Dan Aykroyd
| Dan Aykroyd | |
|---|---|
 Aykroyd at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival |
|
| Born | Daniel Edward Aykroyd July 1, 1952 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Actor, comedian, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Notable work(s) | Elwood Blues in The Blues Brothers Ray Stantz in Ghostbusters Original cast member of Saturday Night Live. |
| Spouse(s) | Donna Dixon (m. 1983) |
| Children | 3 |
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM (born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian comedian, singer, actor and screenwriter. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers (with John Belushi) and Ghostbusters, and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.
In 1990, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Driving Miss Daisy.
Contents |
Early life[edit]
Aykroyd was born on July 1, 1952, at the Ottawa General Hospital[1] in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He grew up in the Canadian capital, where his father, Samuel Cuthbert Peter Hugh Aykroyd, a civil engineer, worked as a policy adviser to Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. His mother, Lorraine Hélène (née Gougeon), was a secretary.[2][3] His mother was of French Canadian descent and his father of English ancestry.[4][5] His brother, Peter, also became a comedy actor. Aykroyd was born with syndactyly, or webbed toes, which was revealed in the movie Mr. Mike's Mondo Video and in a short film on Saturday Night Live titled "Don't Look Back In Anger."[6] He was also born with heterochromia – his right eye is green and his left eye is brown.
Aykroyd was raised in the Catholic Church, and intended to become a priest until the age of seventeen.[7] He attended St Pius X and St Patrick's. He went on to study criminology and sociology at Carleton University, but he eventually dropped out before completing his degree. He worked as a comedian in various Canadian nightclubs and ran an after-hours speakeasy, Club 505, in Toronto for several years.
Aykroyd's musical career was initially developed in Ottawa, particularly through his regular attendances at Le Hibou, a club that featured many blues artists. He describes these influences as follows:
...there was a little club there called Le Hibou, which in French means 'the owl'. And it was run by a gentleman named Harvey Glatt, and he brought every, and I mean every blues star that you or I would ever have wanted to have seen through Ottawa in the late 50s, well I guess more late 60s sort of, in around the Newport jazz rediscovery. I was going to Le Hibou and hearing James Cotton, Otis Spann, Pinetop Perkins, and Muddy Waters. I actually jammed behind Muddy Waters. S. P. Leary left the drum kit one night, and Muddy said 'anybody out there play drums? I don't have a drummer.' And I walked on stage and we started, I don't know, Little Red Rooster, something. He said 'keep that beat going, you make Muddy feel good.' And I heard Howlin' Wolf (Chester Burnett). Many, many times I saw Howlin' Wolf. As well as The Doors. And of course Buddy Guy, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. So I was exposed to all of these players, playing there as part of this scene to service the academic community in Ottawa, a very well-educated community. Had I lived in a different town I don't think that this would have happened, because it was just the confluence of educated government workers, and then also all the colleges in the area, Ottawa University, Carleton, and all the schools—these people were interested in blues culture.[8]
Dan Aykroyd was a member of the Second City comedy troupe in 1973 in both Toronto and Chicago[9]
Saturday Night Live[edit]
Aykroyd gained fame on the American late-night comedy show Saturday Night Live, where he was a writer and the youngest cast member for its first four seasons, from 1975 to 1979. Aykroyd brought a unique sensibility to the show, combining youth, unusual interests, talent as an impersonator and an almost lunatic intensity. Guest host Eric Idle, of Monty Python, said that Aykroyd's ability to write and act out characters flawlessly made him the only member of the SNL cast capable of being a Python.[10]
He was known for his impersonations of celebrities like Jimmy Carter, Vincent Price, Richard Nixon, Rod Serling, Tom Snyder, and others. He was also known for his recurring roles, such as Beldar, father in the Coneheads family; with Steve Martin, Georg Festrunk, one of the "Two Wild and Crazy Guys" Czech brothers; sleazy late-night cable TV host E. Buzz Miller and his cousin, corrupt maker of children's toys and costumes Irwin Mainway (who extolled the virtues and defended the safety of the "Bag-o-Glass" toy, perhaps the retail leader of the "Bag-o" series of toys); Fred Garvin – male prostitute; and high-bred but low-brow critic Leonard Pinth-Garnell. He also co-hosted the Weekend Update segment for a season with Jane Curtin, coining the famous catchphrase "Jane, you ignorant slut" during point-counterpoint segments.
Aykroyd's eccentric talent was recognized by others in the highly competitive SNL environment: when he first presented his famous "Super Bass-O-Matic '76" sketch, a fake T.V. commercial in which a garish, hyper pitchman (modelled after Ron Popeil) touts a food blender that turns an entire bass into liquid pulp, "to [other writers and cast members] the 'Bass-O-Matic' was so exhilaratingly strange that many remember sitting and listening, open-mouthed ... Nobody felt jealous of it because they couldn't imagine writing anything remotely like it."[11]
While Aykroyd was a close friend and partner with fellow cast member John Belushi and shared some of the same sensibilities, Aykroyd was more reserved and less self-destructive. In 1977, he received an Emmy Award for writing on Saturday Night Live; he later received two more nominations for writing, and one each for acting and Outstanding Comedy-Variety series.
In later decades, Aykroyd made occasional guest appearances and unannounced cameos on Saturday Night Live, often impersonating the American politician Bob Dole. He would also bring back past characters including Irwin Mainway and Leonard Pinth-Garnell. During a couple of his guest appearances he resurrected the Blues Brothers musical act with frequent host John Goodman in place of Belushi. Finally in May 2003, he hosted the season finale of Saturday Night Live. During his monologue, he did a musical bit with James Belushi that was similar to the Blues Brothers, but neither Aykroyd nor Belushi donned the famous black suit and sunglasses. He became the second member of the original cast to host the show. On March 24, 2007, he made an appearance as a crying fan of American Idol finalist Sanjaya Malakar (played by Andy Samberg) during Weekend Update. On February 14, 2009, he made an appearance portraying U.S. House Minority leader John Boehner. Aykroyd also made a surprise SNL guest appearance, along with many SNL alumni, on the evening of March 9, 2013.
The Blues Brothers[edit]
Aykroyd was good friends with John Belushi. According to Aykroyd, it was his first meeting with Belushi that helped spark their popular Blues Brothers act. When they met in a club Aykroyd frequented, Aykroyd put on a blues record to play in the background, and it stimulated a fascination with blues in Belushi, who was primarily a fan of heavy rock bands at the time. Aykroyd educated Belushi on the finer points of blues music and, with a little encouragement from then-SNL music director Paul Shaffer, it led to the creation of their Blues Brothers characters.
Backed by such experienced professional R&B sidemen as lead guitarist Steve Cropper, sax man Lou Marini, trumpeter Alan Rubin and bass guitarist Donald "Duck" Dunn, the Blues Brothers proved more than an SNL novelty. Taking off with the public as a legitimate musical act, they performed live gigs and released the hit album Briefcase Full of Blues in 1978, and were further popularized in a 1980 film. The Blues Brothers Band continues to tour today, featuring original members Cropper and Marini, along with vocalist Eddie Floyd.
Early in the incarnation of the Blues Brothers, Belushi joined the Grateful Dead on stage on April 2, 1980, for a rendition of "Good Morning Little School Girl" at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, N.J (coinciding with the Dead performing on SNL that weekend). Belushi sang the part usually carried by the late Dead band member Ron "Pigpen" McKernan.
Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles was a regular haunt for the original Blues Brothers back in the early days of the band. Belushi and Aykroyd became fixtures at the recording studio, while fellow Blues Brother Steve Cropper called Cherokee his producing home. Whenever they needed a bass player, they were joined by another Blues Brother, Donald "Duck" Dunn. During this time, Cropper along with producing partner and Cherokee owner Bruce Robb worked on a number of music projects with the two comedians/musicians, including Belushi's favourite band Fear and later Aykroyd's movie Dragnet.
Aykroyd and Belushi were scheduled to present the Academy Award for Visual Effects in 1982, but Belushi died only a few weeks prior to the ceremony. Though devastated by his friend's death, Aykroyd presented the award alone, remarking from the stage "My partner would have loved to have been here to present this, given that he was something of a visual effect himself." Not a few years before, when he and Belushi were making an appearance on the Today show, he referred to them as "kindred spirits." In the biography "Belushi", Aykroyd claims that Belushi was the only man he could ever dance with.
In 1992, Aykroyd, along with many other notable music and Hollywood personalities, founded the House of Blues. Its mission is to promote African-American cultural contributions of blues music and folk art. From 2004 until its sale to Live Nation in 2007, it was the second-largest live music promoter in the world, with seven venues and 22 amphitheaters in the United States and Canada. Aykroyd also contributes his voice to the weekly House of Blues Radio Hour,[12] which he hosts in the character of Elwood Delaney aka Elwood Blues. This show is hosted in the United Kingdom (from 16 July 2012) on Jazz FM.
Today, the Blues Brothers still tour. Aykroyd still performs as Elwood back with Belushi's younger brother James Belushi, who plays "Brother Zee" on stage. They are almost always backed by The Sacred Hearts Band.[13]
Other work[edit]
Concurrent with his work in Saturday Night Live, Aykroyd played the role of Purvis Bickle, lift operator at the fictitious office block 99 Sumach Street in the CBC Television series Coming Up Rosie.
After leaving Saturday Night Live, Aykroyd starred in a number of films (mostly comedies), with uneven results both commercially and artistically. He co-starred with Belushi in three films, 1941, which was his American feature-film debut, The Blues Brothers, and Neighbors. One of his best-received performances was as a blueblood-turned-wretch in the 1983 comic drama Trading Places; a notable flop was in the earlier 1941. (Director Steven Spielberg received the brunt of the criticism, but Aykroyd's performance as an Army Sergeant was either played straight or completely manic.)[clarification needed]
Aykroyd originally wrote the role of Dr. Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters (1984) with Belushi in mind, but rewrote the part for Bill Murray after Belushi died. Aykroyd used to joke that the green ghost (who would later come to be known as "Slimer") was "the ghost of John Belushi," based on the similar party animal personality. Ghostbusters became a huge success for Aykroyd as a co-creator, co-writer, and one of the lead actors; the film's inspiration came from Aykroyd's fascination with parapsychology. Aykroyd participated in the recording of "We Are the World" in 1985.
Aykroyd was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for 1989's Driving Miss Daisy. He was the second SNL cast member to be nominated for an Oscar, the first being Joan Cusack. (Randy Quaid also received an Academy Award nomination before either of them, but that was before he became a cast member.)
Aykroyd's directorial debut was 1991's Nothing but Trouble. It starred Demi Moore, Chevy Chase, John Candy and Aykroyd sporting an oddly phallic prosthetic nose. The film was a critical and box office flop. Other films that starred Aykroyd in the 1990s included Exit to Eden, Blues Brothers 2000, and Getting Away with Murder; these were also poorly received. One of the rare exceptions was a well received role as a rival hit man in 1997's Grosse Point Blank. In 1995, Aykroyd played the role of Ray Zalinsky in Tommy Boy.
In 1994, Aykroyd made a guest appearance in an episode of the sitcom The Nanny as a refrigerator repairman. In 1997, Aykroyd starred in a short-lived sitcom on ABC called Soul Man. The show lasted one season. In the 2000s, Aykroyd's film appearances have tended to be small character parts in big-budget productions, such as a signals analyst in Pearl Harbor and a neurologist in 50 First Dates. In 2001, Aykroyd starred in the Woody Allen film, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion.
In February 2007, Aykroyd revealed that he would be providing voice-acting for a Ghostbusters III CGI project, though these rumours were clarified later on, that the CGI project was a next-gen video game that was currently in production.[14] In 2009, Aykroyd along with Harold Ramis, wrote and appeared in Ghostbusters: The Video Game, which also featured Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, William Atherton, and Brian Doyle-Murray. On June 14, 2009, GameStop used an outgoing phone message pre-recorded by Aykroyd to invite pre-order customers to the launch event at 10 p.m.
Aykroyd wrote the liner notes for fellow Ottawa born blues musician JW-Jones' album Bluelisted in 2008.
In 2009, Aykroyd contributed a series of reminiscences on his upbringing in Canada for a charity album titled Dan Aykroyd's Canada.
Most recently, Aykroyd and Chevy Chase guest starred in the Family Guy episode "Spies Reminiscent of Us." (The two had co-starred in the film Spies Like Us, another film in which Aykroyd had hopes, which Belushi's death dashed, that John Belushi would co-star with him.) He also hosts the nationally-syndicated radio show House of Blues Radio Hour under his Blues Brothers moniker Elwood Blues.
Aykroyd appeared in two February 2011 episodes of CBS' The Defenders. which starred Jim Belushi. This information was announced November 29, 2010.[15] He also appeared on Top Chef Canada as a guest judge.[16]
Aykroyd announced in February 2012 that Bill Murray was not going to appear in Ghostbusters III and said that at this point the film was indefinitely suspended. Aykroyd said Ivan Reitman and Harold Ramis felt there had to be a way to do it without Murray.[17]
On March 20, 2012, Aykroyd said he is about to work on a script for a comedy that would also star Chevy Chase. It would be the first time Aykroyd and Chase have appeared together onscreen since 1991's Nothing But Trouble.[18]
Personal life[edit]
Aykroyd is a permanent resident of the United States. He maintains his Canadian citizenship. In 1983, he married actress Donna Dixon, with whom he starred in the movies Doctor Detroit, Spies Like Us, and The Couch Trip. They have three daughters. He maintains his Canadian roots as a longtime resident of Sydenham, Ontario, with his estate on Loughborough Lake.
Aykroyd described himself (in a radio interview with Terry Gross) as having mild Tourette syndrome that was successfully treated with therapy when he was a preteen, as well as mild Asperger syndrome.[19]
He is a former reserve commander for the police department in Harahan, Louisiana, working for Chief of Police Peter Dale. Aykroyd would carry his badge with him at all times.[20]
Aykroyd is part owner of several wineries in the Niagara region and the company that distribes Patron tequila in Canada.[21]
Aykroyd helped Dale start the Blue Line Foundation. They are redeveloping flood damaged lots in New Orleans and helping first responders buy them at reduced prices. Coastal Blue Line LLC, hopes to eventually rebuild 400 properties in New Orleans.[22]
In a recent[when?] radio interview with the Hill-Man Morning show, Aykroyd said if he could forget one film he did it would be Exit to Eden.[citation needed]
Beliefs[edit]
Aykroyd considers himself a Spiritualist, stating that:
- I am a Spiritualist, a proud wearer of the Spiritualist badge. Mediums and psychic research have gone on for many, many years... Loads of people have seen spirits, heard a voice or felt the cold temperature. I believe that they are between here and there, that they exist between the fourth and fifth dimension, and that they visit us frequently.[23]
His great-grandfather, a dentist, was a mystic who corresponded with author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle on the subject of Spiritualism, and who was a member of the Lily Dale Society.[23]
Other than Spiritualism, Aykroyd is also interested in various other aspects of the paranormal, particularly UFOlogy. He is a lifetime member of and official Hollywood consultant for the Mutual UFO Network. In 2005, Aykroyd produced a DVD titled, Dan Aykroyd: Unplugged on UFOs. In it, he is interviewed for 80 minutes by UFOlogist David Sereda where he discusses in depth every aspect of the UFO phenomenon, and reveals specifically that they are blue, not green, but appear that way because of a filter.[24][dead link]
On September 29, 2009, Peter Aykroyd, brother of Dan Aykroyd, published a book entitled, A History of Ghosts. This book chronicled the family's historical involvement in the Spiritualist Movement, to which Aykroyd readily refers. Aykroyd wrote the introduction and accompanied his father on a series of promotional activities, including launches in New York City and Toronto, an appearance on Larry King Live and various other public relations initiatives. Aykroyd also read the introduction for the audio version of the book.
Honors[edit]
He has been inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. In 1994, Aykroyd received an honorary Doctor of Literature degree from Carleton University. In 1998, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada.
Aykroyd also received a dubious honour in 1997, when the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal awarded him the Snuffed Candle award, for "contributing to the public's lack of understanding of the methods of scientific inquiry." CSICOP did this in response to Aykroyd's program Psi Factor.[25]
Filmography[edit]
Film[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Love at First Sight | Roy | |
| 1979 | Mr. Mike's Mondo Video | Jack Lord Priest/ himself | |
| 1979 | 1941 | Sgt. Frank Tree | |
| 1980 | The Blues Brothers | Elwood Blues | Also writer |
| 1981 | Neighbors | Vic | |
| 1982 | It Came from Hollywood | Himself | |
| 1983 | Doctor Detroit | Clifford Skridlow/ Doctor Detroit | |
| 1983 | Trading Places | Louis Winthorpe III | |
| 1983 | Twilight Zone: The Movie | Passenger/ Ambulance Driver | |
| 1984 | Ghostbusters | Dr. Raymond Stantz | Also writer |
| 1984 | Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom | Art Weber | |
| 1984 | Nothing Lasts Forever | Buck Heller | |
| 1985 | Into the Night | Herb | |
| 1985 | Spies Like Us | Austin Millbarge | Also writer |
| 1987 | Dragnet | Sgt. Joe Friday | |
| 1988 | Caddyshack II | Capt. Tom Everett | |
| 1988 | The Couch Trip | John W. Burns, Jr. | |
| 1988 | The Great Outdoors | Roman Craig | |
| 1988 | She's Having a Baby | Roman Craig | Uncredited cameo |
| 1988 | My Stepmother Is an Alien | Steven Mills | |
| 1989 | "Liberian Girl" | Cameo | Music video by Michael Jackson |
| 1989 | Driving Miss Daisy | Boolie Werthan | Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor |
| 1989 | Ghostbusters II | Dr. Raymond Stantz | Also writer |
| 1990 | Loose Cannons | Ellis Fielding | |
| 1990 | Masters of Menace | Johnny Lewis | |
| 1991 | My Girl | Harry Sultenfuss | |
| 1991 | Nothing but Trouble | Judge Alvin Valkenheiser/ Bobo | Also director/writer |
| 1992 | Chaplin | Mack Sennett | |
| 1992 | Sneakers | Mother | |
| 1992 | This Is My Life | Arnold Moss | |
| 1993 | Coneheads | Beldar Conehead | Also writer |
| 1994 | A Century of Cinema | Himself | Documentary |
| 1994 | Exit to Eden | Fred Lavery | |
| 1994 | My Girl 2 | Harry Sultenfuss | |
| 1994 | North | Pa Tex | |
| 1995 | Canadian Bacon | OPP Officer | Uncredited |
| 1995 | Casper | Dr. Raymond Stantz | Uncredited |
| 1995 | The Random Factor | Dexter | Voice only |
| 1995 | Tommy Boy | Ray Zalinsky "The Auto Parts King" | |
| 1996 | Rainbow | Sheriff Wyatt Hampton | |
| 1996 | Celtic Pride | Jimmy Flaherty | |
| 1996 | Feeling Minnesota | Det. Ben Costikyan | |
| 1996 | My Fellow Americans | President William Haney | |
| 1996 | Getting Away with Murder | Jack Lambert | |
| 1996 | Sgt. Bilko | Colonel John T. Hall | |
| 1997 | Grosse Pointe Blank | Grocer | |
| 1998 | Antz | Chip | Voice only |
| 1998 | Blues Brothers 2000 | Elwood Blues | Also writer/producer |
| 1998 | Susan's Plan | Bob | |
| 1999 | Diamonds | Lance Agensky | |
| 2000 | The House of Mirth | Gus Trenor | |
| 2000 | Loser | Dad | |
| 2000 | Stardom | Barry Levine | |
| 2001 | The Curse of the Jade Scorpion | Chris Magruder | |
| 2001 | Evolution | Governor Lewis | |
| 2001 | The Frank Truth | Himself | Documentary |
| 2001 | On the Nose | Dr. Barry Davis | |
| 2001 | Pearl Harbor | Capt. Thurman | |
| 2002 | Crossroads | Pete Wagner | |
| 2002 | Unconditional Love | Max Beasly | |
| 2003 | Bright Young Things | Lord Monomark | |
| 2004 | Christmas with the Kranks | Vic Frohmeyer | |
| 2004 | Shortcut to Happiness | Julius Jenson | |
| 2004 | 50 First Dates | Dr. Keats | |
| 2004 | Intern Academy | Dr. Cyrill Kipp | |
| 2007 | I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry | Captain Tucker | |
| 2008 | War, Inc. | Mr. Vice President | |
| 2010 | Yogi Bear | Yogi Bear | Voice only |
| 2012 | The Campaign | Wade Motch | |
| 2012 | The Ultimate Sacrifice | Narrator | |
| 2013 | Behind the Candelabra | Seymour Heller | |
| 2014 | Tammy | Filming |
Television[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | First episode | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | The Gift of Winter | Goodly/Rotten/Maple | n/a | Voice only |
| 1975 | Coming Up Rosie | Purvis Bickle | unknown | |
| 1975–79 | Saturday Night Live | Various | "Episode 1.1" | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program (1977, nominated 1978–79) Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program (1978) |
| 1976 | The Beach Boys: It's OK | Cop | n/a | Also writer |
| 1978 | All You Need Is Cash | Brian Thigh | ||
| 1986–91 | The Real Ghostbusters | Creator | ||
| 1990 | The Dave Thomas Comedy Show | Various | "Episode 1.2" | 1 episode |
| 1990 | It's Garry Shandling's Show | Boolie Shandling | "Driving Miss Garry" | 1 episode |
| 1991 | Tales from the Crypt | Captain Mulligan | "Yellow" | 1 episode |
| 1994 | The Nanny | Repair Man | "Sunday in the Park with Fran" | 1 episode |
| 1995 | Kesley Grammar Salutes Jack Benny | Himself | Special | |
| 1996– 2000 |
Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal | Host | "John Doe" | 88 episodes |
| 1997 | The Arrow | Crawford Gordon | n/a | Also creative consultant |
| 1997 | Home Improvement | Rev. Mike Walker | "Losing My Religion" | 1 episode |
| 1997 | Soul Man | Rev. Mike Weber | "Grabbed by an Angel" | 25 episodes |
| 2001 | Earth vs. the Spider | Det. Insp. Jack Grillo | n/a | |
| 2001 | History's Mysteries | Narrator | "The Children's Crusade" | 1 episode |
| 2002 | According to Jim | Danny Michalsky | "Old Friends" | 5 episodes |
| 2009 | Family Guy | Himself | "Spies Reminiscent of Us" | 1 episode |
| 2009 | X-Play | Himself | "Quit Givin' Me the Bug Eye, Valkyrie" | 1 episode |
| 2011 | The Defenders | Judge Max Hunter | "Nevada v. Doug the Mule" | 2 episodes |
Guest appearances on SNL[edit]
| Date | Episode number | Host/ Musical guest | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 13, 1988 | 13.11 | Justine Bateman/ Terence Trent D'Arby | Bob Dole |
| May 15, 1993 | 18.20 | Kevin Kline/ Willie Nelson and Paul Simon | Bob Dole |
| March 25, 1995 | 20.16 | John Goodman/ The Tragically Hip | Bob Dole, Elwood Blues, Irwin Mainway, Tom Snyder, Rush Limbaugh, Robert Stack, miner |
| February 7, 1998 | 23.14 | John Goodman/ Paula Cole | Bob Dole, Elwood Blues, Irwin Mainway, Ernesto |
| September 26, 1998 | 24.1 | Cameron Diaz/ The Smashing Pumpkins | Yortuk Festrunk |
| November 3, 2001 | 27.4 | John Goodman/ Ja Rule | Dr. Keith Vester, Elwood Blues, Leonard Pinth-Garnell |
| February 2, 2002 | 27.12 | Britney Spears | Mormon, Judge Lindenwell |
| March 8, 2003 | 28.14 | Queen Latifah/ Ms. Dynamite | Bob Dole |
| May 17, 2003 | 28.20 | Aykroyd/ Beyoncé | Andrew Card, Patrick Fitzpatrick, Donnie "The Finger" Dabinski, biker, Esteban, chief science officer, Butch, Sam Elliott |
| March 24, 2007 | 32.16 | Peyton Manning/ Carrie Underwood | Himself |
| February 14, 2009 | 34.16 | Alec Baldwin/ The Jonas Brothers | John Boehner |
| March 9, 2013 | 38.16 | Justin Timberlake | Himself, Yortuk Festrunk |
Highest grossing films[edit]
| Rank | Film | Year | Gross | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Pearl Harbor | 2001 | $449,220,945 | $135,000,000 |
| 2. | Ghostbusters | 1984 | $291,600,000 | $30,000,000 |
| 3. | Ghostbusters II | 1989 | $215,394,738 | $25,000,000 |
| 4. | Yogi Bear | 2010 | $201,584,141 | $80,000,000 |
| 5. | Antz | 1998 | $171,757,863 | $60,000,000 |
| 6. | Driving Miss Daisy | 1989 | $145,793,296 | $7,500,000 |
| 7. | Sneakers | 1992 | $105,232,691 | Unknown |
| 8. | Trading Places | 1983 | $97,333,523 | $28,000,000 |
| 9. | 1941 | 1979 | $92,755,742 | $35,000,000 |
| 10. | Spies Like Us | 1985 | $70,648,171 | $20,000,000 |
| 11. | The Blues Brothers | 1980 | $115,229,890 | $27,000,000 |
| 12. | My Girl | 1991 | $59,847,242 | $17,000,000 |
| 13. | Dragnet | 1987 | $57,387,516 | $20,000,000 |
| 14. | The Great Outdoors | 1988 | $41,455,230 | $24,000,000 |
| 15. | Twilight Zone: The Movie | 1983 | $29,500,000 | $10,000,000 |
| 16. | Neighbors | 1981 | $28,732,057 | $8,500,000 |
| 17. | She's Having a Baby | 1988 | $16,031,707 | Unknown |
| 18. | Caddyshack II | 1988 | $11,798,302 | $20,000,000 |
| 19. | The Couch Trip | 1988 | $11,005,304 | Unknown |
| 20. | Doctor Detroit | 1983 | $10,800,000 | $8,000,000 |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Want Ads/Births". The Ottawa Evening Journal. July 1, 1952. p. 12.
- ^ "Dan Aykroyd Biography (1952–)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2012-04-15.
- ^ Aykroyd, Peter H. (1992). The anniversary compulsion: Canada's centennial celebration, a model mega-anniversary. Dundurn Press Ltd. pp. ix. ISBN 1-55002-185-0.
- ^ "The First Church of Dan Aykroyd". Webcitation.org. Retrieved 2012-04-15.
- ^ Current biography yearbook - H.W. Wilson Company - Google Books. Books.google.ca. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
- ^ "Don't Look Back In Anger". Snltranscripts.jt.org. Retrieved 2012-04-15.
- ^ "The religion of Dan Aykroyd, actor, comedian". Adherents.com. Retrieved 2012-04-15.
- ^ Still on a mission from God; interview with Dan Aykroyd by Roger Gatchet, May 18, 2007, www.austinsound.net. This recollection of Aykroyd is subject to challenge. Some assert that it was Ottawa artist Arthur II who joined the band to play drums and that, at best, Aykroyd was a member of the audience. Aykroyd's recollection is also asserted to be faulty as to who actually played at Le Hibou. Pinetop Perkins never played there, and Howlin' Wolf appeared once.[citation required]
- ^ http://www.secondcity.com/history/alumni/
- ^ "Live From New York: The First 5 Years of Saturday Night Live". 2005-02-20. NBC.
- ^ Hill and Weingrad p. 143
- ^ "TheBluesmobile.com". TheBluesmobile.com. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
- ^ Karen (January 28, 2011). "Jim Belushi and the Sacred Hearts". Jimbelushi.ws. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
- ^ "Gamespot News: Dan Aykroyd to appear in Ghostbusters game". February 2007.
- ^ "Dan Aykroyd to Reunite with Jim Belushi on The Defenders.". TVGuide.com. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
- ^ "TV Highlights: Dan Aykroyd on 'The Defenders'; Dina Lohan on '20/20'; 'Gold Rush: Alaska' finale". The Washington Post. February 18, 2011. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
- ^ Jim Vejvoda. "Ghostbusters 3: Suspended Animation - Movies News at IGN". Movies.ign.com. Retrieved 2012-04-15.
- ^ "Dan Aykroyd Announces New Film With Chevy Chase". Hollywood Reporter. 2012-03-20. Retrieved 2012-04-15.
- ^ Terry Gross (interviewer) and Dan Aykroyd (guest) (November 22, 2004). "Comedian --and Writer --Dan Aykroyd". Fresh Air. Event occurs at 29:50. NPR. http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=13&prgDate=11-22-2004. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
- ^ CISNMike (2007-02-14). "Dan Aykroyd Shows his Badge". Youtube.com. Retrieved 2012-04-15.
- ^ "Dan Aykroyd". Huffington Post Canada. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
- ^ Eliot Kamenitz / The Times Picayune. "Blues Brother Dan Aykroyd launches home building project for first responders". Nola.com. Retrieved 2012-04-15.
- ^ a b Aykroyd, Dan. Psychic News Issue # 4001, Saturday April 18, 2009.
- ^ "UFORC News Service: Dan Aykroyd Unplugged on UFOs". Retrieved February 9, 2008.
- ^ "CSICOP News: Nye, Aykroyd Receive Council's First Awards". Skeptical Inquirer. CSICOP. May/June 1997. Archived from the original on October 6, 2006. Retrieved November 13, 2006.
Further reading[edit]
- Hill, Doug, and Weingrad, Jeff, Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live. Vintage Books, 1986. ISBN 0-394-75053-5.
External links[edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Dan Aykroyd |
- Dan Aykroyd at the Internet Movie Database
- Dan Aykroyd at AllRovi
- Dan Aykroyd at Psiberific Dan Aykroyd, host of Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal.
- Dan Aykroyd and MUFON
- Dan Aykroyd, Still Full of the 'Blues' – interview on NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross – originally aired Nov. 22, 2004
| Preceded by Jane Curtin solo |
Weekend Update 1977–1978 |
Succeeded by Jane Curtin with Bill Murray |
| Preceded by none |
MTV Video Music Awards host 1984 (co-host with Bette Midler) |
Succeeded by Eddie Murphy |
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