John Belushi life and biography

John Belushi was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known as one of the original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. He was the older brother of Jim Belushi.

Comic powerhouse John Belushi rose to stardom in the 1970s. Leaving behind a potential career in football and a life in his family's restaurant business, he made his debut on the comedy circuit with Chicago's legendary improvisational group, Second City, in 1971.

A few years later, he joined the original cast of the groundbreaking sketch-comedy show Saturday Night Live, where he developed unforgettable characters such as the sword-wielding Samurai Futaba; a Greek diner owner who served only "cheezborgers"; and Kuldorth, an alien who found himself trapped on planet Earth. He also delivered a range of uncanny impersonations, from soul singer Joe Cocker and film icon Marlon Brando to Soviet statesman Leonid Brezhnev and famed actress Elizabeth Taylor.

Belushi also made a brief, but large impact on the big screen. He may be best known to audiences as hard-partying frat boy Bluto Blutarsky in Animal House, a film that became an instant box-office smash. The role is only rivaled by his performance as Jake "Joliet" Blues in The Blues Brothers. Along with close friend and fellow comedian Dan Aykroyd, who played Elwood Blues, the duo fronted a band of notable blues artists for a Saturday Night Live sketch. The Blues Brothers and their band soon took on a life of their own, however, releasing a No. 1 record in 1978 and a No. 1 film in 1980. Belushi also tackled more subdued and dramatic roles in the films Old Boyfriends and Continental Divide, demonstrating his varied theatrical talents.

In 1982, at the age of 33, Belushi died from an accidental overdose of cocaine and heroin. His death shocked and saddened his family, friends and loyal fans. John Belushi is now remembered as an immensely talented comedian, whose rising star burned out too quickly.

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