Probably, there is no person who would stay indifferent to the Chicago comedian and actor James Belushi. He has proved himself as a successful, multifaceted personality who not only acts in films but also sings and plays musical instruments. Read more about the life of Belushi at chicago-trend.com.
CHILDHOOD AND EDUCATION
James was born on June 15, 1954, in Chicago to Adam Belushi, who was an Albanian immigrant and Agnes Samaras. James was not the only child in the family. There were three siblings besides him.
Being a rebel by nature, Belushi had problems with the law in his teenage years. To put James on the right path, one of his teachers at Central High School suggested the boy perform in plays.
The young man realized that the stage was his calling and soon joined the school drama club and choir. After graduating from high school, Belushi began attending speech and theater classes at the College of DuPage. Subsequently, he transferred to the theater department at Southern Illinois University.
ACTING CAREER
In 1977, James became part of the comedy troupe The Second City, following in the footsteps of his older brother John. This decision brought him unprecedented success in the film industry.
After a brilliant performance in one of the productions, Belushi caught the attention of producer Garry Marshall. After that, he offered the boy to star in a sitcom on television. In 1978, James made his TV debut in the sitcom Who’s Watching the Kids?
Over the next few years, he continued to perform on stage with his troupe and played small roles in TV projects.
Striving for bigger things, Belushi dared to announce himself to the whole world. After the movie The Fury, he got the role of Barry in Michael Mann’s thriller Thief (1981).
In 1983, Belushi began appearing on the TV show Saturday Night Live. His two-year work on the show made the novice actor very successful.
James played a supporting role in the comedy film The Man With One Red Shoe in 1985. Then he starred in About Last Night, Salvador and Little Shop of Horrors.
Later, when he was more experienced, he was offered major roles in a number of movies. In the following years, Belushi appeared in The Principal, Red Heat, Mr. Destiny and others.
In 1988, Belushi starred with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the action film Red Heat. This movie became highly successful and was acclaimed by film critics.
In addition, James voiced several movies and TV projects, including The Mighty Ducks, Gargoyles and others.
He starred as Jim in the sitcom According to Jim in 2001. The series aired from 2001 to 2009.
In 2010, Belushi portrayed a lawyer, Nick Morelli, in the comedy-drama The Defenders.
PRIVATE LIFE
Belushi managed to fulfill his potential in his career. However, he was unlucky in his love life. James was married three times. He wed his first wife, Sandra Davenport, in 1980. They had a son together but separated after eight years of marriage.
In 1990, the actor married Marjorie Bransfield. The alliance lasted for two years. In 1992, they split. A few years following his second divorce, Belushi got married to Jennifer Sloan.
It is worth noting that Belushi is not only a funny and talented actor but also a writer. In his first book, “Real Men Don’t Apologize,” which debuted in 2006, he wrote about his life, career and his late famous brother John Belushi.
The title of the book was immediately criticized, but James clarified that he does not think that men are superior to women. Actually, men are generally inferior to women because women carry life within them. They are smart, strong and beautiful. James noted that his two marriages did not work out because he was not man enough for his wives.
