Jim Belushi.

A high school teacher recognized Jim Belushi’s improvisational skills during a speech, leading him to acting. He was born on June 15, 1954, in Chicago, Illinois, to Agnes Demetri Samaras and Adam Anastos Belushi, an Albanian immigrant and restaurant owner. Growing up in Wheaton, Illinois, as one of four children including his older brother John Belushi, he attended Wheaton Warrenville South High School, then College of DuPage and Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where he graduated with a degree in Speech and Theater Arts.

In 1977, Jim Belushi joined Chicago’s Second City improv troupe, where he performed for three years. Garry Marshall saw him in 1979 and brought him to Hollywood for the TV pilot Who’s Watching the Kids 1978 and the series Working Stiffs 1979 co-starring Michael Keaton. He joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 1983 for two years, gaining national exposure. His film breakthrough came in 1986 with About Last Night, playing a role he had originated in David Mamet’s Obie-winning play Sexual Perversity in Chicago at the Apollo Theatre.

Jim Belushi has been married three times: to Sandra Davenport from 1980 to 1988, to Marjorie Bransfield from 1990 to 1992, and to Jennifer Sloan since May 2, 1998. He has three children: Robert Belushi born 1981 from his marriage to Davenport, and Jamison Belushi born July 28, 1999 and Jared Belushi born February 2, 2002 with Sloan. He resides in Los Angeles, California.

Beyond acting, Jim Belushi co-owns House of Blues clubs with Dan Aykroyd, performs with the Sacred Hearts Blues Band, and runs Belushi’s Farm in Oregon. His role in About Last Night 1986 and his tenure on Saturday Night Live from 1983 to 1985 remain highlights of his career.