Daniel Edward Aykroyd is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter and entrepreneur. He is famous for being one of the original cast members of Saturday Night Live as well as for his roles in the movies The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters.
Dan Aykroyd first intended to be a priest
Aykroyd was born on July 1, 1952, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada to Lorraine Helene and Cuthbert Peter Hugh Aykroyd. His father was a civil engineer and his French Canadian mother was a secretary. Dan was raised in the Catholic church and until age 17 he wanted to become a priest. Dan is the older brother of actor Peter Aykroyd.
Aykroyd went to St. Pius X High School and St – Patrick’s High School and was a student of criminology and sociology at Carleton University. He dropped out before completing his degree.
He explored his interest in comedy by joining the famed Second City improvisational troupe in 1973, where he had a chance to work with other rising talents including John Candy and Bill Murray.
Dan Aykroyd suffers from autism
As a child in the early 1960’s, Dan was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome and Asperger’s Syndrome. Having Asperger’s Syndrome, one of his symptoms included his obsession with ghosts and law enforcement.
In a 2013 interview with Daily Mail, he revealed that he was obsessed with the ghost hunter Hans Holzer and that’s how he had the idea of writing Ghostbusters.
Interesting facts about Dan Aykroyd
Being born with heterochromia iridum, he has one green eye and one blue. He was born with webbed toes (syndactyly). He stands at a height of 6’1″.
In one of his interviews, he revealed that he believes in extraterrestrial life as he has seen UFO many years ago in Martha’s Vineyard. Dan has a huge interest in UFOlogy and supports MUFON, a UFO study group.
Their anguish comes in that they can’t tell you. They want to tell you anything but that they are extraterrestrial. Any excuse at all, even if they are unknown or unsolved. The Air Force cannot just come out and admit that there are extraterrestrial beings far in advanced of our culture that have built these machines…Then there were the two that my wife and friends and I saw – a high altitude sighting many years ago in Martha’s vineyard. Two flying side by side. They were at about 100,000 feet up, and they were going fast. – Dan Aykroyd
Dan is a former reserve commander for the police department in Harahan Louisiana and holds an advisory commission with the police department in Payne City, Georgia.
According to Dan, he is a spiritualist and he doesn’t fear death as he has cheated his death on numerous occasions throughout his four-decade-spanning career.
He was ranked #14 on Tropopkin’s Top 25 Most Intriguing People. He was awarded C.M (Member of the Order of Canada) on Oct 21, 1998, and he spends every Canada Day (July 1) performing some civic duty in Kingston, Ontario and one year he was appointed a citizenship judge. He was inducted into the Canada Walk Of Fame in 2002.
Dan Aykroyd is a family guy
Dan Aykroyd has been married to actress Donna Dixon since 1983. They met while making the comedic flop Doctor Detroit. They have 3 children together.
Rumor has it that Dan was married to a woman named Maureen Lewis and he also has three sons. However, the marriage was non-existent and the information about the three kids was false. Rumors about his fake family ignited when Dan, before fame, filled up biography questions for Who’s Who Publishers.