“Ghostbusters” Actor Shares His Experience with Autism

When Dan Aykroyd (the writer of Ghostbusters) was a young boy, he was diagnosed with Tourette’s and Asperger’s. Nowadays, both are controllable and manageable, and he has been able to channel them creatively. In fact, he says that getting absorbed in things as a kid, like making faces in the mirror, may have directly fed his imagination.

Watch this clip to hear about his experiences. And check out these fun facts about him!

• The occupation on his passport is “Writer.”
• He was featured in Tropopkin’s Top 25 Most Intriguing People, ranking in at the 14th.
• He is ambidextrous.
• He is fascinated by the supernatural (no surprise, then, that he came up with the idea for Ghostbusters!)
• His eyes are two different colors (one blue, one green). This unique condition is called heterochromia.
• He was born in Ontario, Canada.

Dan Aykroyd is far from the only celebrity out there who is on the autism spectrum. Check out this list of celebrities with ASD!