Actor and brother of Dan Aykroyd, Peter Aykroyd, a former comedian and writer on “Saturday Night Live” as well as a relative of Dick Van Dyke, has died. He was 66 years old.

According to his publicist, USA TODAY had learned that Danny Aykroyd’s brother died from “septicemia caused by an untreated abdominal hernia.”

Peter Aykroyd, like his older brother Dan, began his career in show business as a member of the famous Second City comedy troupe in Toronto. He was a cast and writer on “SNL” for one season in 1980, the year after Dan Aykroyd left the program, earning him an Emmy nomination for outstanding writing in

During Saturday’s episode of “Saturday Night Live,” hosted by Simu Liu, star of Marvel’s “Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” the series paid homage to Aykroyd.

During the episode, a title card stated “Peter Aykroyd 1955 – 2021.” The show’s Twitter account shared a 1979 short film in which Aykroyd attempts to swill away his sorrows with coffee, entitled “Java Junkie,” from 1982.

We’ve reached out to representatives for the program, as well as Albert and Debbie Aykroyd, but have yet to hear back.

Peter and Dan Aykroyd’s professional paths would continue to cross. In the early 1990s, the two collaborated on the 1991 comedy/horror film “Nothing But Trouble,” which starred Chevy Chase, John Candy, Demi Moore, and Peter – who was given a Razzie for his effort. Peter Aykroyd also created

“Peter Aykroyd even stepped in for his brother to voice Elwood Blues for the 1997 animated TV series spinoff of “The Blues Brothers,” which originally starred Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. Belushi, who died in 1982, was replaced in the series by his brother, Jim Belushi. ”

In addition, he was in the films of Dan Aykroyd including “Dragnet” and “Coneheads.”

Dan Aykroyd, who played Dr. Raymond Stantz in the original “Ghostbusters” film and its subsequent sequels, recently spoke with USA TODAY about his own acting career and legacy in the franchise.

“I think Bill and I should be killed in the next one. Or, maybe we wait,” he said. “Why not use the living Ghostbusters – Ernie (Hudson), Billy (Murray) and myself – for four, five, and six? Go until we’re gone. Then there will be time for the tributes. Death is going to take us soon enough.”

Dan Aykroyd was born on July 1, 1952, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He is a Canadian actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his roles in the films “The Blues Brothers” (1980), “Ghostbusters” (1984), and “Dragnet” (1987).

Aykroyd was born to Lorraine Hélène (née Gougeon), a secretary from an Ottawa suburb, and Samuel Cuthbert Peter Hugh Aykroyd, a civil engineer. He was raised as a Catholic. His mother is of French-Canadian descent and his father is of English and Irish descent.

He was born with syndactyly, or webbed toes, which was revealed in the film “Mr. Mike’s Mondo Video” and later mentioned in an episode of “Saturday Night Live” in which he played a game called “What’s My Disease?” with Dr. David Sanborn.

He attended St. Pius X High School in Ottawa, where he was a star athlete and editor of the school’s newspaper. Aykroyd then studied criminology and sociology at Carleton University, but dropped out before completing his degree. He worked as a parking lot attendant and as a security guard at Ottawa International Airport. He was also employed as a joke writer for Johnny Carson on “The Tonight Show” and for other comedians including Robin Williams, Rosie O’Donnell and Bob Hope.

Aykroyd first appeared on TV in an educational series called “Adventures of a Younger Brother” produced for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 1963 at the age of 11. Throughout the 1970s he worked as a comedian, appearing as a member of The Second City comedy troupe in Toronto and later on “Saturday Night Live.”

He was nominated for an Emmy for outstanding writing in a Variety or Music Program for his work on “Saturday Night Live” in 1989.