Aykroyd was born on July 1, 1952 (Canada Day) at The Ottawa Hospital in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada’s capital.
His father, civil engineer Samuel Cuthbert Peter Hugh Aykroyd (1922-2020), was a policy adviser to Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, and his mother, Lorraine Hélène Marie (née Gougeon; April 27, 1918 – February 8, 2018), was a secretary.
His mother was of French Canadian descent, and his father was of English, Scottish, Irish, French, and Dutch ancestry. His brother, Peter, was also an actor.
Dan Aykroyd siblings: Meet late brother Peter Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd has a younger brother named Peter Aykroyd, who was also an actor.
Aykroyd rose to prominence on Saturday Night Live, an American late-night comedy show (SNL). He was hired as a writer for the show and was paid $278 per week, but he joined the cast before the series premiered.
The original cast was dubbed “The Not Ready For Prime Time Players” on the show. Aykroyd was the show’s youngest cast member, appearing for the first four seasons, from 1975 to 1979.
He brought a distinct sensibility to the show, combining youth, unusual interests, talent as an impersonator, and an almost lunatic intensity. Guest host Eric Idle of Monty Python said that Aykroyd’s ability to write and act out characters flawlessly made him the only member of the SNL cast capable of being a Python.
