Dan Aykroyd Recalls a Wild ‘Ghostbusters II’ Joyride

Dan Aykroyd celebrated Bill Murray’s 76th birthday with a story that sounds like a scene left out of Ghostbusters II. In a social media tribute to his longtime friend and co-star, Aykroyd recalled the night the pair took two police motorcycles from the movie’s motor pool and turned a closed Central Park into their own after-hours course.

The bikes were fully equipped vehicles used during the sequel’s New York production in 1988 and 1989. According to Aykroyd, he and Murray spent about an hour chasing each other with the lights and sirens running. He joked that the adventure brought no consequences because they were Ghostbusters.

A birthday tribute built on decades of friendship

Aykroyd shared the memory alongside throwback photos of the two comedians. His message was affectionate as well as mischievous, praising Murray as one of the great comedy leading men and looking back on the adventures they have accumulated together.

Their connection began before proton packs and ectoplasm made them a famous screen team. Both emerged from the comedy world of the 1970s and became central figures in the early years of Saturday Night Live. Aykroyd was part of the show’s original cast, while Murray arrived during its second season.

The pair’s defining collaboration came with 1984’s Ghostbusters, where Aykroyd played the endlessly enthusiastic Ray Stantz and Murray brought his dry comic timing to Peter Venkman. They reunited with Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson for Ghostbusters II in 1989, the production behind the motorcycle story.

A franchise friendship that kept going

The original team’s chemistry has remained part of the franchise’s appeal for more than four decades. After appearing in the 2016 reboot, Aykroyd, Murray and Hudson returned to their original roles in later installments, helping connect a new cast with the films that launched the series.

Aykroyd’s birthday post did not announce another project. Instead, it offered a compact glimpse of the off-camera friendship behind one of movie comedy’s most recognizable partnerships. The Central Park ride may not have made the final cut, but it has clearly stayed vivid in Aykroyd’s memory.