Albania Honours Actor Jim Belushi

The title was given to the star of the hit TV comedy because of his “love and dignity for his Albanian origins and Albania,” said Topi.

Belushi was born in Chicago as the third of four children of Adam Belushi, an Albanian immigrant who left his native Qyteze village in 1934 at the age of 15, and Agnes, who was born in the US to Albanian immigrants. His brother John Belushi was also a famous comedian and actor.

“This is an important and heavy award with a big burden, which I don’t know if I merit,” said Belushi. “I was born and raised in America, but my genes are Albanian,” he added.

Belushi came to national attention through his role in Edward Zwick’s film “About Last Night” with Rob Lowe and Demi Moore.

He stared his career on Saturday Night Live, and in the TV series “Working Stiffs”. His credits since then show an extraordinary range: from James Woods’ spacey DJ buddy, Dr. Rock, to the mentally handicapped dishwasher befriended by Whoopi Goldberg in the Andrei Konchalovsky film, “Homer and Eddie”; and the defiant high school principal standing up to drug dealers in “The Principal.” In 2000 Belushi co-starred in MGM’s “Return to Me,” directed by Bonnie Hunt and starring David Duchovny and Minnie Driver, and he received rave reviews for his work with Gregory Hines in Showtime’s “Who Killed Atlanta’s Children?”