Some singers and film stars, especially those icons who die young and unexpectedly, leave a huge void. The list is a long one. Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, and Elvis Presley are just a few of them. Another is John Belushi. The zany star of Animal House and The Blues Brothers died in 1982 at the age of 33. His cause of death was an alleged drug overdose.
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Whether you watched Belushi on Saturday Night Live or enjoyed his movies, you know there was no one quite like him. In fact, one actor who worked with him contends that John Belushi's shocking death was actually a profound Hollywood wake-up call.
Per People, "...[C]ocaine use was rampant in Hollywood at the time and Belushi's death was a 'harbinger' that the drug use needed to slow down."
"He Was Just Such a Special Spirit"
Tim Matheson, 78, acted alongside John Belushi in Animal House. Matheson opened up about the late madcap comedian when he appeared on the Still Here Hollywood podcast with Steve Kmetko. It was a enormous loss for so many, both in the industry and beyond.
Tim Matheson mused, "[Belushi] seemed indestructible. He was so strong, and so physically strong, and powerful, and funny — and we all knew his weaknesses, but you just felt .. 'No, you know, not like that.'"
Matheson Recalls Hearing the Tragic News About Belushi's Death
When John Belushi died, Matheson was appearing in a play in Texas. He recalls finding out the grim news. "And somebody came backstage after the show and told me what happened and it was so sad and it's such a loss, because a lot of people don't know really who he was now. He was just such a special spirit. You know um John Landis — the director of Animal House said he's the Cookie Monster and Harpo Marx together, you know, that's who he is."
He Believes the 'SNL' Comedian Wasn't Using Drugs While Making 'Animal House'
In his 2024 book, Damn Glad To Meet You: My Seven Decades in the Hollywood Trenches, Tim Matheson observed that John Belushi was allegedly not doing drugs during the filming of Animal House. That was in 1978, four years prior to his death.
Matheson shared in the book, "Belushi, for the record, was clean on set during Animal House. If he did anything, it was away from the rest of us, and he never gave any signs he was up to anything."
