James Belushi, who is best known as Jim Belushi, can look back on a successful career. Over 40 years of stage experience and over 100 films and series probably speak for themselves - and he doesn't seem to be thinking of stopping for a long time yet! It all started in the school theater group.
Jim Belushi back in the day: His teacher recognized his talent
After a teacher recognized Jim Belushi's talent for improvisation during lectures, he sent him to the school theater. He later studied theater at the University of Illinois and successfully completed his studies. Director Garry Marshall (†81) saw Jim performing with his improv group and hired him as a co-star for the sitcom "Who's Watching the Kids?" (1978).
This was Jims' first step into Hollywood. This was followed by two years on the legendary comedy show "Saturday Night Live" before his breakthrough with "About Last Night".
The sitcom "According To Jim" also helped him achieve great popularity. In the series, he played family man Jim for eight years. He tried to somehow get his chaotic life under control with a lot of humor. His wife was played in the series by Courtney Thorne-Smith, who we also know from "Two and a Half Men". These roles made Jim Belushi one of the most popular TV actors.
What Jim Belushi does today
At the beginning of 2018, Jim appeared in Woody Allen's drama "Wonder Wheel". There he played alongside Kate Winslet, Justin Timberlake and Juno Temple. He was also part of the remake of the 1990s series "Twin Peaks", which premiered in 2017.
In recent years, Jim Belushi has also worked as a voice actor, for example, in "Trolls". He was last seen in cinemas in 2025 in the film "Song Sung Blue" and in Kristen Stewart's directorial debut "The Chronology of Water". Since 2026, Jim Belushi has also had his own show on a US channel, "K9 PD with Jim Belushi".
Jim Belushi in private
In 2011, Jim Belushi announced that he was suffering from gout. However, he certainly receives support from his third wife Jennifer Sloan, with whom he has two children. In 2021, however, the couple announced their separation after 23 years of marriage.
Jim is the father of three children, including actor Robert Belushi, who is following in his father's footsteps with his career choice.
