Mr. Aykroyd’s Broadway career began in 1975 when he landed a regular part on the long-running comedy series The Dick Van Dyke Show. He later worked on other TV series, including Petticoat Junction and Caroline in the City, before landing a star-making role as Sam Malone on Saturday Night Live. In 1978, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The French Connection. (He famously announced the nominees by addressing the club as “Best Non-Movies.”)
He left SNL in 1982 and continued to make television guest appearances before embarking on a successful film career. His movie credits included Heavyweights (1982), Fame (2000), Shanghai Noon (2003), Adventures in Babysitting (2004), Shark Tale (2005), and The Holiday (2006).
He received two Emmy Awards in 1983 and 1993, and won the Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2017.
Mr. Aykroyd is survived by his children from his marriage to actress Tracy Quarterman — actress Uma Thurman and filmmaker Mia Farrow.
The family has requested that any donations be made to the Donahue Center for Cancer Research at UCLA where Mr. Aykroyd was a longtime supporter.