Dan Aykroyd, born in Ottawa, initially pursued studies in psychology, criminal sociology, and political science at Carleton University, where his comedy journey took off. He co-wrote sketches for a private cable company, igniting his passion for acting. At 20, he joined The Second City comedy troupe in Chicago and Toronto, marking the start of his career.
In 1975, Aykroyd joined "Saturday Night Live" as a founding member of the "Not Ready For Prime Time Players," crafting iconic sketches like "The Blues Brothers" with Belushi and "Two Wild and Crazy Guys" with Steve Martin. The success of "The Blues Brothers" sketch led to a full-length feature in 1980, with Aykroyd writing and producing the movie soundtrack, defying the disco and punk era.
His versatile talent shines in roles like Dr. Ray Stantz in "Ghostbusters," Jessica Tandy’s son in "Driving Miss Daisy," a single father in "My Girl," and an assassin in "Grosse Pointe Blank," showcasing both comedic and dramatic prowess.
Known For

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Ray Stantz
2024

The Greatest Night in Pop
Self (archive footage)
2024

Zombie Town
Len Carver
2023

Who Saw the Men in Black
self
2021

Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters
Self
2020

Get on Up
Ben Bart
2014

Tammy
Don
2014

Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return
Scarecrow (voice)
2014

Saturday Night Live: Thanksgiving
Rick Phillips
2013

Behind the Candelabra
Seymour Heller
2013

Tales from the Warner Bros. Lot
Self
2013

The Campaign
Wade Motch
2012

Yogi Bear
Yogi Bear (voice)
2010

War, Inc.
Mr. Vice President
2008

I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
Captain Phineas J. Tucker
2007

Saturday Night Live: The Best of Dan Aykroyd
Various Characters (archive footage)
2005

The Blues Brothers: Transposing The Music
Self
2005

Saturday Night Live: The Best of John Belushi
Self / Various (archive footage) (uncredited)
2005

Dan Aykroyd Unplugged On UFOs
himself
2005

Christmas with the Kranks
Vic Frohmeyer
2004

White Coats
Dr. Cyrill Kipp
2004

50 First Dates
Dr. Keats
2004

Bright Young Things
Lord Monomark
2003

Toronto Rocks
Self
2003

Shortcut to Happiness
Julius Jenson
2003

Crossroads
Pete Wagner
2002

On the Nose
Dr. Barry Davis
2001

Earth vs. the Spider
Det. Insp. Jack Grillo
2001

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion
Chris Magruder
2001

Evolution
Governor Lewis
2001

Pearl Harbor
Captain Thurman
2001

Stardom
Barry Levine
2000

The House of Mirth
Augustus 'Gus' Trenor
2000

Diamonds
Lance Agensky
1999

Saturday Night Live: Christmas
Self
1999

Ghostbusters 1999
Self
1999

Saturday Night Live: The Best of Dana Carvey
1999

Susan's Plan
Bob
1998

Antz
Chip (voice)
1998

Blues Brothers 2000
Elwood Blues
1998

Grosse Pointe Blank
Grocer
1997

Heritage Minutes: Avro Arrow
Crawford Gordon
1997

My Fellow Americans
President William Haney
1996

Feeling Minnesota
Det. Ben Costikyan
1996

Celtic Pride
Jimmy Flaherty
1996

Getting Away with Murder
Jack Lambert
1996

Sgt. Bilko
COL John T. Hall
1996

Canadian Bacon
OPP Officer (uncredited)
1995

Casper
Dr. Raymond Stantz (uncredited)
1995

Tommy Boy
Ray Zalinsky
1995
The Random Factor
Dexter (voice)
1995

Exit to Eden
Fred Lavery
1994

North
Pa Tex
1994

My Girl 2
Harry Sultenfuss
1994

Coneheads
Beldar
1993

Chaplin
Mack Sennett
1992

Sneakers
Mother
1992

This Is My Life
Arnold Moss
1992

My Girl
Harry Sultenfuss
1991

Nothing but Trouble
Judge Alvin 'J.P' Valkenheiser / Bobo
1991

Masters of Menace
Johnny Lewis
1990

Life of Python
Self
1990

Loose Cannons
Ellis Fielding
1990

Driving Miss Daisy
Boolie Werthan
1989

Ghostbusters II
Ray Stantz
1989

My Stepmother Is an Alien
Steven Mills
1988

Caddyshack II
Capt. Tom Everett
1988

The Great Outdoors
Roman Craig
1988

She's Having a Baby
Roman (uncredited)
1988

The Couch Trip
John W. Burns, Jr.
1988

Dragnet
Sgt. Joe Friday
1987

Citizen Steve
Chial Dushane
1987

Spies Like Us
Austin Millbarge
1985

The Best of John Belushi
Various Characters
1985

Into the Night
Herb
1985

Nothing Lasts Forever
Buck Heller
1984

Ghostbusters
Ray Stantz
1984

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Art Weber
1984

Twilight Zone: The Movie
Passenger
1983

Trading Places
Louis Winthorpe III
1983

Doctor Detroit
Clifford Skridlow / Doctor Detroit
1983

E.T. and Friends: Magical Movie Visitors
Beldar Conehead
1982

It Came from Hollywood
Himself
1982

Neighbors
Vic
1981

Steve Martin's Best Show Ever
Yortuk Festrunk / Irwin Mainway / Alexander Haig / Dr. Treves
1981

The Blues Brothers
Elwood Blues
1980

1941
Sgt. Frank Tree
1979

Mr. Mike's Mondo Video
Church of Jack Lord Leader / Self
1979

The Blues Brothers Live at Winterland
Elwood Blues
1978

The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash
Brian Thigh
1978

Love at First Sight
Roy
1977
That's Amore!

2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Self (archive footage)
2022

Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Ray Stantz
2021

Belushi
Self (archive footage)
2020

Fantastic Mr. Murray
Self - Interviewee
2019

Defend, Conserve, Protect
Narrator
2019

Chris Farley: Anything for a Laugh
2019

Good Fortune
Self
2016

Ghostbusters
Cabbie
2016

Ghostheads
Self
2016

Being Canadian
Self
2015

I Am Chris Farley
Self
2015

Pixels
1982 Championship MC
2015

Who You Gonna Call?: A Ghostbusters Retrospective
2014

Time Is But a Window: Ghostbusters 2 and Beyond
2014

Born In Chicago
Narrator
2013

WWII: Saving the Reality
Self - Narrator (voice)
2013

Sunset Strip
Self
2012

The Women of SNL
Various (archive footage)
2010

Presidential Reunion
Jimmy Carter
2010

Working with a Master: John Landis
Self
2006

Life O' The Party: On the Road with Prince and the New Power Generation
Self
2005

Live from New York: The First 5 Years of Saturday Night Live
Self
2005

Ronnie Hawkins: Still Alive and Kickin
Narrator
2004

James Brown: Soul Survivor
2003

The Making of ‘Sneakers’
Self
2003

Unconditional Love
Max Beasley
2002

Loser
Dad
2000

Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary Special
Self
1999

Tales from the Crypt: The Robert Zemeckis Collection
Captain Milligan
1999

The Stories Behind the Making of 'The Blues Brothers'
Self
1998

Roswell Top Secret
Self
1998

The Arrow
Crawford Gordon Jr.
1997

Rainbow
Sheriff Wyatt Hampton
1996
Sex, Censorship and the Silver Screen
Quote Reader
1996

The Best of the Blues Brothers
Elwood Blues / Himself
1994

A Century of Cinema
Self
1994

Two-Fisted Tales
Captain Miligan
1992

Seriously... Phil Collins
Self
1990

The Earth Day Special
Vic's Buddy
1990

Saturday Night Live: 15th Anniversary
Self
1989

We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song
Self
1985

B.B. King: Into the Night
Self
1985

The Coneheads
Beldar (Voice)
1983

The Things We Did Last Summer
Self
1978

The Beach Boys: It's OK
Cop #1
1976

The Beach Boys: It's OK
Cop #1
1976

The Gift of Winter
Goodly / Rotten / Maple (voice)
1974
Godspell 2025

Keeper of the Cup
The Keeper

Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
Self
2025

SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night
(4 episodes)
2025

A History of the World in Six Glasses
Self · (6 episodes)
2024

The UnBelievable with Dan Aykroyd
Self - Host · (30 episodes)
2023

Hotel Paranormal
(20 episodes)
2020

Reunited Apart
Self · (1 episode)
2020

The Movies That Made Us
Ray Stantz (archive footage) · (1 episode)
2019

Biography: Comedy Icons
Himself · (1 episode)
2019

The Conners
Buddy · (1 episode)
2018

Jay Leno's Garage
Self · (1 episode)
2015

The Seventies
Self (archive footage) · (1 episode)
2015

Dino Hunt Canada
Narrator · (4 episodes)
2015

Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self · (2 episodes)
2014

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
(1 episode)
2014

Inside Comedy
Self · (1 episode)
2012

The Fran Drescher Show
(1 episode)
2010

The Defenders
Judge Max Hunter · (2 episodes)
2010

Second City: First Family of Comedy
Self · (3 episodes)
2006

Living with Fran
(1 episode)
2005

According to Jim
Danny Michalski · (5 episodes)
2001

Family Guy
Dan Aykroyd (voice) · (1 episode)
1999

Mark Twain Prize
Self · (1 episode)
1999

Soul Man
Rev. Mike Weber · (25 episodes)
1997

The Arrow
Crawford Gordon · (2 episodes)
1997

Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal
(88 episodes)
1996

The Rosie O'Donnell Show
Self · (1 episode)
1996
Live from the House of Blues
(1 episode)
1995

Intimate Portrait
Self · (1 episode)
1993

The Nanny
Repair Man (uncredited) · (1 episode)
1993

Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Self - Guest · (3 episodes)
1993
Terry Wogan's Friday Night
Self · (1 episode)
1992

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
(1 episode)
1992

Home Improvement
Mike Weber · (1 episode)
1991

The Simpsons
Postage Stamp Fellow (voice) · (1 episode)
1989

Tales from the Crypt
Captain Milligan · (1 episode)
1989

American Masters
Julia Child (archive footage) · (1 episode)
1986

MTV Video Music Awards
Self - Host · (1 episode)
1984

Grateful Dead: The Closing of Winterland
Self
1978

Saturday Night Live
Self - Various Characters · (86 episodes)
1975

Saturday Night Live
Self - Cameo (uncredited) · (10 episodes)
1975

Saturday Night Live
Self - Host · (1 episode)
1975

Saturday Night Live
Self / Various (archive footage) · (1 episode)
1975

Dinah!
Self · (1 episode)
1974