Now 71, Chicago-born Jim Belushi is having a moment with roles in two current films – Kristen Stewart’s The Chronology of Water, in which he plays counterculture legend Ken Kesey, and the pop musical, Song Sung Blue, co-starring Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman.
Before Belushi moved to Oregon and launched his cannabis company Belushi’s Farm in 2015, he was best known for being the younger brother of John, an early ‘80s Saturday Night Live cast member, John’s replacement in the Blues Brothers, more than 30 roles in movies like About Last Night, K-9, Curly Sue and Wonder Wheel, and 182 episodes of According to Jim.
The Chronology of Water is Lidia Yuknavitch’s harrowing story, as portrayed by Imogene Poots. Set in the ‘80s, she enrolls in Kesey’s writing class at the University of Oregon and he mentors her. Kesey had a major role in the ‘60s counterculture as an early proselytizer of LSD, Merry Pranksters founder and Grateful Dead associate. The adaptation of his book One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest won the Best Picture Oscar in 1976.
This interview focuses on Belushi’s movies, channeling Kesey, hanging with Bob Weir (he died on Jan. 10), LSD history, the marijuana business, rescheduling and the hemp ban. Belushi’s a funny guy, enjoy his humor.
In your book Real Men Don’t Apologize, you said your peaks were About Last Night, The Principal, Salvador, Taking Care of Business and According to Jim.
About Last Night put me on the map. Then I got a lot of work right after that. I did Real Men, Red Heat, Curly Sue and The Principal. I did a lot of movies then. K-9 was a big one.
A lot of dogs in your movies.
They say never work with dogs and kids and then I did …
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Author: Steve Bloom / High Times
