Template:Short description Template:Infobox person

James Adam Belushi<ref name=tvg>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref> (Template:IPAc-en; born June 15, 1954) is an American actor and comedian. His television roles include Saturday Night Live (1983–1985), According to Jim (2001–2009), and Good Girls Revolt (2015–2016).

Belushi appeared in films such as Thief (1981), Trading Places (1983), The Man with One Red Shoe (1985), Salvador (1986), Red Heat (1988), K-9 (1989), Taking Care of Business (1990), Destiny Turns on the Radio (1995), Angel's Dance (1999), Joe Somebody (2001), Underdog (2007), The Ghost Writer (2010), The Secret Lives of Dorks (2013) and Wonder Wheel (2017).

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

Early lifeEdit

James Adam Belushi was born June 15, 1954, in Wheaton, Illinois,<ref name=tvg/> to Adam Anastos Belushi, an Albanian from Qytezë, Korçë, and Agnes Demetri Samaras, who was born in Ohio to ethnic Albanian immigrants from Korçë, south Albania.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He was raised in Wheaton, a Chicago suburb, along with his three siblings: older brother John, older sister Marian, and younger brother Billy.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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 in 1978.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

CareerEdit

From 1977 to 1980, Belushi, like his older brother John, 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 John's death, from 1983 to 1985 he appeared on Saturday Night Live; he portrayed characters such as Hank Rippy from "Hello, Trudy!", Man on the Street Jesse Donnelly, 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, Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe, Dimenticare Palermo, Taking Care of Business, Mr. Destiny, Only the Lonely, Curly Sue, Once upon a Crime, Wild Palms, Race the Sun, Separate Lives, Retroactive, Gang Related, and Angel's Dance.

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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 recurring role as Simon the Monster Hunter in that series, where he ad-libbed much of his dialogue.

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.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The one-hour series premiered on September 22, 2010.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In two episodes in 2011, Belushi was paired with Blues Brothers partner Dan Aykroyd.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On May 15, 2011, The Defenders was canceled by CBS.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2011, he was cast as corrupt businessman Harry Brock in Born Yesterday, which opened on Broadway in late April.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In August 2020, Discovery Channel started airing a series about Belushi and his cannabis farm in Oregon, called Growing Belushi.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In August 2022, Belushi appeared as Brother Zee, with Aykroyd and The Blues Brothers Band, at the first Blues Brothers Con event held at Old Joliet Prison Historical Site. The two day festival also featured a screening of the film and performances from Mondo Cortez & The Chicago Blues Angels, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials and Dave Weld & The Imperial Flames.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Personal lifeEdit

Belushi has been married three times. On May 17, 1980, he married Sandra Davenport, who gave birth to their son, Robert James, on October 23, 1980. Belushi and Davenport divorced in 1988.<ref name=UsMag>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Belushi was married to actress Marjorie Bransfield from 1990 to 1992.<ref name=UsMag/> He married Jennifer Sloan on May 2, 1998; they share a daughter and a son.<ref name=PeopleMag>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On March 5, 2018, Sloan filed for divorce from Belushi.<ref name=PeopleMag/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The two later reconciled.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Belushi filed for divorce from Sloan in 2021.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He is Eastern Orthodox Christian, visiting with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in 2010.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Belushi is an avid fan of the Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bears, Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Fire.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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 $4Template:Spacesmillion lawsuit against Newmar, alleging "she harassed and defamed him". He also claimed she destroyed his fence, which Newmar denied. They ended the feud amicably in 2006, when Belushi invited Newmar to guest-star on According to Jim on an episode which satirized their conflict.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2011, Belushi announced he was suffering from gout, and became a spokesman for Savient Pharmaceuticals' educational campaign "Check Out Your Gout".<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He appeared on the cover of and was interviewed by Cigar Aficionado magazine.<ref>Rhodes, Joe (March 1, 1994). "Jim Belushi's Big Year". Cigar Aficionado.</ref>

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."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Belushi built a getaway home in Eagle Point, Oregon, in 2015<ref>Belushi's cabin on the Rogue | Mail Tribune Template:Webarchive Retrieved November 28, 2018.</ref> where he now grows cannabis.<ref>Belushi's cannabis crush | Mail Tribune Template:Webarchive Retrieved November 28, 2018.</ref><ref name=Oregonian>Template:Cite news</ref> By 2018, the size of his Eagle Point property had been expanded to Template:Convert.<ref name=Oregonian/> 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,<ref name=Oregonian/> 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.<ref name=Oregonian/>

FilmographyEdit

FilmEdit

Year Title Role Notes
1978 The Fury Beach Bum
1980 The Cleansing Bobby Short
1981 Thief Barry
1982 Sugar or Plain Bobby Short
1983 Trading Places Harvey
1985 The Man with One Red Shoe Morris
1986 Salvador Dr. Rock
About Last Night... Bernie Litko
Jumpin' Jack Flash Sperry Repair Man
Little Shop of Horrors Patrick Martin
1987 The Principal Principal Rick Latimer
Real Men Nick Pirandello
1988 Red Heat Sergeant Art Ridzik
1989 Who's Harry Crumb? Man on Bus
K-9 Detective Michael Dooley
Homer and Eddie Homer Lanza
Wedding Band Reverend
1990 Dimenticare Palermo Carmine Bonavia
Taking Care of Business Jimmy Dworski
Masters of Menace 'Gypsy'
Mr. Destiny Larry Joseph Burrows
1991 Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe Principal Rick Latimer
Only the Lonely Officer Sal Buonarte
Diary of a Hitman Shandy
Curly Sue Bill Dancer
1992 Once Upon a Crime Neil Schwary
Traces of Red Jack Dobson
1993 Last Action Hero Himself
1995 The Pebble and the Penguin Rocko (voice) citation CitationClass=web

}} A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.</ref>

Destiny Turns on the Radio Tuerto
Canadian Bacon Charles Jackal
Separate Lives Tom Beckwith
1996 Race the Sun Frank Machi
Jingle All the Way Mall Santa
1997 Retroactive Frank Lloyd
Living in Peril Harrison/Oliver
Gold in the Streets Mario
Bad Baby Cornelius Goode (voice)
Gang Related Detective Franklin "Frank" Divinci
Babes in Toyland Gonzargo (voice) <ref name=btva/>
Wag the Dog Himself
1998 Overnight Delivery Overnight Delivery Boss Video
1999 Angel's Dance Stevie 'The Rose' Rosellini
The Florentine Billy Belasco
Made Men Bill 'The Mouth' Manucci
My Neighbors the Yamadas Takashi Yamada (voice) English dub, 2005
The Nuttiest Nutcracker Reginald The Mouse King (voice)<ref name=btva/> Video
K-911 Detective Michael Dooley
2000 Return to Me Joe Dayton
2001 Joe Somebody Chuck Scarett
2002 Snow Dogs Demon (voice) <ref name=btva/>
One Way Out Harry Wooltz Video
K-9: P.I. Detective Michael Dooley
Pinocchio The Farmer (voice)
Legend of the Lost Tribe Tapir/Little Magnus (voice)
2003 Easy Six Elvis
2004 DysEnchanted Doctor (The Shrink) Short
2005 Tugger: The Jeep 4x4 Who Wanted to Fly Tugger (voice) citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Hoodwinked! Kirk (voice) <ref name=btva/>
2006 Behind the Smile Jeffrey Stone
The Wild Benny (voice) <ref name=btva/>
Lolo's Cafe Frank (voice) Short
2007 Farce of the Penguins 'They're All Bitches' Penguin (voice) Video
Once Upon a Christmas Village Santa Claus (voice) Short
Underdog Dan Unger
2008 Scooby-Doo! and the Goblin King Glob (voice) Video<ref name=btva/>
Snow Buddies Saint Bernie (voice)
2010 The Ghost Writer John Maddox
2011 Cougars, Inc. Dan Fox
New Year's Eve Building Super
2012 Thunderstruck Coach Amross
2013 Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return Cowardly Lion (voice) <ref name=btva/>
The Secret Lives of Dorks Bronko
2015 Home Sweet Hell Les
2016 The Whole Truth Boone Lassiter
The Hollow Point Diaz
Undrafted Jim
Katie Says Goodbye 'Bear'
2017 A Change of Heart Hank citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Sollers Point Carol citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Wonder Wheel Humpty citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

2022 Gigi & Nate Dan Gibson citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

2024 Fight Another Day Duke
2025 The Chronology of Water Ken Kesey
Song Sung Blue Template:TBA citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

TelevisionEdit

Year Title Role Notes
1978–79 Who's Watching the Kids? Bert Gunkel Main cast
1979 Working Stiffs Ernie O'Rourke Main cast
1982 Laverne & Shirley 'Wheezer' Episode: "Of Mice and Men"
1983–85 Saturday Night Live Himself/Cast Member Main cast (season 9-10)
1984 Faerie Tale Theatre Mario Episode: "Pinocchio"
The Best Legs in the Eighth Grade Saint Valentine Television film
1986 Cinemax Comedy Experiment Bob Episode: "Jim Belushi in Birthday Boy"
1993 Wild Palms Harry Wyckoff Main cast
The Building Billy Shoe Episode: "Yakkity Yak Don't Talk"
1994 Royce Shane Royce Television film
Parallel Lives Nick Dimas
1994–97 Aaahh!!! Real Monsters Simon The Monster Hunter (voice) Recurring cast<ref name=btva/>
1995 Duckman Saul Monella (voice) Episode: "America the Beautiful"
Pinky and the Brain Jack Maguire (voice) Episode: "Das Mouse"<ref name=btva/>
Santo Bugito Baby Face (voice) Episode: "Load 'O Bees"
Sahara Sergeant Joe Gunn Television film
1995–96 Gargoyles Fang (voice) Recurring cast (season 2)<ref name=btva/>
1995–2010 Biography Himself Recurring guest
1996 Dumb and Dumber Duker, Manager Episode: "Chipped Dip / Laundryland Lunacy"
KaBlam! Louie The Chameleon (voice) Episode: "Built for Speed"
Timon & Pumbaa Male Warthog (voice) Episode: "Home Is Where the Hog Is"
The Tick Mr. Fleener (voice) Episode: "The Tick vs. Education"<ref name=btva/>
1996–97 Mighty Ducks Phil Palmfeather (voice) Main cast
1996–99 Hey Arnold! Coach Jack Wittenberg (voice) Guest cast (season 1–4)<ref name=btva/>
1997 Arena Himself Episode: "Cigars: Out of the Humidor"
Cow and Chicken Butch (voice) Episode: "School Bully"<ref name=btva/>
Life with Louie Jack (voice) Episode: "The Making of a President"
The Blues Brothers: The Animated Series Jake (voice) Main cast
Total Security Steve Wegman Main cast
Dog's Best Friend Skippy (voice) Television film
1997–98 The Larry Sanders Show Himself Guest cast (season 1–2)
1998 E! True Hollywood Story Himself Episode: "John Belushi"
Hercules Nestor (voice) Guest cast (season 1–2)
Stories from My Childhood Peter The Repeater Bird (voice) Episode: "Alice and The Mystery of the Third Planet"
1999 Justice Frank Spello Television film
2000 Who Killed Atlanta's Children? Pat Laughlin Television film
2000–01 Beggars and Choosers Freddy Falco Recurring cast (season 2)
2001 ER Dan Harris Episode: "Piece of Mind"
2001–09 According to Jim James "Jim" Orenthal Main cast; also executive producer
2002 The Jamie Kennedy Experiment Himself Episode: "Episode #1.17"
Rugrats Santa Claus (voice) Episode: "Babies in Toyland"<ref name=btva/>
What's New, Scooby-Doo? Asa Buckwald (voice) Episode: "Scooby-Doo Christmas"
Robbie the Reindeer Santa Claus, Tapir (voice) 2 episodes<ref name=btva/>
2002–06 The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius Coach Gruber (voice) Recurring cast (season 1), guest (season 3)<ref name=btva/>
2003 Mad TV Himself Episode: "Don Cheadle"
Ozzy & Drix Captain Quinine (voice) Episode: "The Conqueror Worm"<ref name=btva/>
I'm with Her Leslie Buren Episode: "The Second Date"
2004 Less than Perfect Eddie Smirkoff Episode: "Arctic Nights"
2005 The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame... Himself Episode: "Steve Bartman for the Cubs 2003 Playoff Collapse"
My Crazy Life Himself Episode: "Snow Jobs"
Who's No. 1? Himself Episode: "Biggest Chokes"
George Lopez The Inspector Episode: "George's Extreme Makeover: Holmes Edition"
Fatherhood Officer (voice) Episode: "Truth or Scare"
2006 My First Time Himself Episode: "Sitcom Stylings"
Second City: First Family of Comedy Himself Recurring guest
Casper's Scare School Alder (voice) Television film<ref name=btva/>
2008 Yin Yang Yo! The Puffin (voice) Episode: "League of Evil"
2009 Handy Manny Sal (voice) Episode: "Francisco Comes to Town/Broken Drawbridge"
2010–11 The Defenders Nick Morelli Main cast
2012 Doc McStuffins Glo-Bo (voice) Recurring cast (season 1)
2014 Stan Lee's Mighty 7 Mr. Cross (voice) Television film<ref name=btva/>
2015 Serious Business Himself Episode: "Stand Up Guys"
Building Belushi Himself Main cast
Show Me a Hero Angelo R. Martinelli Recurring cast
2015–16 TripTank Guy/Dad (voice) Recurring cast (season 2)<ref name=btva/>
Good Girls Revolt William 'Wick' McFadden Recurring cast
2016 The 7D Coach Coachy (voice) Episode: "Jollyball Anyone?"<ref name=btva/>
2017 Twin Peaks Bradley Mitchum Recurring cast (season 3)
Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie Coach Wittenberg (voice) Television film<ref>Nickelodeon's Hey Arnold! movie gets title; 19 original voice actors returning Entertainment Weekly, Retrieved June 13, 2016</ref><ref name=btva/>
2019 Trolls: The Beat Goes On! Dad Cloud (voice) Episode: "Two's a Cloud"<ref name=btva/>
2020–23 Growing Belushi Himself Main cast
2022 Guy's All-American Road Trip Himself Episode: "Great Food With Great Friends"

Music videosEdit

Year Title Artist Role
1991 "2 Legit 2 Quit" MC Hammer Newscaster
2014 citation CitationClass=web

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Watsky Lambourghini Owner

Video gamesEdit

Year Title Role
1996 9: The Last Resort Salty<ref name=btva/>
1998 Goosebumps: Attack of the Mutant Masked Mutant<ref name=btva/>

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

External linksEdit

Template:Sister project Template:Sister project

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