Today In History

Hailing from Ottawa, Canada, Dan Aykroyd made a name for himself as one of the original cast members of Saturday Night Live. Before coming to New York, he honed his comedic skills with the Second City Comedy Troop in Toronto and began his acting career as a student at Carleton University in Canada. Aykroyd’s friendship with John Belushi and their on-screen chemistry brought success to the duo with the popular film The Blues Brothers, which he also wrote. Aykroyd still performs as Elwood in the Blues Brothers Band with Jim Belushi. As screenwriter and a star in the movie Ghostbusters, Aykroyd found movie success again with the now classic comedy in 1984. Nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actor In A Supporting Role for his role in Driving Miss Daisy, he was the first male cast member from Saturday Night Live to achieve that honor. An avid motorcycle enthusiast and music aficionado, he is co-owner of the restaurant chain House of Blues. Aykroyd has been married since 1983 to actress Donna Dixon, and the couple has three daughters.