‘That’s One Cat Life Gone.’ Dan Aykroyd Once Chased Gilda Radner Onto A Warehouse Roof While Filming. The Wild Story Behind His 50-Ft Fall To The Ground

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As a film enthusiast with a deep appreciation for the history of comedy, I can confidently say that Dan Aykroyd’s tales from his early acting days are nothing short of legendary. His life has been a rollercoaster ride filled with near-death experiences, outrageous pranks, and unparalleled camaraderie.

The story about his fall through the warehouse roof is a testament to his resilience and the indomitable spirit that propelled him into stardom. It’s a stark reminder that even the most daring feats in the world of comedy can sometimes result in a bounce, not a break.

Imagine this: here I am, reminiscing about Dan Aykroyd’s adventures, and he almost fell through a roof while trying to catch Gilda Radner! Now that’s what I call a close call. It just goes to show that sometimes, the best way to save someone is by letting them fall… or something like that.

As we approach SNL’s 50th anniversary special, it’s a joy to reflect on the formative moments that shaped this groundbreaking show and launched the careers of comedic legends like Aykroyd. I can’t wait to see what new stories will be born in the coming years, and who knows? Maybe one day we’ll hear about someone falling through a holographic roof!

Dan Aykroyd has had quite an eventful career, transitioning from being a cast member on Saturday Night Live to gracing our screens in famous comedy films like Trading Places, Ghostbusters, and The Blues Brothers. As SNL gets ready for its 50th anniversary special, Aykroyd is looking back at significant memories from his early days on the sketch show, as well as earlier experiences, such as the close call he had with a near-fatal accident during the filming of a TV program alongside Gilda Radner.

The performer who played “Driving Miss Daisy” shared some exciting tales from his initial acting years during an interview with A.V. Club, including his time at Saturday Night Live (SNL). It appears that a potentially disastrous incident occurred just before his first appearance on NBC. While practicing their comedic talents together, the future SNL co-stars were filming a chase scene on a warehouse rooftop when Aykroyd accidentally stepped incorrectly, leading to a 50-foot fall and an ambulance ride for him. In his own words:

Many incredible events transpired, but what ensued was quite extraordinary: I found myself tumbling through the glass ceiling of a warehouse, falling about 50 feet down to the ground below. Remarkably, I managed to make it into the ambulance afterwards.

In the structured universe of Saturday Night Live, it’s uncommon to see someone literally running on rooftops. Fortunately, things didn’t turn out as badly as they might have, as Aykroyd managed to soften his fall by colliding with a light rack on the descent. He recounted the event, stating:

During the shooting of a TV program, Gilda [Radner] was playfully running about on the rooftop and skylight, causing me to dash across the skylight in an attempt to catch her from the other side. Unfortunately, I misjudged my leap and fell through the skylight, plummeting approximately 50 feet before colliding with a lighting rack. The renowned flautist Moe Koffman asked what was happening, to which I replied, “I’ve fallen through the roof; I hit the ground; I’m heading to the hospital.” Shockingly, I climbed into an ambulance and took a seat. Without a doubt, that was one close call with danger.

Fortunately, he ended up being unscathed and avoided any serious injuries that might have hindered his journey in collaborating with Ray Stanz and Elwood Blues. At just 22 years old, this event took place before he relocated to New York City and began starring on SNL, an experience that significantly altered the trajectory of his career. These early partnerships with Radner remain instrumental, as they were both discovered by a young Lorne Michaels who eventually founded SNL. The rest, as they say, is history. However, had this fall resulted in more lasting injuries, things might have taken a very different turn.

Among the countless extraordinary tales from Dan Aykroyd’s beginnings in acting, one such story stands out as hard to believe. Sharing an office with John Belushi, their workspace was said to be filled with bullet holes and peculiar fan memorabilia. The duo also orchestrated an extravagant prank on the founder of Rolling Stone that took things way too far. However, it’s likely that the wildest antics remain untold, preserved as closely guarded secrets by Aykroyd and his contemporaries who entered show business in the 70s. Today, the comedy world seems less outrageous compared to those days, but comedians still share these stories as if they happened just yesterday, keeping the legend alive.

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2025-01-03 04:07