Dan Aykroyd on UFOs and the Wonder of What’s Out There

As The Unbelievable returns for its third season, few hosts could guide audiences through stories of the strange and supernatural with as much curiosity and charm as Dan Aykroyd. The comedy legend — whose career has spanned Ghostbusters, The Blues Brothers, and countless other classics — has long been fascinated by the unseen and unexplained. And this latest season continues that tradition, mixing wonder, science, and storytelling in a way only Aykroyd can.

When I caught up with him, Aykroyd was as thoughtful and engaging as ever — equal parts scientist, historian, and storyteller.

“Every human being is astounded by unbelievable acts of survival, unbelievable weather events, and stories that just drop your jaw,” he said. “As a human being interested in what’s going on with my fellow man — climate, weather, disasters — I thought, I’m definitely going to enjoy presenting and researching cases I hadn’t even heard of.”

He continued, “When they came to me with this show, I thought, this is a great opportunity to entertain people, educate people, and inspire them to do their own research. And yeah,” he added with a grin, “to blow minds. That’s a big part of why I got on board.”

The new season of The Unbelievable explores more of those “mind-blowing” cases — including the now-famous 1994 Ariel School sighting in Zimbabwe, where dozens of children reported seeing the same UFO.

“I’ve followed that story for years,” Aykroyd said. “I’m a MUFON subscriber — that’s the Mutual UFO Network, the primary scientific body that researches these things. From the very beginning, I knew that the Ariel sighting would be a great story to include.”

He leaned in, describing the case with fascination. “Two vessels landed, two sets of beings got out — according to some of the kids. And when they went back and interviewed them in their twenties, the stories held up. Some were terrified, but others said they received telepathic messages: watch the trees, take care of the planet. There was a tall being and a short being — and they seemed to have friction between them. It’s a wonderful story. And true or not,” he added, “I believe it’s true.”

Aykroyd’s fascination with UFOs goes far beyond the show. It’s something that’s been part of his family for generations.

“My mother had a sighting in Ottawa in 1947,” he recalled. “She was walking down Spark Street after work — she was a secretary for the Minister of Munitions and Supply during World War II — and she looked up and saw an orb, like a Christmas tree bulb blinking green and red. It hovered there for almost a minute before shooting straight up into the sky and disappearing.”

He said those stories stuck with him — the magazines she kept around the house, the headlines about alien encounters — and eventually led to his own experiences. “I had a sighting in Martha’s Vineyard with three other people,” he said. “Two glowing orbs moving in formation across the night sky — silent, fast, deliberate. I woke everyone up to see it. You could tell it wasn’t a meteor. It was directed flight. I’d say they were moving 20,000 miles an hour.”

He continued, “Then there was one in Montreal. My friend and I were in a hotel room, 20th floor, looking out over the St. Lawrence River. We saw this gray, rectangular object — probably 150 feet long — just hovering outside the window. It had lights underneath, like a bunch of grapes, and made no sound at all. It slowly turned and drifted away over the river until it vanished. It was beautiful, really.”

And as if that weren’t enough, there was one more. “Years later on my farm, I saw this little red light above the power lines. I thought it was a helicopter checking the cables, but then it started moving over the lake — completely silent. I flashed my headlights, and it came right over me. Seventy feet up, no sound, no propulsion, just light. It hovered there for a few seconds, then drifted away. I wasn’t scared,” he said. “I was just fascinated. I think they were recharging — maybe drawing power from the lines. The other one in Montreal? Probably just sightseeing.”

He laughed. “I don’t think I was chosen or anything. I just happened to be looking in the right direction.”

With the U.S. government now openly discussing “UAPs,” or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, I asked if the rebranding and new transparency felt validating.

“It does,” Aykroyd said. “I think the new term — unexplainable aerial platform — just sounds more scientific. I call them hyperdynamic, super-advanced vessels operated by who knows what or who. Nobody knows for sure, and I’m not going to presume to say who’s behind the wheel. But yes, it’s validating. For years people like me have been talking about these things, and now governments are admitting: we can’t explain it either.”

For Aykroyd, this fascination isn’t about fear — it’s about curiosity and humility.

“Why did they land in a schoolyard?” he wondered aloud. “Maybe innocence is where truth lives. Maybe they were reminding us of something about our planet, about empathy. Whatever they are, they keep us asking questions — and that’s what keeps us human.”

Before we wrapped, Aykroyd offered one last grin and a perfectly on-brand sign-off:
“If you do consume beverage alcohol,” he said, “remember Crystal Head Vodka. Made in Canada. Zero additives. Only sixty-five calories a shot.”

Even after decades of fame, film, and fascination, Dan Aykroyd remains exactly what you hope he’d be — equal parts believer, entertainer, and storyteller, still looking to the skies and asking the right questions.

This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.

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