Jim Belushi
James Adam Belushi[1] (/bəˈluːʃi/; born June 15, 1954) is an American actor. His television roles include the title role in According to Jim (2001–2009), Saturday Night Live (1983–1985), and Twin Peaks (2017).
Jim Belushi
- United States
- Albania
- Actor
- comedian
- musician
1977–present
3, including Robert Belushi
John Belushi (brother)
Belushi appeared in films such as Thief (1981), Salvador (1986), About Last Night (1986), Red Heat (1988), K-9 (1989), Jingle All the Way (1996), Hoodwinked! (2005), The Wild (2006), Underdog (2007) and Sollers Point (2017).
He is the younger brother of late comedy actor John Belushi and the father of actor Robert Belushi.
Early life[edit]
Belushi was born June 15, 1954, in Wheaton, Illinois,[1] to Adam Anastos Belushi, an Albanian from Qytezë, Korçë,[2] and Agnes Demetri Belushi, who was born in Ohio to Albanian immigrants from Korçë.[2] He was raised in Wheaton, a Chicago suburb, along with his three siblings: older brother John (1949–1982), older sister Marian, and younger brother Billy.[3][4][5] After graduating from Wheaton Central High School in 1972, Jim Belushi attended the College of DuPage, and graduated from Southern Illinois University Carbondale with a bachelor's degree in Speech and Theater Arts in 1978.[6]
Personal life[edit]
Belushi has been married three times. On May 17, 1980, he married Sandra Davenport, who gave birth to their son, Robert James, on October 23, 1980. Belushi and Davenport divorced in 1988.[20] Belushi was married to actress Marjorie Bransfield from 1990 to 1992.[20] He married Jennifer Sloan on May 2, 1998; the couple has a daughter and a son.[21] On March 5, 2018, Jennifer Sloan filed for divorce from Belushi.[21][22] The two have since reconciled.[23]
Belushi is closely linked to his Albanian heritage and received honorary Albanian citizenship, as well as the "Honor of the Nation" Decoration from the President of Albania, Bamir Topi, in 2008.[24][25] He is Eastern Orthodox Christian, visiting with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in 2010.[26] Belushi is an avid fan of the Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bears, Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Fire.[27]
Belushi had a legal battle and publicized feud with his neighbor, actress Julie Newmar. She claimed their conflicts stemmed from Belushi's attempt to "build a second house in the back", which she claimed was illegal in their R-1 neighborhood, since there can be only one house per lot. In 2004, Belushi filed a $4 million lawsuit against Newmar, alleging "she harassed and defamed him". He also claimed she destroyed his fence, which Newmar denied. They ended the feud amicably in 2006, when Belushi invited Newmar to guest-star on According to Jim on an episode which satirized their conflict.[28]
In 2011, Belushi announced he was suffering from gout, and became a spokesman for Savient Pharmaceuticals' educational campaign "Check Out Your Gout".[29][30] He appeared on the cover of and was interviewed by Cigar Aficionado magazine.[31]
Belushi endorsed the re-election campaign of Democratic President Barack Obama in 2012. On a Fox News interview, he explained "When you talk to the President in private, he's a cool guy, who knows what he's doing. Besides, I'm from Chicago too."[32]
Belushi built a getaway home in Eagle Point, Oregon in 2015[33] where he now grows cannabis.[34][35] By 2018, the size of his Eagle Point property had been expanded to 93 acres (38 ha).[35] He is involved with fundraising for projects in Eagle Point and elsewhere in Southern Oregon, including the planned rebuilding of the Butte Creek Mill and the restoration of the Holly Theatre, in Medford. In 2018, he was living in Los Angeles "most of the time", The Oregonian reported,[35] and living in Oregon part of the year. Per a 2018 article, Belushi indicated he planned on opening a pop-up cannabis dispensary in downtown Portland.[35]