Canadian Bacon, My Girl and My Girl 2, Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters 2, Coneheads, and many more.

Aykroyd was one of the many Hollywood personalities to join together and found the House of Blues. Aykroyd is a proud Canadian and is a member of Canada’s Walk of Fame. He was awarded with an honorary Doctor of Literature degree from his former school, Carleton University.

Aykroyd married Donna Dixon in 1983 and they now live in Kingston, Ontario with their three children.