WithGhostbusters: Afterlifefinally about to arrive in cinemas in a few months after what seems like an eternal delay, one of the movie’s founding fathers,Dan Aykroyd, was celebrated by his fans today as he celebrated his 69th birthday. FromSaturday Night Live, through theBlues Brothersto becoming the new voice ofYogi Bear, Aykroyd has been one of Canada’s most loved and best known experts in the entertainment industry. Despite struggling with symptoms of Tourette and Asperger syndromes, his career has spanned the last fifty years since he made his first professional appearance at age 17 as a member of the Canadian sketch series,The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour.
Makinghis big breakas part of the originalSaturday Night Liveteam between 1975 and 1979, his initial hiring on the show was as a writer for which he was paid around $280 a week, but before the series aired, he had already been promoted to become the youngest member of the cast. Aykroyd had a unique style during his time on the show, proving to be a brilliant impersonator and bring an almost frantic energy to the already crazy humor on the program. He was an integral part of the first four seasons ofSaturday Night Liveand in 2015 Rolling Stone magazine ranked 141Saturday Night Livecast members, with Aykroyd landing in fifth place behind his friend andBlues Brothersco-star James Belushi, Eddie Murphy, Tina Fey and Mike Myers.
After leavingSaturday Night Live,Aykroyd and Belushi teamedin the classic comedy,The Blues Brothers, which Aykroyd also co-wrote with director John Landis. His partnership with Belushi was meant to have continued inGhostbustersfour years later if not for Belushi’s untimely death. Working with Harold Ramis on the supernatural smash hit comedy, Aykroyd has specifically written the part of Peter Venkman for the late actor, but would re-write the part for Bill Murray, while later joking that he based Slimer on Belushi and his “party animal personality.“Ghostbusterswas a runaway success, grossing $300 million from a $30 million budget.
Over the few years Aykroyd continuedto appear in many of the 80s biggest hits, such asSpies Like Us, with Chevy Chase,Dragnetwith Tom Hanks and then a return to theGhostbustersseries in 1989. He gained a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Academy Awards for his part inDriving Miss Daisy, becoming only the secondSaturday Night Livemember to be nominated at the time. Aykroyd’s career took a dip in the 1990s, with many of his movies such asConeheads,Blues Brothers 2000, andGetting Away With Murderall failing to hit the mark, although he did gain a good deal of praise forTommy Boyin 1995 andGrosse Pointe Blankin 1997.
While the actor has made various other appearances on screen in the last two decades, including voicingYogi Bearin a live action movie, there is one role that people have wanted to see, that being the return of hisGhostbusterscharacter Ray Stantz. After many years of rumors and false starts, including the dubious 2016 reboot, fans are nowfinally getting their wishwith the arrival ofGhostbusters: Afterlifelater this year, which sees Aykroyd and his surviving co-stars from the original movie returning to the franchise after 32 years.
As the actor celebrates his birthday, there were plenty of well-wishers posting messages on social media to mark the occasion. Here are just a few of those celebrating the actor and his career.
