Jim Belushi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jim Belushi
Jim Belushi Unveils Belushi Performance Hall at MAC Motown 2015.jpg
Belushi in 2015
Born
James Adam Belushi

(1954-06-15) June 15, 1954 (age 67)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Other namesJames Belushi
"The Belush"
Jake Blues
Citizenship
  • United States
  • Albania
EducationWheaton Central High School
Alma materSouthern Illinois University (BA)
Occupation
  • Actor
  • comedian
Years active1977–present
Spouse(s)
Sandra Davenport
​
​
(m. 1980; div. 1988)​

​
​
(m. 1990; div. 1992)​

Jennifer Sloan
​
​
(m. 1998)​
Children3; including Robert Belushi
RelativesJohn Belushi (brother)
Websitewww.belushisfarm.com

James Adam Belushi[1] (/bəˈluːʃi/; born June 15, 1954) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for the role of Jim on the sitcom According to Jim (2001–2009). His other television roles include Saturday Night Live (1983–1985), Wild Palms (1993), Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (1994–1997), Show Me a Hero (2015), and Twin Peaks (2017).

Belushi appeared in films such as Thief (1981), Trading Places (1983), About Last Night (1986), Salvador (1986), The Principal (1987), Real Men (1987), Red Heat (1988), K-9 (1989), Mr. Destiny (1990), Curly Sue (1991), Jingle All the Way (1996), Gang Related (1997), K-911 (1999), Joe Somebody (2001), Underdog (2007), The Ghost Writer (2010) and Katie Says Goodbye (2016).

He is the younger brother of comic actor John Belushi and the father of actor Robert Belushi.

Early life[]

Belushi was born June 15, 1954, in Chicago,[1] to Adam Anastos Belushi (1918–1996), an Albanian from Qytezë, Korçë,[2][3] and Agnes Demetri Belushi (née Samaras; 1922–1989),[4] who was born in Ohio to Albanian immigrants from Korçë.[2][5] He was raised in Wheaton, a Chicago suburb, along with his three siblings: older brother John (1949–1982), older sister Marian, and younger brother Billy.[4][6][7][8] After graduating from Wheaton Central High School in 1972, Jim Belushi attended the College of DuPage, and graduated from Southern Illinois University Carbondale with a bachelor's degree in Speech and Theater Arts.

Career[]

Belushi at the 39th Venice International Film Festival in 1982

From 1977 to 1980, Belushi, like his older brother John Belushi, worked with the Chicago theater group The Second City. During this period, Belushi made his television debut in 1978's Who's Watching the Kids and also had a small part in Brian De Palma's The Fury. His first significant role was in Michael Mann's Thief (1981). After his elder brother John's death, from 1983 to 1985 he appeared on Saturday Night Live; he portrayed characters such as Hank Rippy from "Hello, Trudy!" and "That White Guy". Belushi also appeared in the film Trading Places as a drunk man in a gorilla suit during a New Year's Eve party. He made a guest appearance in Faerie Tale Theatre's third-season episode Pinocchio, starring Paul Reubens as the titular puppet.

Belushi rose to greater prominence with his supporting roles in The Man with One Red Shoe (1985), About Last Night..., Salvador and Little Shop of Horrors (as Patrick Martin) (all 1986), which opened up opportunities for lead roles. He has starred in films including Real Men, The Principal, Red Heat, Homer and Eddie, K-9, Dimenticare Palermo, Taking Care of Business, Mr. Destiny, Only the Lonely, Curly Sue, Once Upon A Crime, Wild Palms, Race the Sun, Jingle All The Way, Separate Lives, Retroactive, Gang Related, Angel's Dance and Joe Somebody (2001).

His voice work includes The Mighty Ducks, The Pebble and the Penguin, Babes in Toy land, Gargoyles and Hey Arnold!, and Hoodwinked, Scooby-Doo! and the Goblin King and The Wild. He also lent his vocal talents for 9: The Last Resort (a PC game released in 1995), in which he portrayed "Salty", a coarse yet helpful character. In 1997, he portrayed the "Masked Mutant" in the Goosebumps PC video game, alongside Adam West as "The Galloping Gazelle". On January 4, 2001, Belushi appeared on the ER episode "Piece of Mind". The episode focused both on Dr. Mark Greene's life-or-death brain surgery in New York and on Belushi's character, who had been in a car accident with his son in Chicago. Belushi's performance contributed to his re-emergence in the public eye, and the following year he was cast as the title role in ABC's According to Jim.[9] His first animation voice-over was as a pimple on Krumm's head in Aaahh!!! Real Monsters on Nickelodeon. That performance led him to be cast in the continuing role as Simon the Monster Hunter in that series, where he ad-libbed much of his own dialogue.

Belushi in House of Blues in Houston, 2008

In 2003, Belushi and Dan Aykroyd released the album Have Love, Will Travel, and participated in an accompanying tour. The concert was made available on video on demand by Bob Gold & Associates.[10][11] He also performs at various venues nationwide as Zee Blues in an updated version of The Blues Brothers. He released his first book, Real Men Don't Apologize, in May 2006. Belushi was a narrator of an NFL offensive linemen commercial. Belushi also introduced the starting lineups for the University of Illinois football team during ABC's telecast of the 2008 Rose Bowl.

He appeared in MC Hammer's video "Too Legit to Quit" in 1991 (in the extended full-length version). He also hosted a celebration rally for the Chicago Cubs playoff series in Chicago prior to the 2008 World Series. Steve Dahl has dubbed him "The Funniest Living Belushi".

In 2010, Belushi was cast in a pilot for CBS called The Defenders a series about defense lawyers.[12] The one-hour series premiered on September 22, 2010.[13] In two episodes in 2011, Belushi was paired with Blues Brothers partner Dan Aykroyd.[14][15] On May 15, 2011, The Defenders was canceled by CBS.[16] In 2011, he was cast as corrupt businessman Harry Brock in Born Yesterday, which opened on Broadway in late April.[17]

In August 2020, Belushi started a series about his life at his cannabis farm in Oregon, called Growing Belushi.[18]

Personal life[]

Belushi has been married three times. On May 17, 1980, he married Sandra Davenport, who gave birth to his son, Robert James, on October 23, 1980. Belushi and Davenport divorced in 1988.[19] Belushi was married to actress Marjorie Bransfield from 1990 to 1992.[19] He married Jennifer Sloan on May 2, 1998; the couple have a daughter and a son.[20] On March 5, 2018, Jennifer Sloan filed for divorce from Belushi.[20][21] The two have since reconciled.[22]

Belushi is closely linked to his Albanian heritage and received honorary Albanian citizenship, as well as the "Honor of the Nation" Decoration from the President of Albania, Bamir Topi, in 2008.[23][24][25] He is Eastern Orthodox Christian, visiting with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in 2010.[26] Belushi is an avid fan of the Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bears, Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Fire.[27]

Belushi had a legal battle and publicized feud with his neighbor, actress Julie Newmar. She claimed their conflicts stemmed from Belushi's attempt to "build a second house in the back", which she claimed was illegal in their R-1 neighborhood, since there can be only one house per lot. In 2004, Belushi filed a $4 million lawsuit against Newmar, alleging "she harassed and defamed him". He also claimed she destroyed his fence, which Newmar denied. They ended the feud in 2006, and Belushi invited Newmar to guest-star on According to Jim on an episode which satirized their conflict.[28]

In 2011, Belushi announced he was suffering from gout, and became a spokesman for Savient Pharmaceuticals' educational campaign "Check Out Your Gout".[29][30] He appeared on the cover of and was interviewed by Cigar Aficionado magazine.[31]

Belushi endorsed the re-election campaign of Democratic President Barack Obama in 2012. On a Fox News interview, he explained "When you talk to the President in private, he's a cool guy, who knows what he's doing. Besides, I'm from Chicago too."[32]

Belushi built a getaway home in Eagle Point, Oregon in 2015[33] where he now grows cannabis.[34][35] By 2018, the size of his Eagle Point property had been expanded to 93 acres (38 ha).[35] He is involved with fundraising for projects in Eagle Point and elsewhere in Southern Oregon, including the planned rebuilding of the Butte Creek Mill and the restoration of the Holly Theatre, in Medford. In 2018, he was living in Los Angeles "most of the time", The Oregonian reported,[35] and living in Oregon part of the year. Per a 2018 article, Belushi indicated he planned on opening a pop-up cannabis dispensary in downtown Portland.[35]

Filmography[]

Film[]

Year Title Role Notes
1978 The Fury Beach Bum Uncredited
1981 Thief Barry
1983 Trading Places Harvey
1985 The Man with One Red Shoe Morris
1986 Little Shop of Horrors Patrick Martin Cameo
1986 Salvador Dr. Rock
1986 Jumpin' Jack Flash Sperry Repair Man
1986 About Last Night... Bernie Litko
1987 The Principal Principal Rick Latimer
1987 Real Men Nick Pirandello
1988 Red Heat Sergeant Art Ridzik
1989 K-9 Detective Michael Dooley
1989 Wedding Band Reverend
1989 Homer and Eddie Homer Lanza
1989 Who's Harry Crumb? Man on Bus Uncredited cameo
1990 Taking Care of Business Jimmy Dworski
1990 Mr. Destiny Larry Joseph Burrows
1990 Masters of Menace 'Gypsy'
1990 Dimenticare Palermo Carmine Bonavia
1990 Wedding Band Reverend
1991 Curly Sue Bill Dancer
1991 Diary of a Hitman Shandy
1991 Only the Lonely Officer Sal Buonarte
1991 Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe Principal Rick Latimer
1992 Traces of Red Jack Dobson
1992 Once Upon a Crime Neil Schwary
1993 Last Action Hero Himself Cameo
1995 Canadian Bacon Charles Jackal
1995 Separate Lives Tom Beckwith
1995 Sahara Sgt Joe Gunn
1995 The Pebble and the Penguin Rocko (voice)
1995 Destiny Turns on the Radio Tuerto
1995 Irving Gay Vampire #2 Cameo
1996 Jingle All the Way Mall Santa
1996 Race the Sun Frank Machi
1996 Gold in the Streets Mario
1997 Gang Related Detective Frank Divinci
1997 Retroactive Frank Lloyd
1997 Living in Peril Harrison / Oliver
1997 Bad Baby Cornelius Goode (voice)
1997 Wag the Dog Himself
1997 Babes in Toyland Gonzargo (voice)
1998 Overnight Delivery Overnight Delivery Boss Scenes deleted
1999 Angel's Dance Stevie 'The Rose' Rosellini
1999 Made Men Bill 'The Mouth' Manucci
1999 K-911 Detective Michael Dooley Direct-to-DVD
1999 The Florentine Billy Belasco
1999 The Nuttiest Nutcracker Reginald The Mouse King (voice) Direct-to-DVD
2000 Return to Me Joe Dayton
2001 Joe Somebody Chuck Scarett
2002 Snow Dogs Demon (voice) Cameo
2002 Pinocchio The Farmer (voice) English Dub
2002 One Way Out Harry Wooltz
2002 K-9: P.I. Detective Michael Dooley Direct-to-DVD
2003 Easy Six Elvis
2004 DysEnchanted Doctor (The Shrink)
2005 Hoodwinked! Kirk (voice)
2005 My Neighbors the Yamadas Takashi (voice) English Dub
2006 The Wild Benny (voice)
2006 Tugger: The Jeep 4x4 Who Wanted to Fly Tugger (voice) [36]
2007 Underdog Dan Unger
2007 Once Upon a Christmas Village Santa Claus (voice) Short film
2007 Farce of the Penguins 'They're All Bitches' Penguin (voice) Direct-to-DVD
2008 Scooby-Doo! and the Goblin King Glob (voice) Direct-to-DVD
2008 Snow Buddies Saint Bernie (voice) Direct-to-DVD
2010 The Ghost Writer John Maddox
2011 Cougars, Inc. Dan Fox
2011 New Year's Eve Building Super
2012 The Secret Lives of Dorks Bronko
2012 Thunderstruck Coach Amross
2013 Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return Lion (voice)
2015 Home Sweet Hell Les
2016 Undrafted Jim
2016 The Whole Truth Boone Lassiter
2016 The Hollow Point Diaz
2016 Katie Says Goodbye 'Bear'
2017 A Change of Heart Hank
2017 Sollers Point Carol
2017 Wonder Wheel Humpty

Television[]

Year Title Role Notes
1978–1979 Who's Watching the Kids? Bert Gunkel 11 episodes
1979 Working Stiffs Ernie O'Rourke 9 episodes
1982 Laverne & Shirley 'Wheezer' Episode: "Of Mice and Men"
1983–1985 Saturday Night Live Various 33 episodes; also writer
1984 Faerie Tale Theatre Mario Episode: "Pinocchio"
1984 The Best Legs in the Eighth Grade Saint Valentine Television film
1986 The Birthday Boy Bob Television film
1993 Wild Palms Harry Wyckoff 5 episodes
1993 The Building Billy Shoe Episode: "Yakkity Yak Don't Talk"
1994 Royce Shane Royce Television film
1994 Parallel Lives Nick Dimas Television film
1994–1997 Aaahh!!! Real Monsters Simon The Monster Hunter (voice) 8 episodes
1995 Sahara Sergeant Joe Gunn Television film
1995 Santo Bugito Santo Bugito (voice) Episode: "Load 'O Bees"
1995 Duckman Saul Monella / Police Officer (voice) Episode: "America the Beautiful"
1995 Pinky and the Brain Additional Characters (voice) 3 episodes
1995 The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat (voice) Episode: "Wet Paint/News Blues/Copy Cat"
1995–1996 Gargoyles Fang (voice) 3 episodes
1996 Timon & Pumbaa Male Warthog (voice) Episode: "Home Is Where the Hog Is"
1996 The Tick Mr. Fleener (voice) Episode: "The Tick vs. Education"
1996 KaBlam! Louie The Chameleon (voice) Episode: "Built for Speed"
1996–1997 Mighty Ducks Phil Palmfeather (voice) 23 episodes
1996–1999 Hey Arnold! Coach Jack Wittenberg (voice) 4 episodes
1997 Total Security Steve Wegman 13 episodes
1997 Dog's Best Friend Skippy (voice) Television film
1997 Cow and Chicken Butch (voice) Episode: "School Bully/Time Machine"
1997 Life with Louie Jack (voice) Episode: "The Making of a President"
1997 The Blues Brothers: The Animated Series Jake (voice) 8 episodes
1997–1998 The Larry Sanders Show Himself 2 episodes
1998 Hercules Nestor (voice) 2 episodes
1998 Stories from My Childhood Peter The Repeater Bird (voice) Episode: "Alice and The Mystery of the Third Planet"
1999 Justice Frank Spello Television film
1999 Hooves of Fire Santa Claus / Tapir (voices) Television special
2000 Who Killed Atlanta's Children? Pat Laughlin Television film
2000–2001 Beggars and Choosers Freddy Falco 4 episodes
2001 ER Dan Harris Episode: "Piece of Mind"
2001–2009 According to Jim James "Jim" Orenthal 182 episodes; also executive producer
2002 Rugrats Santa Claus (voice) Episode: "Babies in Toyland Part 1"
2002 What's New, Scooby-Doo? Asa Buckwald (voice) Episode: "Scooby-Doo Christmas"
2002, 2003, 2006 The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius Coach Gruber (voice) 3 episodes
2003 Ozzy & Drix Captain Quinine (voice) Episode: "The Conqueror Worm"
2003 I'm with Her Leslie Buren Episode: "The Second Date"
2004 Less than Perfect Eddie Smirkoff Episode: "Arctic Nights"
2005 George Lopez The Inspector Episode: "George's Extreme Makeover: Holmes Edition"
2005 Fatherhood Officer (voice) Episode: "Truth or Scare"
2006 Casper's Scare School Alder (voice) Television film
2009 Handy Manny Sal (voice) Episode: "Francisco Comes to Town/Broken Drawbridge"
2010–2011 The Defenders Nick Morelli 18 episodes
2012 Doc McStuffins Glo-Bo (voice) 6 episodes
2014 Stan Lee's Mighty 7: Beginnings Mr. Cross (voice) Television film
2015 Show Me a Hero Angelo R. Martinelli 3 episodes
2015 Building Belushi Himself 6 episodes
2015 Urban Cowboy Marshall Stoval Pilot
2015–2016 TripTank Guy / Dad (voices) 2 episodes
2015–2016 Good Girls Revolt William 'Wick' McFadden 6 episodes
2016 The 7D Coach Coachy (voice) Episode: "Giggleberries/Jollyball Anyone?"
2017 Mating Pilot
2017 Twin Peaks Bradley Mitchum 6 episodes
2017 Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie Coach Wittenberg (voice) Television film[37]
2018 Salvage Duke Pilot
2019 Trolls: The Beat Goes On! Dad Cloud Episode: "Two's a Cloud"
2020 Growing Belushi Himself

Video games[]

Year Title Role
1996 9: The Last Resort Salty
1998 Goosebumps: Attack of the Mutant The Masked Mutant

Characters on Saturday Night Live[]

  • Hank Rippy (Hello, Trudy!)
  • Man on the Street Jesse Donnelly
  • That White Guy

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Jim Belushi". TVGuide.com. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b E. W. Jr. Smith (2010). Athletes Once: 100 Famous People Who Were Once Notable Athletes. Fireship Press. p. 195. ISBN 978-1611791402. ... son of Agnes, a first generation Albanian-American, and Adam, an Albanian immigrant and restaurant operator who left his native village, Qyteze, in 1934.
  3. ^ "Denny-Mahoney – User Trees – Genealogy.com". www.genealogy.com. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Denny-Mahoney - User Trees - Genealogy.com". www.genealogy.com.
  5. ^ "Denny-Mahoney – User Trees – Genealogy.com". www.genealogy.com. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  6. ^ "Saturday Night Live Bio". NBC. Archived from the original on February 6, 2009.
  7. ^ "John Belushi Biography (1949–1982)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
  8. ^ Broyard, Anatole (June 2, 1984). "Close-Up of John Belushi". The New York Times.
  9. ^ "Jim Belushi stars as suburban father in According to Jim". Biography.com. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  10. ^ "Charter drives VOD with Aykroyd–Belushi video". CED. October 13, 2003. Archived from the original on February 6, 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  11. ^ Song, David. "Charter Unveils First MSO-Produced Video-on-Demand Original Program". Charter Communications. Archived from the original on August 23, 2018. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  12. ^ Ausiello, Michael. "Pilot Intel: Jim Belushi eyes CBS' 'Defenders'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 12, 2010. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
  13. ^ "'The Defenders' stars Jerry O'Connell, Jim Belushi chat with CBS 6". WRGB. September 16, 2010. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
  14. ^ "Dan Aykroyd to Reunite with Jim Belushi on The Defenders". TVGuide.com. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  15. ^ "TV Highlights: Dan Aykroyd on 'The Defenders'; Dina Lohan on '20/20'; 'Gold Rush: Alaska' finale". The Washington Post. February 18, 2011. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
  16. ^ "The Defenders Cancelled by CBS; $#*! My Dad Says Cancelled by CBS; Mad Love Cancelled by CBS – Ratings | TVbytheNumbers". Tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com. May 15, 2011. Archived from the original on May 18, 2011. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  17. ^ "Born Yesterday, Starring Jim Belushi and Nina Arianda, Sets Dates at Broadway's Cort Theatre". Broadway.com.
  18. ^ "Growing Belushi". Discovery Channel: Growing Belushi. Discovery Channel. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  19. ^ Jump up to: a b "Jim Belushi's Wife Files for Divorce After Almost 20 Years of Marriage". March 5, 2018.
  20. ^ Jump up to: a b "Jim Belushi's Wife Jennifer Sloan Files for Divorce After Almost 20 Years of Marriage". PEOPLE.com. March 5, 2018.
  21. ^ "Jim Belushi's Wife Jennifer Sloan Files for Divorce After 20 Years of Marriage". Entertainment Tonight.
  22. ^ "Jim Belushi and Wife Have a Change of Heart, File to Dismiss Divorce After Reconciling". www.yahoo.com.
  23. ^ "Albania Honours Actor Jim Belushi". Balkan Insight. November 12, 2008. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  24. ^ http://m.digitaljournal.com/article/281622
  25. ^ "Xhejms Belushi merr shtetësinë shqiptare" [James Belushi gets Albanian citizenship]. Shekulli (in Albanian). Tirana. October 10, 2009. Archived from the original on October 12, 2009. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
  26. ^ Sanidopoulos, John. "Jim Belushi visits the Ecumenical Patriarchate".
  27. ^ "Jim Belushi loves his teams – and his haters". RedEye Chicago. Retrieved September 25, 2013.
  28. ^ "Belushi, Newmar end years-long feud". UPI.
  29. ^ "Savient Pharmaceuticals and Jim Belushi Launch 'Check Out Your Gout' Educational Campaign" (Press release). Savient Pharmaceuticals. November 7, 2011. Archived from the original on February 9, 2013.
  30. ^ Dougherty, Christopher (December 6, 2012). "'King of comedy' Jim Belushi speaks out about gout". FoxNews.com. Fox News Network, LLC. Retrieved March 7, 2016. Belushi found relief from his gout by taking the medicine allopurinol, which eliminated his high levels of uric acid. However, for people suffering from RCG, conventional treatment such as this may be ineffective. Belushi partnered with the website http://checkoutyourgout.com/ in hopes of sending a message to gout sufferers that they don't have to live in pain.
  31. ^ Rhodes, Joe (March 1, 1994). "Jim Belushi's Big Year". Cigar Aficionado.
  32. ^ "Obama Courts Campaign Donors on West Coast". Huffington Post. February 16, 2012.
  33. ^ Belushi's cabin on the Rogue | Mail Tribune Retrieved 2018-11-28.
  34. ^ Belushi's cannabis crush | Mail Tribune Retrieved 2018-11-28.
  35. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Eastman, Janet (November 24, 2018). "A state of change for Belushi and Oregon: After Oregon changed him, actor returns the favor". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. pp. A1, A6–A7. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  36. ^ "Tugger". tuggerjeep.com. Archived from the original on December 9, 2012. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  37. ^ Nickelodeon's Hey Arnold! movie gets title; 19 original voice actors returning Entertainment Weekly, Retrieved June 13, 2016

External links[]

Retrieved from ""