Here’s where else you may recognize Ghostbusters star Dan Aykroyd. Dan Aykroyd first made a name for himself as a cast member on groundbreaking comedy series Saturday Night Live. Aykroyd’s gift for conceiving and performing memorable sketches - including the Coneheads and The Festrunk Brothers with Steve Martin - won him acclaim, and he became good friends with castmate John Belushi. This friendship led them to team up for several movie projects, with the most iconic being 1980 music comedy The Blue Brothers. They also starred in Steven Spielberg’s messy World War 2 comedy 1941 and Neighbors.
Dan Aykroyd’s first big leading man role came with 1983’s Doctor Detroit, but it was Trading Places from the same year that proved to be a big hit. This teamed him with fellow SNL superstar Eddie Murphy and is now considered a classic of its era. Of course, Aykroyd’s defining work from the decade would be Ghostbusters. The actor conceived of the original concept and had originally written the role of Peter Venkman for John Belushi prior to his death; Bill Murray inherited the part. Ghostbusters became a landmark blockbuster and was a near seamless mix of comedy and horror.
Ghostbusters would be a hard act to follow for any performer, but the rest of the 1980s worked out well for Dan Aykroyd. He made a cameo in Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom, co-starred in thriller Into The Night and reteamed with frequent collaborator John Landis for Spies Like Us, pairing him with Chevy Chase. He led the 1987 remake of Dragnet alongside Tom Hanks, appeared alongside John Candy in 1988’s The Great Outdoors and co-starred in awful sequel Caddyshack II. He and the original cast and crew finally returned for Ghostbusters II in 1989, which was largely motivated by the continuing success of The Real Ghostbusters cartoon. While the sequel is a lot of fun, it lacked the freshness of the original.
Dan Aykroyd also appeared in Best Picture winner Driving Miss Daisy in 1989. The 1990s produced mixed fortunes, beginning with weak buddy comedy Loose Cannons with Gene Hackman. He co-starred in nostalgic comedy My Girl - later returning for its 1994 sequel - but his directorial debut Nothing But Trouble lived up to the title. This big-budget studio comedy co-starred Chevy Chase and Demi Moore, but while it’s become a cult item now, its odd tonal mix of dark comedy and horror repelled critics and viewers in 1991. A movie version of Coneheads did mixed business in 1993 and most of the decade would be spent in supporting roles, including Grosse Pointe Blank and a Ray Stantz cameo in Casper. He tried his hand at a sitcom with the short-lived Soul Man in 1997 too.
Dan Aykroyd made an ill-advised return for Blues Brothers 2000 with John Goodman, which bombed on release. The 2000s would bring supporting appearances in Pearl Harbour, Evolution, and 50 First Dates, in addition to voicing the title character in 2010’s Yogi Bear. In more recent years he’s appeared in Behind the Candelabra and Tammy and made a cameo in 2016’s Ghostbusters reboot as a cab driver. He’s set to return once again as Ray Stantz for 2020 legacy sequel Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
Next: Where To Spot Dan Aykroyd’s Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom Cameo
