Jim Belushi has it all: success in a decades-long career, legions of friends in high and low places, and a sweat lodge on his Oregon ranch.
The host of the A&E series “K9 PD with Jim Belushi” exclusively told Fox News Digital that his “sanctuary” up north is not only an idyllic retreat for him, but also serves as an incredibly “spiritual” haven.
“I love Oregon, it’s a beautiful property,” Belushi explained of his ranch, which is also featured on a reality series about his cannabis farm. “I’ve got a sweat lodge. I built a sweat lodge there. They do all kinds of little ceremonial Native American practices.”
Belushi, 71, planted roots in the southern part of the state nearly two decades ago.
“There’s 50 cows on my property right now that just had 50 calves, and it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. These little calves running around chasing each other,” Belushi said. “Actually, last night, I got video of it.
“They broke down the fence and came over to my place. They’re going, ‘Where’s Jim?’ So I had 60, 70 cows in my front yard. They wrangled them up and put them back in the fenced area.”
He added, “It’s beautiful. Very nice people up there. It’s a beautiful, beautiful place.”
While Belushi faces unique challenges on his farm, working with animals isn’t something he’s afraid of. The comedy giant starred as detective Michael Dooley who was paired with police dog Jerry Lee in the 1989 classic, “K-9.”
Two years later, he played a homeless con artist who caught a break with a rich lawyer, thanks in part to the antics of his orphaned daughter in the John Hughes classic, “Curly Sue.”
“There’s an old saying that goes don’t work with dogs and don’t work with children,” Belushi chuckled. “And I did ‘K9’ and ‘Curly Sue.’ What’s different about working with dogs is what you hope every other actor has – the ability to be extremely present.”
He added, “When you’re extremely present, spontaneity happens, and that’s when you capture the magic.
“There was a moment in ‘K9’ where I was on the couch, and I was leaning in for my first kiss of the girl and the dog was there, and he took his paw and pushed my head down. That wasn’t planned, he wasn’t trained to do that.
“The cameras were rolling and all I kept thinking as my head went down was, ‘I hope there’s no hair in the film, I hope nobody blew this take,’ because it just was a magic moment.”
Belushi noted that children have a similar presence while working in front of the camera.
“They don’t know the difference between the rolling and cut and action,” he said. “So you gotta be – I’m trained as an improvisational actor, so it helps. You just gotta be in the moment with dogs and react sincerely in that moment.”
He added, “By the way, that’s why they don’t want you to work with children or dogs because the moment that is the most present is the moment that’s the most vulnerable, and vulnerability wins the scene.”
Belushi’s latest endeavor, hosting “K9 PD with Jim Belushi” – which follows officers and their K-9 counterparts in the field with bodycam, dash and drone footage – only amplified his love for animals and the unsung heroes in law enforcement.
“When I did the ‘K-9’ movies, I did ride-alongs, quite a few, in LA, San Diego,” Belushi said. “I went to the academy and worked with the handlers and the dogs and watched training, participated in the training.
“The thing that excited me the most about the ability to do this movie was the relationship that this man or woman had with that animal. It was way beyond having a little small dog and so cute and laying on my lap. They protected each other and they both felt it and knew it.”
He added, “The bond is hard to articulate, but it is really deep. And they take these guys home. And that dog becomes part of their family, and that dog protects that family, and that protects that officer. Not on the street, they’re protecting everybody, including the bad guy. To me, that’s what was the most interesting thing is the relationship between the handler and their animal. It runs really deep.”
As an avid fan of action and adventure, Belushi was excited to host the A&E reality series.
“It’s visceral. You’ve got drama, you’ve got a little humor in it, but you really have that warmth between the handler,” Belushi said. “They are in moments of life and death always, and how they care for each other, protect each other — It’s beautiful to watch.”
He added, “This piece of that relationship between the canine and the canine’s officer. I mean, that is what attracted me … And the action. I’m an action guy. I love action.”
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