Harold Ramis
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Harold Ramis | |
The Ghostbusters in action - from left to right: Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis), Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), and Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) |
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Born | November 21, 1944 (age 62) Chicago, Illinois, USA |
Spouse(s) | Erica Mann |
Official site | www.haroldramis.com |
Notable roles | Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters 1 and 2 |
Harold Ramis (born November 21, 1944) is an American actor, director, and writer. His best known acting roles are as "Egon Spengler" in Ghostbusters and "Russell Ziskey" in Stripes as well as being one of three authors to pen the screenplay for the film National Lampoon's Animal House.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Ramis was born in Chicago, Illinois to Ruth and Nate Ramis, and had a Jewish upbringing. After graduating from Washington University in University City, Missouri his first job was as a mental-ward orderly. Ramis was a member of the Alpha Xi chapter of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity at Washington University, and it is reputed that some of his own experiences in ZBT helped inspire Animal House.
[edit] Career
Ramis worked as joke editor for Playboy magazine. He later was associated with the "guerrilla video" commune TVTV, headed by Michael Shamberg. He performed with Chicago's Second City improvisational comedy troupe and the Broadway revue National Lampoon's Lemmings. Ramis was also a writer and performer on the SCTV television series. Memorable characterizations by Ramis on SCTV include corrupt Dialing for Dollars host Moe Green, amiable cop Officer Friendly, exercise guru Swami Banananda, board chairman Allan 'Crazy Legs' Hirschman and home dentist Mort Finkel. Celebrities impersonated by Ramis on SCTV include Kenneth Clark and Leonard Nimoy.
He has worked frequently with Bill Murray and Ivan Reitman. In 2004 he was inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
Ramis directed the one-hour long Christmas episode of The Office that aired December 14th, entitled "A Benihana Christmas".
[edit] Selected Filmography (actor)
- Stripes (1981)
- Heavy Metal (1981) (voice)
- Ghostbusters (1984)
- Baby Boom (1987)
- Stealing Home (1988)
- Ghostbusters II (1989)
- Groundhog Day (1993) (cameo)
- Airheads (1994)
- As Good as It Gets (1997)
- Orange County (2002)
- Ghostbusters III (2008) - not yet confirmed
[edit] Filmography (director)
- Caddyshack (1980)
- National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)
- Club Paradise (1986)
- Groundhog Day (1993)
- Stuart Saves His Family (1995)
- Multiplicity (1996)
- Analyze This (1999)
- Bedazzled (2000)
- Analyze That (2002)
- The Ice Harvest (2005)
- The Office (US TV Series), A Benihana Christmas (2006)
[edit] Selected Filmography (writer)
- SCTV (1976–1978) TV Series
- National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
- Meatballs (1979)
- Caddyshack (1980)
- Stripes (1981)
- Ghostbusters (1984)
- Back to School (1986)
- Club Paradise (1986)
- Caddyshack II (1988)
- Ghostbusters II (1989)
- Groundhog Day (1993)
- Analyze This (1999)
- Bedazzled (2000)
- Analyze That (2002)
[edit] External links
- Official web site
- Harold Ramis at the Internet Movie Database
- Harold Ramis' Autograph
- Interview with Las Vegas Weekly (1999)
- DVD Review - Harold Ramis
- St. Louis Walk of Fame
- Yesterdayland Interview
- Profile of Ramis in The New Yorker
Categories: 1944 births | American film actors | American film directors | American television actors | English-language film directors | Jewish American actors | Jewish American comedians | Jewish American film directors | Jewish comedy | Living people | National Lampoon people | People from Chicago | SCTV | Second City alumni | Washington University in St. Louis alumni