“Saturday Night Live” and the movie “Animal House” helped turn John Belushi into a mega-star. Unfortunately, Belushi lived fast, relying heavily on drugs and other substances. This behavior ultimately cost him his life: he died in 1982 at the much-too-young age of 33 from combined drug intoxication involving cocaine and heroin. Belushi’s addictions would become legendary, but according to Spielberg, the actor never seemed “self-destructive” on the set of “1941.” However, the filmmaker did recall Belushi’s unpredictable energy. In an interview with EW, Spielberg called Belushi “a very sweet guy,” and added: “He had manic energy, he was very rambunctious, and I did not feel he was self-destructive.” However, Spielberg did state that he felt Belushi was “burning the candle at four ends, if that’s even possible.”

Spielberg also recalled odd behavior from the actor. For instance: one time, Belushi let himself into Spielberg’s house at 2 A.M. and shook him awake. “I’d look up, and there’s John,” Spielberg said. “He’d say, ‘Hi, Steve,’ and I’d say, ‘Hi, John.’ He says, ‘I’m going to crash here, okay?'” According to Spielberg, he woke up the next morning and found Belushi asleep on the floor under the TV set. “Fully clothed and sound asleep,” as Spielberg put it, continuing: “John crashed at the house several times. Dan Aykroyd was his minder. Dan was his best friend, and he gave me the handbook on how to handle John. Probably Dan’s responsible for keeping John alive as long as he did.”

Belushi is definitely a highlight of the uneven “1941,” and it’s a shame he and Spielberg never got the chance to make another movie together.