Photo: Justin Hoch photographing for Hudson Union Society / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Harold Ramis is, to me, the rare comedy mind who succeeded at every link in the chain: performing, writing, and directing. Plenty of people remember Egon Spengler's deadpan in Ghostbusters, but I think his real genius was structural—he built jokes on ideas, and his BAFTA-winning screenplay work proved comedy could carry real philosophy without losing its laughs. What moves me is how generous his humor feels; it never punches down, it invites you in. When he died in 2014, the outpouring from filmmakers and fans confirmed what I had long suspected: modern American comedy quietly runs on blueprints he drafted in Chicago.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Harold Ramis
- Name (Japanese)
- ハロルド・ライミス
- Reading
- はろるど・らいみす
- Born
- November 21, 1944 – February 24, 2014
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Monkey
- Origin
- Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Occupation
- comedian / film director / writer / screenwriter / television actor
2. Background
- High school
- Senn High School
- University
- Washington University in St. Louis
Awards & achievements
- 1994 BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay
- 1995 Earle Grey Award
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Ghostbusters | — | |
| Notable work | Ghostbusters II | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Harold Ramis born?
November 21, 1944 – February 24, 2014.
Where is Harold Ramis from?
Harold Ramis is from Chicago, Illinois, United States.
What does Harold Ramis do?
Harold Ramis works as comedian, film director, writer, screenwriter, television actor.
What is Harold Ramis known for?
Notable works include Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II.
Comedian — see all → · Film director — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.