Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd (born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian–American actor, comedian, producer, screenwriter, and musician. He was an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" on Saturday Night Live (1975–1979). A musical sketch he performed with John Belushi on SNL, The Blues Brothers, turned into an actual performing band and then a highly successful 1980 film, also called The Blues Brothers. He also conceived of, and starred (as Ray Stantz) in, the 1984 film Ghostbusters, which spawned a sequel (1989's Ghostbusters II) and eventually an entire media franchise. In 1990, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in the 1989 film Driving Miss Daisy. He starred in his own sitcom, Soul Man, from 1997 to 1998.