Birthday: Jun 15, 1954

Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Biography: James Belushi was born June 15, 1954, in Chicago. The third of four children - his
brother was John Belushi - he grew up in Wheaton, Illinois. A high school teacher,
impressed by his improvisational skills while giving speeches, convinced him to to
be in a school play. After that, he joined the school's drama club. Today, if asked
why he got involved in acting, he will jokingly say, "Because of girls. In the drama
club, there were about 20 girls and six guys. And the same thing with choir -... ... (read more...) more
girls!". He attended the College of DuPage and Southern Illinois University, where
he graduated with a degree in Speech and Theater Arts.

In 1977, he joined Chicago's Second City improv troupe and remained for three years.
In 1979, Garry Marshall saw Jim performing for Second City and arranged for him to
come to Hollywood and co-star in the TV pilot "Who's Watching the Kids" (1978) for
Paramount and, then, for a role in the series "Working Stiffs" (1979) (co-starring
Michael Keaton). Later, in 1983, he joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" (1975)
for two years. Jim came to national attention in About Last Night... (1986), playing
the role he originated in the Chicago Apollo Theatre's production of David Mamet's
Obie-award winning play "Sexual Perversity in Chicago". He currently resides in Los
Angeles with his wife Jennifer Sloan, their daughter Jamison and a son, Robert
Belushi, from Belushi's first marriage.