Dan Aykroyd reveals struggles with Asperger and Tourette's

Dan Aykroyd opened up about his struggles with Asperger and Tourette syndromes in an interview with the Daily Mail.

The 61-year-old actor revealed he was diagnosed with Asperger in the 1980s after his wife insisted he got help.

"One of my symptoms included my obsession with ghosts and law enforcement -- I carry around a police badge with me, for example," he said. "I became obsessed by Hans Holzer, the greatest ghost hunter ever. That’s when the idea of my film Ghostbusters was born."

As for Tourette, the Trading Places star explained he knew about his high-functioning autism since he was 12 years old.

"I had physical tics, nervousness and made grunting noises and it affected how outgoing I was," he said. "I had therapy which really worked, and by 14 my symptoms eased."

Having both syndromes under control, Aykroyd said he feels like he "got two or three cat lives left" and would like to spend the rest of his days with his family.

"[I] want to grow old at the family farmhouse with my great-grandchildren (I have three daughters)," he explained. "I’m a spiritualist so don’t fear death. I know the spirit survives and once you cross over, everyone’s equal."

Aykroyd is currently working on the third installment of Ghostbusters which could start shooting in early 2014.

[Daily Mail]