Daniel Edward Aykroyd (born July 1, 1952 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) is a comedian, actor and screenwriter. He attended Catholic high schools (St Pius X and St. Patricks), He was briefly expelled from St. Patricks. Aykroyd studied criminology at Carleton University, leaving before he completed a degree. He worked as a comedian in various Canadian nightclubs. Aykroyd went on to gain experience in the Second City comedy troupe and in the National Lampoon stage shows. He gained fame on the American TV show Saturday Night Live from 1975 to 1979 where he was known for his impersonations of celebrities like Julia Child and Tom Snyder and for his recurring roles as a huckster, a male prostitute, and high-bred but low-brow critic Leonard Pinth-Garnell. He was born with syndactyly (webbed toes) and Heterochromia Iridium - the condition of having two-different colored eyes. In an interview with Terry Gross, he described himself as having Tourette syndrome that was successfully treated with therapy when he was a preteen, as well as Asperger's syndrome. The latter manifests itself in a fascination with police work, and Aykroyd carries a police badge at all times.
In 1977 he received an Emmy Award for writing on SNL; he later received two more nominations for writing, and one each for acting and Outstanding Comedy-Variety series. He received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for Driving Miss Daisy.
In 1992, Aykroyd, along with many other notable music and Hollywood personalities, founded the House of Blues. Its mission is to promote African-American cultural contributions of blues music and folk art. As of 2004, it was the second-largest live music promoter in the world, with seven venues and 22 amphitheaters in the United States and Canada.
He has been inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame and maintains his Canadian roots as a longtime resident of Kingston, Ontario. In 1994 Aykroyd received an honorary Doctor of Literature degree from Carleton University. In 1998, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada.
Aykroyd married actress Donna Dixon in 1983. They have three children.
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