Former Saturday Night Live writer and cast member Peter Aykroyd has passed away, the TV show revealed this weekend. The new episode featured a tribute card to Aykroyd with a photo of him alongside the years of his birth and his death. He was 66, and details on his passing have still not been made public.
Born in November of 1955, Aykroyd was the younger brother of fellow SNL alum Dan Aykroyd. He came from Ottawa, Canada, and got his first TV roles on SCTV and The New Avengers before joining his brother on SNL in 1979. He was both a writer and a featured player, but he only stayed on the variety show for one year. However, during that time, he shared in the writing staff’s Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program.
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In the same year he was on SNL, Aykroyd starred in Tom Schiller’s short film Java Junkie, which ended up airing during an SNL episode. In honor of his passing this weekend, the official SNL account posted the short on social media. About four minutes long, it is an absurdist comedy about a man who copes with a bad breakup by over-indulging in coffee until he needs to be institutionalized.
“I’m glad you posted this. This is still one of the best short films that the show has done. Peter Aykroyd would be proud. A lovely tribute to a great writer and performer,” one commenter wrote. Another added: “Very saddened to learn of Peter Aykroyd’s passing; somewhat shocking given all the appearances of Dan this week promoting [Ghostbusters: Afterlife]. May his family find comfort in his memory.”
After leaving SNL, Aykroyd went on to appear in movies and TV shows throughout the 1980s and 1990s, including Gas, The Funny Farm and Doctor Detroit, among others. He worked with his brother on projects like Nothing But Trouble and Coneheads, both of which he helped write and made appearances in. He also co-created PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal and Dan Aykroyd’s Out There.
Aykroyd’s most recent acting appearance on screen was in the 1999 TV movie Justice. His last on-screen appearance in general was in 2009 when he was a guest on Larry King Live. Like his brother, he was extremely interested in UFO phenomena and the paranormal in general.
Aykroyd’s exact date and cause of death are still a mystery. So far, his brother has not issued a public comment on the tragedy.
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