- Born
- Birth nameJames Adam Belushi
- Nickname
- Jim
- Height5′ 11″ (1.80 m)
- James Adam Belushi was born June 15, 1954, in Chicago, to Agnes Demetri (Samaras) and Adam Anastos Belushi, a restaurant owner. His father was an Albanian immigrant, from Qytezë, and his mother was also of Albanian descent. The third of four children - his brother was comedian John Belushi - he grew up in Wheaton, Illinois. A high school teacher, impressed by his improvisational skills while giving speeches, convinced him 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 - 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 resides in Los Angeles with his wife Jennifer Sloan, their daughter Jamison and a son, Robert Belushi, from his first marriage.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous
- SpousesJennifer Sloan(May 2, 1998 - present) (filed for divorce, 2 children)Marjorie Bransfield(September 22, 1990 - April 1, 1992) (divorced)Sandra Davenport(May 17, 1980 - October 10, 1988) (divorced, 1 child)
- Children
- Parents
- RelativesJohn Belushi(Sibling)
- Often Plays his Harmonica
- Co-owner of House Of Blues clubs with Dan Aykroyd.
- Younger brother of John Belushi.
- His father, Adam Belushi, was an Albanian who left his native village, Qytezë, in 1934 at the age of fifteen. His mother, Agnes (Samaras), was born in the U.S., to Albanian parents.
- One of his lifelong passions is playing his harmonica, a love he first developed after hearing British blues musician John Mayall, a leading proponent of the instrument. Jim carries his harmonica with him all the time.
- Early in his career he was offered a role on a proposed TV sitcom adaptation of National Lampoon's Animal House (1978). Wanting to keep his career separate from his famous older brother John Belushi (who co-starred in the movie), Belushi declined.
- According to Jim (2004) - $500,000 per episode
- Saturday Night Live (1975) - $15,000 /week
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