Dan Aykroyd has lived fairly a life, going from an unique forged member on Saturday Night time Stay to starring in iconic film comedies like Buying and selling Locations, Ghostbusters, and The Blues Brothers. Now, as SNL approaches its fiftieth anniversary particular, Aykroyd is reminiscing about some formative moments from his early sketch present days, and even additional again, such because the time he nearly fell to his loss of life whereas making a TV present with Gilda Radner.
The Driving Miss Daisy actor opened up about a few of the craziest moments from his early appearing days whereas talking with A.V. Membership, together with his tenure at SNL. Apparently there was one second that would’ve ended tragically earlier than his NBC debut. Having met whereas honing their abilities as comedic performers, the longer term NBC co-stars have been capturing a operating scene on prime of a warehouse when Aykroyd made one improper step, and one 50-foot fall later, he ended up in an ambulance. Because the actor put it:
A whole lot of unbelievable issues have occurred. However I fell by means of a warehouse roof, by means of the skylight. I stepped by means of the skylight and fell 50 toes to the ground…and I walked into the ambulance.
Operating throughout an precise roof is not the type of factor that occurs typically inside the set-based world of SNL. Fortunately, issues did not go as badly as they might have, as Aykroyd’s fall was slowed down by him bouncing off of a light-weight rack on the way in which down. He detailed the incident, saying:
We have been filming a TV present. And Gilda [Radner] was operating round this roof, operating across the skylight, and I needed to catch her, so I believed, ‘As a substitute of operating round, I’ll simply go throughout the skylight, and I’ll seize her on the opposite facet.’ Properly, I stepped proper by means of and fell proper down 50 toes and bounced off a rack that was there holding lights for one of many levels. Moe Koffman, the well-known flautist, mentioned, ‘Dan, what’s happening?’ I mentioned, ‘I fell by means of the roof. I hit the ground. I’m going to the hospital.’ And I walked into the ambulance and sat down. Fairly unbelievable. That’s one cat life gone, for certain.
Fortunately, he was finally okay and didn’t maintain any main accidents that impeded his path in direction of serving to creating Ray Stanz and Elwood Blues. He was solely 22 when this occurred, and he had but to maneuver to New York Metropolis and star on SNL, which eternally modified the course of his profession. These early collaborations with Radner are nonetheless formative, nonetheless, as they each have been found by a younger Lorne Michaels who ultimately created SNL, and the remainder is historical past. Whereas the result right here was constructive, if this fall resulted in additional everlasting accidents, issues might have gone quite a bit in a different way.
This is just one of many tales from Aykroyd’s early appearing days that appear unbelievable. He shared an workplace with John Belushi that was allegedly riddled with holes and unusual fan objects. The 2 additionally performed a loopy prank on the founding father of Rolling Stone that was very over-the-top. Nevertheless, I’m certain probably the most insane tales are those by no means instructed, and saved a intently guarded secret by Aykroyd and others who broke into the enterprise with him within the 70s. SNL and the comedy world on the whole feels a lot tamer these days, however comedians inform these tales as in the event that they have been simply yesterday, making the legend dwell on.
You may see the early appearing days of each Dan Aykroyd and Gilda Radner by trying out a few of the first seasons of SNL now with a Peacock subscription. Followers of the Dragnet comic must also take a look at our characteristic on Aykroyd’s finest on-screen strains to revisit a few of the highlights from the actor’s profession.