James Belushi: filmography. The best films with James Belushi

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Films with James Belushi are probably familiar to fans of good cinema. This famous American actor, born June 15, 1954 in the family of Albanian emigrants Adam and Agnes Belushi, was the third child. The family lived in Chicago. John, the well-known older brother of James, managed to win the fame of an actor-comedian and was the pride of his parents. Looking at the bright successful example of his brother, James by hook or by crook tried to attract the attention of his parents to himself, but his methods were not entirely successful. Often, court summonses came from the police for petty hooliganism and fights. As a teenager, James was the exact opposite of John.

The further fate of the actor

But fate prepared a different fate for the bully and the tomboy. He had all the talent, such as humor and charisma, to follow in his brother's footsteps. Yes, and the appearance of Belushi James, whose height is 180 cm, could not help but attract the attention of screenwriters and filmmakers.

He was able to prove by his example that oneand the same person can play both dramatic and comedic roles. This is, of course, a purposeful and talented actor, because James Belushi, whose filmography is quite extensive and diverse, has long been loved by the audience, and this is a considerable success.

There were a lot of interesting and remarkable cases in the life of our hero. Even before becoming famous, at a young age he already knew how to attract close attention to his own person.

James Belushi: biography

In fact, the fate of our hero was already predetermined. During the school years of the actor, his brother gained wide fame, touring the United States, acting in famous tapes. He sometimes even tried on the role of screenwriter.

James' first steps on the stage were small roles in holiday productions and school plays. However, at the beginning of his career, he was not distinguished by remarkable talent. Against the backdrop of the successful activities of John, James experienced some jealousy and internal contradictions. To prove his worth, he got involved in a gang, which led to numerous stints in the police station for theft and carjacking.

Having come to his senses in time, our hero realized that he could direct his forces in a more correct and beneficial direction for him. In order to improve and win the trust of the family, actor James Belushi enters the University of Illinois at Carbondale in the theater department. Only after serious work on himself did he change his life, which began to flow in a calmer direction, and success in his chosen profession was not long in coming.

James Belushi: filmography (first roles)

1977 was remembered for the performance of the actor as part of the Second City troupe and his debut on the blue screens in the TV series "Who looks after the children", which could not gain wide popularity among television viewers. After that, for several years, our hero was seen with minor roles in several popular films. One of the most famous roles of this period was the work of a young actor in the film The Thief, released in 1981.

How does it feel to be your big brother's shadow?

Maybe Jimmy could outplay John, but, alas, he was perceived by directors and producers only as an understudy of his star brother. For some reason, the younger Belushi could get the role only after John refused it, but he almost never missed good roles. Once this injustice bothered the actor, and he told his brother after receiving another invitation to film a comedy that this role was not for him and he was obliged to refuse it. Knowing the nature of Belushi Jr., after a short argument, John still gave him the role.

Big tragedy in the Belushi family

But the actor's serene happiness did not last long, in 1982 John died of a drug overdose, who was found in the room of the Chateau Marmont hotel in Los Angeles. This incident dramatically changed the life of James, calling into question all his achievements. The inevitable depression overtook the actor, which was difficult for him to overcome. So andbegan a series of failures in the life of the hero. The difficult state of mind was spurred on by the fact that he had to perform in his brother's place on the weekly comedy show Saturday Night Live. The ratings of the show went through the roof, and James, driven by the producers, was literally forced to finish the case of the suddenly deceased John.

Jimmy increasingly noticed his features similar to his brother, he was frightened by the prospect of ending his life just as early and suddenly. Depression led to alcoholism. More and more often, he began to come to the shooting in a drunken state, thereby spoiling his reputation and eventually losing his job. Sandra, the actor's first wife, could not stand all this and left, taking her son Robert with her.

James was still able to pull himself together. It took him a long time to learn to deal with his emotions. But four years after his brother's death, his mother died. At that moment, Belushi realized that he had to work - the more the better. To drown out the pain, he began to act a lot and diligently, as if he had been replaced. The new James Belushi appeared before the filmmakers. His filmography after that began to rapidly enrich with new paintings.

Later life: success story after the fall

In the late 80s, after a protracted stupor and a complete calm in the acting field, the young man resumes his work. James Belushi, whose filmography seemed to be irrevocably finished, starred in the new comedy films Little Shop of Horrors and Jackjumper”, as well as in the drama “El Salvador”, which won an Oscar. It was a major success and an honorary recognition for the actor.

Having done away with the wild past, James became more willing to be attracted by famous filmmakers to popular TV projects and films, and pretty soon the hero's career began to improve. In the early nineties, the actor gained fame thanks to the main roles in the films "Curly Sue", "Homer and Eddie", "K-9", "Red Heat" and others. During this period, he was able to show himself from various sides - from comedy to more serious roles. He still managed to separate himself from his brother's star name.

Famous films of the actor

In the future, James Belushi, whose films began to gain popularity, confidently took his place among the famous names of Hollywood. He was waiting for frequent filming, the fruits of which were bright films. Among them, the most recognizable are the series "As Jim Said" and the famous comedy "K-911".

Having reached adulthood, the actor began to be invited to dub animated films or as a musician. Thus, our hero managed to perform the main song in the animated film "The True Story of Little Red Riding Hood" and participate in the album recording Have Love Will Travel.

No less famous film "Principal" with James Belushi is a meaningful action movie, where the main character is the director of a school terrorized by difficult teenagers. He tries to clean up the mess in the proper way, riding around on a motorcycle with a bat in his hand. He took the risk of cleaning up the classrooms and succeeded.

In 2006, James released an autobiographical book called Real Men Don't Apologize. In 2008, he was awarded the Order of Honor of the Nation.

Actor's revelations

Having gained rich life experience, Belushi wanted to publicly share it on one of the Internet pages. True, there were not so many who wanted to know about the intricacies of his life, more questions began to come in about celebrities with whom he had worked. And then one day, when asked which of the partners he most remembered, Belushi answered that the shepherd dog Jerry Lee was a partner on the set of the film "K-9". The entire female group was fascinated by this dog and petted and praised it. When James himself tried to approach any of the ladies, all his attempts were severely suppressed by the dog.

Facts from Belushi's personal life

James has been married three times throughout his life. The first wife of the actor was Sandra Davenport, their marriage took place in 1980, but soon they were destined to disperse. With his second wife, Marjorie Bransfield, the marriage also turned out to be fleeting.

He started a family with his third wife, Jennifer Sloan. They currently live in Los Angeles and are raising three children: sons Robert and Jared, and daughter Jemison.

Belushi's temperament is sometimes inexhaustible, and this helps him in life and on stage, where the acting characters are reckless and do not lose heart even at a difficult moment.

James' characters often have a vital charge of optimism, which is undoubtedly transmitted to the audience. It,in fact, it attracts and also makes you repeatedly watch your favorite films with his participation as if for the first time.