'So many adventures': Dan Aykroyd wishes Bill Murray a happy birthday with anecdote from Ghostbusters II shooting

Just like many of his onscreen characters, Dan Aykroyd's social media posts are keeping fans amused and entertained. In his latest post on X, the 74-year-old actor and comedian extended belated birthday greetings to longtime friend Bill Murray, whom he called "Murricane" and the "greatest comedy leading man of our time." Aykroyd, the co-creator of Ghostbusters, also shared an interesting story from the filming of Ghostbusters II. Bill Murray marked his 76th birthday on September 21.

In his post, Aykroyd said that he and Murray had shared "many adventures over the years." He recalled one such adventure that came on a night during the shooting of the Ghostbusters sequel.

'After all, we were Ghostbusters'

"One night shooting GB2, we appropriated two fully equipped police motorcycles from the movie’s motor pool and spent an hour chasing each other around a closed Central Park with full lights and sirens. No consequences. After all, we were Ghostbusters," he wrote.

Dan Aykroyd's literary debut

The anecdote comes shortly after Aykroyd gave fans a rather serious personal update, disclosing that he had undergone emergency foot surgery for an infection. The infection forced the actor to cancel a planned promotional tour for his upcoming literary debut, Soulhider. The book's release has since been pushed to May 2027.

The Ghostbusters franchise

The Ghostbusters is a supernatural comedy series created by Aykroyd along with Harold Ramis. The franchise started with the original 1984 film Ghostbusters, followed by the sequel Ghostbusters II, which hit theaters in 1989.

The films have since expanded into a multimedia franchise including movies, TV shows, comics, games, and merchandise. The franchise is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment through its subsidiary Columbia Pictures. Sony had acquired the rights to Ghostbusters through its purchase of Columbia Pictures in 1989.

Later films in the series include Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016), Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024). Television series in the franchise are The Real Ghostbusters (1986-1991) and Extreme Ghostbusters (1997).

Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray have appeared in all five Ghostbusters films, with cameo roles in the 2016 film Answer the Call. While Ghostbusters remains their most famous collaboration, Aykroyd and Murray also shared screen for director Tom Schiller's 1984 sci-fi comedy movie Nothing Lasts Forever.