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Dan Aykroyd
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Much to his parent's dismay, the acting bug hit Daniel Edward Aykroyd early in life. At 12, after having been expelled from a Catholic school for "minor delinquency," he began taking acting classes in his hometown of Ottawa, Canada. Along with acting, he also became interested in blues music and the paranormal, interests that would later serve him well in his creative pursuits.

Although he had his sites set on being a performer, he wound up studying psychology, criminal sociology, and political science while attending Carleton University as a young man. But once he obtained his practical degree, he returned to performing by joining the Canadian branch of the prestigious Chicago-based Second City comedy troupe. There, he caught the eye of Lorne Michaels and was cast in the debut season of Saturday Night Live.

His friendship with fellow cast member John Belushi, and their mutual love for blues music, led them to create "The Blues Brothers," which started as an act on SNL and eventually moved onto the big screen as the first of the SNL movies - later, his interest in the paranormal would lead to the writing of the hit movie "Ghostbusters."

After leaving SNL, Aykroyd went on to a successful acting and writing career that included such highlights as the aforementioned "Ghostbusters" and his Academy Award-nominated performance in "Driving Miss Daisy." His interest in blues music also inspired him to found "House of Blues," a worldwide chain of clubs/restaurants with a mission to bring blues music to a wide audience.
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