Biography: Chicago native James Belushi attended DuPage College and Southern Illinois University, where he graduated with a degree in speech and theatre arts. Soon after, he became a member of the famed Second City improvisational comedy troupe, from 1978 through 1980. Television writer-producer Gary Marshall saw him perform and arranged for him to come to Hollywood and co-star in the television pilot "Who's Watching The Kids" for Paramount and then in a featured role in "Working Stiffs."

Belushi's other television credits include writing or performing on "Saturday Night Live," "Royce," "Parallel Lives," "Wild Palms," a miniseries for Oliver Stone and ABC, and "Sahara," for Showtime. He also wrote and produced HBO's "Birthday Boy."

It was his role in the Tri-Star film "About Last Night," with Rob Lowe and Demi Moore, that truly highlighted Belushi's serious acting abilities. In that film he recreated the role he originated in the Chicago Apollo Theatre Center's production of David Mamet's Obie Award-winning play, "Sexual Perversity in Chicago."

Belushi's resume reflects a wide range of roles: That of James Woods' spacey DJ buddy, Dr. Rock, in the 1986 Oliver Stone film "Salvador"; the mentally handicapped dishwasher befriended by Whoopi Goldberg in the Andrei Konchalovsky film, "Homer and Eddie"; the high school principal who defies drug dealers in "The Principal," and the starring role opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in Walter Hill's "Red Heat."

Other starring roles include "K-9," "Curly Sue," "Taking Care of Business," "Once Upon a Crime," "Mr. Destiny," "Only The Lonely," Michael Mann's "Thief," "The Man With One Red Shoe," "Real Men," "Jumpin' Jack Flash," "Jingle All the Way," "Retroactive" and "Gang Related."

Belushi has performed on Broadway in Herb Gardner's acclaimed play, "Conversations With My Father," at the Cherry Lane Theatre; off-Broadway in "True West"; in the Williamstown Theatre Festival production of John Guare's "Moon Over Miami," and as the Pirate King in the Broadway company of Joseph Papp's "Pirates of Penzance."

Recently he completed production on "Joe Somebody," a film starring Tim Allen, for Fox2000/New Regency Productions, as well as on the independent film "One Way Out." In the near future he will reprise his starring role in "K-9 III," for Universal Studios Family and Home Entertainment Division.

In 2000 Belushi was seen in the MGM release "Return To Me," directed by Bonnie Hunt and starring David Duchovny and Minnie Driver. Later that year he starred with Gregory Hines in Showtime's "Who Killed Atlanta's Children."

Belushi has a musical side as well. His rhythm and blues band, Jim Belushi and The Sacred Hearts, has been together for five years. The band, which has performed at various clubs and corporate events throughout the country, once played for President Clinton and Vice-President Gore at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip. The Sacred Hearts continue to be the "official house band" for all of The House of Blues clubs. Their CD, entitled "36x22x36," is currently available on Platinum Records.

Television Credits:
According To Jim as Jim (2001)
E.R. as Dan Harris in episode: "Piece of Mind" (original airdate: 01/04/2001)
Total Security as Steve Wegman (1997)
The Building as Billy Shoe in episode: "Yakkity Yak Don't Talk" (original airdate: 10/17/1993)
Wild Palms as Harry Wyckoff (miniseries) (1993)
The Best Legs in the 8th Grade as Saint Valentine (1984)
Saturday Night Live as Himself (1983-1985)
Working Stiffs as Ernie O'Rourke (1979)
Who's Watching the Kids as Bert Gunkel (1978)
Laverne & Shirley in the episode "Of Mice and Men" (original airdate: 12/07/1982)