‘Family’ says it all about Belushi

By Jerry Fink

Wednesday, July 9, 2008 | 2 a.m.

At the start of his career, Jim Belushi lived in the shadow of his comedian brother, John.

One day he might be living in the shadow of his son — and he couldn’t be happier.

He talked with the Sun about his son, Robert, a 27-year-old actor who is taking a break from his gig with the Second City at the Flamingo to do a play in Chicago.

Jim Belushi will be performing Friday and Saturday at the Orleans with his blues band, the Sacred Hearts.

For Belushi, the band is therapy — a way of getting in touch with himself and away from the pressures of life. He began his career with the Second City in Chicago in 1977 and began racking up acting credits on TV (including “Saturday Night Live”), films (“Red Heat,” “K-9,” “Gang Related,” “Curly Sue”) and voices (everything from “Mighty Ducks” to “Hoodwinked”).

But he’s best-known for the hit sitcom “According to Jim.” Since 2001, Belushi has played the abrasive but lovable patriarch of a suburban family.

In real life Belushi lives in the Los Angeles suburbs with his third wife, Jennifer, and their two children, Jamison, 8, and Jared, 6.

Are people starting to refer to you as “the father of Robert Belushi”?

How about it, man? He’s the smartest Belushi yet. I am so thrilled with that young man. He has come such a long way. He’s become the son I always wanted.

Did you try to talk him out of getting into show business?

I had a talk with him one time when we were on a hike. I said, “Robert, you know you are so handsome, charming, funny, smart. You have it all. I don’t want you not to do acting because of your Uncle John and me. That’s the wrong reason not to try it. I don’t think you should do it if it has no interest, but I see an interest in your eye. Something’s holding you back. I think it’s your Uncle John and me. That’s not the reason not to try it.” I said, “This business has been very, very good to our family. Give it a try. See what you think.”

I think that gave him permission. He started in his third year in college, and I said, “By the time I was in my third year in college I’d done 40 plays and you’ve done one. If you want to get some chops, go to Chicago.” So that’s what he did. He went to Chicago, did the Improv Olympics, washed dishes, bartended. He got into a couple of off-Loop plays, got great reviews. Finally he got into Second City and now he’s doing “The Lion in Winter” in Chicago. He’s going to come back to Second City in Vegas in August.

A couple of nights I performed in Vegas he was performing at Second City. I called him before the show and said, “Hey, we’re both on the boards at the same time in the same town. It’s your working family.”

There must be an incredible sense of satisfaction as a father.

It’s cool. I met him at Second City in Chicago recently and we improvised together. I tell you, it’s the coolest experience. He’s just growing as an actor and a man, and I just adore him.

He seems to be paying his dues and not capitalizing on the name.

You have to. I told him a long time ago, “Your name will get you in the door, but the problem is when you walk through the door you gotta be really good. Most people who walk through the door, that’s a fresh palette that you can give the people watching you. You can develop yourself in front of them. But when we walk through the door they already have an image so you have to break that image and re-create another image of who you are.” So it’s double the work. It’s very challenging.

Will you be working with him on future projects?

Yes. He’s done like six “According to Jims.” We’ve had quite a few scenes together. Each time it’s exciting to see him mature. This last time, when we did the bit in Chicago, I thought, “OK. He’s a pro. He’s got it.” I think it’s because of that Second City experience in Las Vegas.

What about you? What’s going on in your life these days?

“According to Jim” just got picked up for the eighth season. Since the show started, among the cast and crew we’ve had 15 children, eight marriages and two divorces. Larry (co-star Larry Joe Campbell) had one child when we started; now he has five. I had one child; now I have two. Jared was born on a show night. I finished taping the show, went to the hospital and then he was born. This is a real family show.

Eight years. With the money you make on reruns you should be able to retire.

I could have retired before this. I made plenty of money in my career. I made a lot of films. I mean I could have retired financially, but creatively there’s no way I was ready to retire. Even now I still get the juice from the performance. That’s why I do the band all the time.

You once said the band changed your life.

Absolutely. It changed my whole spirituality. It got me out of my head and into my body, into my passion and into joy. I mean anybody that watches this band play or listens to them it’s going to do a chemical change. It’s just a great collection of Grammy-winning musicians. It’s a big band, a big show band.

It’s like you have three families now — your real family, your TV family and the band.

As an actor that was always the motivation, to find a family. What’s hard about acting is you find a family and then after three months you’re out of that family and you’ve got to go find another one. But in my case I’ve had my band for 12 years, going on our 13th year, and this show eight years. So I’ve found some really great families.

What are your plans?

I was talking to my manager about that just the other day. He wants me to do a drama. I said, “Dramas aren’t fun.” You either cry or you’re mad or you’re contemplative. There’s only three or four emotions that go on. With comedy there’s endless possibilities.

I’ve got a couple of offers in the works. I’m developing a couple of projects. One is “The Catch,” which is a true story about a friend of mine in Orange County who was 45 and went back to junior college. To get an easy A he took Football 101 and he turned out making the football team. There’s a funny bit in it. They drug test those kids. You know 20, 21, they’re all smoking pot. So the coaches ask him to pee for them. So he pees with the kids and the coach comes back and says, “Everybody passed their drug test but we’re very concerned about your prostate. We’re going to do a simple prostate exam, so please drop your pants.” There’s some great comedy, some great warmth. Then he makes the catch at the end.