Saturday Night Live premiered on October 11th, 1975, and to commemorate its anniversary this coming Sunday, today’s blog will take a look back at one of the greatest comedic talents to come from the show. Dan Aykroyd was one of the original seven cast members when Saturday Night Live premiered in October 1975. The youngest of the group, 23-year-old Aykroyd was a brilliant writer and versatile performer, able to play both the “straight man” and outrageous, hilarious characters. During his time on the show, he created some of the most memorable characters, including The Blues Brothers and The Coneheads, both of which would go on to be adapted into movies. His work after leaving the show remains iconic as well, appearing in classic comedies such as Trading Places, The Great Outdoors, and Ghostbusters, which he also wrote. Dan Aykroyd’s career has seen success in various talents, including comedic and dramatic acting, music, and writing. His interest in the paranormal and Ufology has also made him a prominent figure in the Spiritualist movement, and much of his work has touched upon these themes. Today’s blog will take a look back on Aykroyd’s work as a writer and performer, specifically his time on SNL, and why he is one of the most important cast members in the show’s history.
Dan Aykroyd was born in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1952. From an early age, he had a deep interest in music, comedy, and the supernatural, given his family’s history of mystics and Spiritualists. These interests and their influence on him are evident throughout his work, not only on Saturday Night Live but also in his career afterward. At the age of 17, Aykroyd got his first break in comedy as a cast member on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation variety show The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour. The Canadian variety show was hosted by future SNL producer Lorne Michaels and his then-comedy partner, Hart Pomeranz. This led to a lifelong friendship and working relationship with Lorne Michaels, who went back to the United States to write for television after the cancellation of The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour. During this time, Aykroyd began performing for Second City, performing in both Toronto and Chicago.
In 1975, Lorne Michaels created the long-running sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. Michaels assembled a cast consisting of young comedic performers and writers from improv groups such as The Groundlings or Second City, as well as National Lampoon. Dan Aykroyd was initially hired as a writer for the show but was moved to the main cast when Michaels noticed his unique comedic sensibilities. Dan Aykroyd became the youngest member of the “Not Ready For Primetime Players” and served a significant role on the show. Aykroyd was a true utility player on SNL, being able to write and perform various characters, and also play the “straight man” in other sketches. In comedy, the “straight man” is a character who acts naturally, rationally, or sensibly in response to the funny person or situation they share a scene with. The “straight man” is important, as their grounded and natural reactions help elevate the outrageousness of their funny situation or scene partner, and they give the “funny” performer someone to play off of. Very few comedic actors are able to do both. Some of Aykroyd’s most famous characters from the show’s first season include The Super Bass O’Matic Pitchman and Fred Garvin: Male Prostitute.
Aykroyd stayed on Saturday Night Live for four seasons. During that time he continued to appear in beloved sketches and create some of the most memorable characters from the first seasons such as one of the “Wild and Crazy Guys” alongside Steve Martin as well as “The Coneheads” an alien family with cone shaped heads led by Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin as Beldar and Prymaat Conehead, with Larraine Newman appearing in the sketches as their daughter Connie. Aykroyd and Curtin would reprise these characters in the 1993 Coneheads movie. He co-anchored Weekend Update with Jane Curtin during season three, serving as the first and one of the funniest anchor duos in Update history. Aykroyd also got to show off his skills as an impressionist, with impressions of Tom Snyder and Jimmy Carter. Aykroyd’s Carter impression is the second Presidential impression in the show’s history after Chevy Chase’s Gerald Ford. Like Chase, Aykroyd did not physically resemble Jimmy Carter, but he accurately portrayed Carter’s voice, cadence, and mannerisms. His Carter impression also showcased his comedic talents, as he perfectly adapted to the character while playing “straight” in the comedic situations he found himself in. The “Ask President Carter” sketch is a perfect example of this.
While on SNL, Aykroyd frequently partnered with co-star John Belushi. Belushi remains one of the most beloved stars of the show’s history, with Rolling Stone magazine calling him the best of all time. Through their real-life friendship, Aykroyd introduced Belushi to Blues music, as Belushi was very much into Rock ’n’ Roll. Belushi fell in love with Blues music, and together the pair created the musical group The Blues Brothers. Belushi and Aykroyd perform as brothers “Joliet” Jake and Elwood Blues, accompanied by a full band of professional musicians, with assistance from Paul Shaffer in compiling. On the April 22 episode of SNL in 1978, hosted by Steve Martin, “The Blues Brothers” performed as that episode’s musical guest. Belushi and Aykroyd then took the band on tour, opening for Steve Martin on the road. They released an album, Briefcase Full of Blues, in 1978, which went platinum. “The Blues Brothers” were more than just a bit; they were a legitimate blues band, and their popularity would only continue to soar with the release of the 1980 comedy film The Blues Brothers. It was the first screenplay Aykroyd had ever written, and his particular, meticulous writing style produced a 324-page first draft. The draft was rewritten by director John Landis. The film follows Jake and Elwood Blues on a journey of redemption after Jake is released from prison to save the orphanage where they lived as children. Together, they reunite with their band and plan a major comeback tour to raise the money to save the orphanage. The film stars Belushi and Aykroyd, reprising their roles as Jake and Elwood, and also features musical performances by Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and James Brown. Jazz musician Cab Calloway also appears in a supporting role as Curtis, the father figure to Jake and Elwood. The film features comedic performances by John Candy, Carrie Fisher, and Henry Gibson, as well as cameos by Frank Oz, Twiggy, and an early film appearance by Paul Reubens. Members of the band also appear in the film, including Matt “Guitar” Murphy, Donald “Duck” Dunn, and Steve “The Colonel” Cropper, among others. The film was a smash hit and is considered a comedy classic. It also showcased Aykroyd’s deep appreciation for blues music and introduced many of these musicians to a new generation. A sequel, Blues Brothers 2000, was released in 1998.
After leaving Saturday Night Live in 1979, Dan Aykroyd went on to have a prolific career as a writer and movie star. He appeared with John Belushi again in the 1981 dark comedy Neighbors. The pair were also in Steven Spielberg’s epic comedy 1941, although they do not share any scenes. He appeared alongside Eddie Murphy in 1983’s Trading Places and also starred in Doctor Detroit. He appeared in Twilight Zone: The Movie and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. He wrote and co-starred in the classic film Ghostbusters. Aykroyd drew from his upbringing in a highly spiritual family while writing his first draft, which differed significantly from the finished project. Like The Blues Brothers, Aykroyd’s first draft of Ghostbusters was very ambitious; it was very long and would also have required a much larger budget. Harold Ramis rewrote the screenplay to set it in New York City, and multiple casting options were considered before the finished project, starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, and Aykroyd himself. Ghostbusters was a massive hit and remains a classic, spawning a franchise that continues today with Aykroyd still appearing in the new movies. He co-wrote and appeared in the films Dragnet and Spies Like Us. He made his directorial debut in 1991 with Nothing But Trouble, a horror-comedy that he also wrote and starred in alongside Chevy Chase, Demi Moore, and John Candy. Upon its release, the film was a critical and commercial failure; however, in recent years, critics and audiences have come to appreciate Aykroyd’s vision and ambition. Aykroyd has spent the last several decades appearing in supporting roles in both comedies and dramas. Some of his dramatic works include Chaplin and Driving Miss Daisy, which was released to critical and commercial acclaim and won several Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Aykroyd’s interest in the paranormal and Ufology has made him a prominent figure in the Spiritualist community and led him to host multiple shows on the paranormal. He is also the co-founder of the vodka brand “Crystal Head Vodka.” Aykroyd is neurodivergent and has spoken openly about how his neurodiversity has helped him rather than hurt him, and has worked to destigmatize neurodiversity. Dan Aykroyd is one of the most prolific and multi-talented entertainers. From his time on SNL to his career in film and television, he has written and starred in some of the most beloved movies of all time and is one of the most interesting figures in comedy.
