Dan Aykroyd, born on July 1, 1952, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, is a renowned Canadian actor, comedian, writer, and musician. His father, Samuel Cuthbert Peter Hugh Aykroyd, was a policy adviser to Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and also worked as a civil engineer. His mother, Lorraine Hélène Gougeon, worked as a secretary. Raised in the Catholic faith, Aykroyd attended St. Patrick's High School in Ottawa.
Aykroyd later enrolled at Carleton University, where he studied criminology and sociology. However, he left before completing his degree. During this time, he began performing in comedy clubs around Toronto, laying the foundation for his career in entertainment.
Aykroyd’s first television experience came at age 17 when he appeared on the Canadian sketch comedy series The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour, created by Lorne Michaels. He faced many challenges early in his career, including modest pay—he initially earned just $278 a week—as a writer for Saturday Night Live (SNL). Before the show’s premiere in 1975, he was promoted from writer to cast member, becoming one of the original "Not Ready for Prime Time Players."
His work on SNL was notable for his impersonations and eccentric characters, particularly in sketches like “Coneheads” and “Two Wild and Crazy Guys.” In 1977, Aykroyd won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series, and he later earned two additional nominations—for both his writing and his acting. In February 2015, Rolling Stone ranked him fifth among the greatest SNL cast members of all time.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Aykroyd began transitioning to feature films. His early Hollywood roles included Steven Spielberg’s 1941 (1979), which underperformed at the box office. However, he found major success with The Blues Brothers (1980), co-starring John Belushi, and Neighbors (1981).
Aykroyd gained international recognition as the co-writer and star of Ghostbusters (1984). Originally conceived as a vehicle for himself and Belushi, the project evolved after Belushi's untimely death. With a team that included Harold Ramis and Bill Murray, the supernatural comedy became a cultural phenomenon, grossing nearly $300 million worldwide. Columbia Pictures encouraged a sequel, resulting in Ghostbusters II (1989). Though financially successful, the sequel received mixed reviews and did not match the impact of the original.
| Birth Date: | 1 Jul, 1952 |
| Age: | 67 yrs |
| Citizenship: | Canada |
| Birth Place: | Ottawa |
| residence: | Sydenham |
| Education: | Carleton University Lisgar Collegiate Institute |
| Gender: | Male |
| Description: | Canadian film actor and comedian |
| Spouse: | Donna Dixon [M. 1983] |
| Net Worth 2021: | 200 million |
