Dan Aykroyd’s Asperger’s Fueled ‘Ghostbusters’ Obsession

Dan Aykroyd has revealed that his Aspergers Syndrome helped to fuel his original interest in the paranormal, which then manifested itself with the film, Ghostbusters.

The comedian told the Daily Mail, “I also have Asperger’s but I can manage it,” as he was interviewed as part of the publication’s Under The Microscope section, which revolved around his fitness and health.

He then added, “It wasn’t diagnosed until the early Eighties when my wife persuaded me to see a doctor. One of my symptoms included my obsession with ghosts and law enforcement — I carry around a police badge with me, for example.”

Aykroyd then explained, “I became obsessed by Hans Holzer, the greatest ghost hunter ever. That’s when the idea of my film Ghostbusters was born.”

It’s believed that Ghostbusters 3 is currently in development, and speculation has started to swirl that shooting on the film will start in 2014. It’s still not known if Bill Murray will feature in it or not.

Aykroyd also revealed that he was diagnosed with Tourette’s at 12-years-old, which saw him emanate nervousness, physical tics, and numerous grunting noises. This lead him to undergo therapy, which cured some of his problems.

The comedian also revealed that because he runs a chain of nightclubs called the House of Blues he is often deprived of sleep. Because of this he has admitted that he has “vivid dreams of deceased friends like John Belushi and another who died in 9/11.” He then added that he feels “their energy” around him.”

Belushi and Aykroyd starred alongside each other in Saturday Night Live, where they developed the characters Jake and Elwood Blues. They reprised the duo for the 1980 comedian, The Blues Brothers. Belushi died in March 1982, in Hollywood, California, after he overdosed on a speedball, which is a mixture of heroin and cocaine, at the age of 33.

Ghostbusters 3 has been in development since the 1990s, when Aykroyd wrote a script for the third instalment.

In October Aykroyd confirmed that the script was currently being rewritten, before confirming that they wanted to merge a new generation of Ghostbusters with the old gang, except for Bill Murray. Aykroyd did note, “the door is always open if Bill wanted to return to the role.”

Most recently, Jonah Hill and Emma Stone were believed to be in talks to appear as two of the new Ghostbusters. Their characters would apparently be called Anna and Jeremy, however earlier this month Stone allegedly turned down the part.