. . . Where Are They Now? . . .Hello fans,This week we are going to take a look at Harold Ramis' career as an actor, writer, and director. I'm sure you all remember him from film classics like Ghostbusters and Stripes. Let's find out what he is up to now! Enjoy!
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View Past Issues: Where Are They Now Archives*--DEAD OR ALIVE?--See if you know if the following celebrities have had a visit from the "Grim Reaper":
Joan Plowright: Long career on stage and in the movies, appeared in "Three Sisters", "The Dressmaker" and "Enchanted April"
Michael Redgrave: Noted British classical actor
Rachel Ward: She starred in the popular TV miniseries "The Thorn Birds" and has also appeared in "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid", "Against All Odds" and other movies
(Answer at the bottom)*Harold RamisLearn More About Harold Ramis on Celebrity NoozBIRTH DATE: November 21, 1944, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
CLAIM TO FAME: He is best known for his acting role in Ghostbusters, but is also a well-known director whose hits include Caddyshack (1980), Groundhog Day (1993), and Analyze This (1999).
FAMILY LIFE: He was married to Anne Plotkin from 1967-1984, and they have a daughter Violet (b. 1977) together. He has been married to Erica Mann since 1989 and they have two sons - Julian Arthur (born May 10, 1990) and Daniel Hayes (born August 10, 1994).
INFO: Ramis' first job out of college was working at a mental institution in st. Louis, a job which he said was good training for dealing with people out in the world.
He returned to Chicago after working in St. Louis, and was a substitute teacher at the inner-city Robert Taylor Homes. He got involved with the Chicago Daily News as a freelance writer after submitting a piece to the paper's Arts & Leisure section. This is the same time he started performing with Chicago's Second City improvisational comedy troupe. His newspaper writing led to his becoming joke editor at Playboy magazine.
He left Second City for a period of time and returned in 1972, and in 1974, John Belushi brought Ramis and other Second City performers to New York City to work on the radio program The National Lampoon Radio Hour (which ran November 1973 to December 1974).
Ramis later became the head writer of the late-night sketch-comedy television series SCTV during its first three years. His characters included Dialing for Dollars host/SCTV station manager Maurice "Moe" Green, Officer Friendly, exercise guru Swami Bananananda, board chairman Allan "Crazy Legs" Hirschman, and home dentist Mort Finkel.
Ramis went on to pursue a career in film, beginning with writing the script for what would later become National Lampoon's Animal House (with National Lampoon magazine's Douglas Kenney, and later a third writer, Chris Miller). Following the success of Animal House, Ramis went on to co-write the comedy Meatballs, which became the first of six film collaborations between Bill Murray and Ramis. His third film, Caddyshack, also went on to become a commercial success.
In 1984, he collaborated with Dan Aykroyd on the screenplay for Ghostbusters. Ramis also starred in the film as Dr. Egon Spengler, a role he reprised for the 1989 sequel, Ghostbusters II. Ramis also found great success with his later film Groundhog Day.
TRIVIA: Is an avid Chicago Cubs fan and goes to games every year to conduct the Seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field.
His parents owned the store Ace Food & Liquor Mart on Chicago's far North Side.
Had a Jewish upbringing.
Graduated from Nicholas Senn High School in Chicago, and, in 1966, from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Is a former active member of Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Was inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame in 2005.
Was the recipient of the Austin Film Festival's Distinguished Screenwriter Award in 2005.
Avoided the Vietnam War military draft by ingesting methamphetamine to fail his draft physical.
WHERE IS HE NOW: His more recent work includes directing John Cusack in the comedy The Ice Harvest (2005), directing several episodes of the NBC comedy The Office, and producing Jeff Garlin's independent film I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With (2006). He played Seth Rogen's dad in the Judd Apatow comedy Knocked Up (2007).
In 2009, he wrote, produced and directed the biblical comedy Year One and also played Adam, the first male, in the film. It is rumored that Ghostbusters III is now in production and he will reprise his famous role in the movie.
WRITE TO HAROLD RAMIS: Harold Ramis
160 Euclid Ave.
Glencoe, IL 60022-2107
Video Clips of Harold RamisGhostbusters TrailerGhostbusters - Marshmallow ManStripes TrailerStripes - Razzle Dazzle*CREDITS:Ghostbusters III (characters) (announced)
2011 The Real Ghostbusters (short) (creator)
2009 Year One (screenplay / story)
2009 Ghost Busters (Video Game) (characters)
2004 Extreme Ghostbusters: The Ultimate Invasion (Video Game) (characters)
2004 Stork Day (screenplay "Groundhog Day")
2002 Analyze That (written by)
2002 Extreme Ghostbusters: Code Ecto-1 (Video Game) (characters)
2000 Bedazzled (screenplay)
1999 Analyze This (screenplay)
1997 Extreme Ghostbusters (TV series)
1993 Groundhog Day (screenplay)
1986-1991 The Real Ghost Busters (TV series)
1991 Rover Dangerfield (story developed by)
1989 Ghostbusters II (characters / written by)
1989 Ghostbusters II (Video Game) (characters)
1989 The Real Ghostbusters (Video Game) (characters)
1988 The Best of SCTV (TV movie)
1988 Caddyshack II (characters / written by)
1987 Meatballs III: Summer Job (characters)
1986 Ghostbusters (Video Game) (characters)
1986 Armed and Dangerous (story and screenplay)
1986 Club Paradise (screenplay)
1986 Back to School (screenplay)
1984 Ghostbusters (written by)
1982 The Rodney Dangerfield Show: It's Not Easy Bein' Me (TV movie) (head writer)
1981-1982 SCTV Network (TV series)
1981 Stripes (written by)
1980 Caddyshack (written by)
1979 Meatballs (written by)
1976-1979 SCTV (TV series)
1979 Delta House (TV series)
The Legacy (1979) (written by)
1978 Animal House (written by)
1976 The TVTV Show (TV movie)
1976 Super Bowl (TV documentary)
1976 TVTV Looks at the Academy Awards (TV special documentary)
To see Then & Now pictures of Harold Ramis, visit: Celebrity Nooz*--Answers to DEAD OR ALIVE--Joan Plowright - ALIVE
Born: 10/28/1929
Michael Redgrave - DEAD (Parkinson's disease)
Born: 03/20/1908 Died: 03/21/1985
Rachel Ward - ALIVE
Born: 09/12/1957
*WHO PASSED ON THIS WEEK...1/11Frank Cook, 76, British politician, MP for Stockton North (1983-2010), lung cancer.
1/10Jose Freire de Oliveira Neto, 83, Brazilian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Mossoro (1984â??2004).
John McCarthy, 61, Irish mental health campaigner and founder of Mad Pride, motor neurone disease.
Charlie Pawsey, 88, English rugby league player.
Jean Pigott, 87, Canadian politician and businesswoman, MP for Ottawaâ??Carleton (1976â??1979).
Cliff Portwood, 74, English footballer and singer.
Mary Raftery, 54, Irish journalist (States of Fear).
Syed Shah Mardan Shah-II, 83, Pakistani politician and spiritual leader, heart attack.
Gevork Vartanian, 87, Soviet intelligence agent, Hero of the Soviet Union.
Takao Sakurai, 70, Japanese boxer. esophageal cancer.
1/9Ron Caron, 82, Canadian ice hockey administrator, asst. general manager and scout for the Montreal Canadiens, GM for the St.Louis Blues.
Brian Curvis, 74, Welsh boxer, leukaemia.
Alex DeCroce, 75, American politician, New Jersey General Assembly Minority Leader (since 2004).
Bill Dickie, 82, Scottish football administrator.
Ruth Fernández, 92, Puerto Rican contralto and politician, Senator (1973â??1981).
Bridie Gallagher, 87, Irish singer.
Augusto Gansser-Biaggi, 101, Swiss geologist.
Koizumi Junsaku, 87, Japanese painter and pottery artist, pneumonia.
William G. Roll, 85, American psychologist and parapsychologist.
Malam Bacai Sanhá, 64, Guinea-Bissauan politician, President (1999â??2000; since 2009).
Larry Solway, 83, Canadian radio personality and author.
Pyotr Vasilevsky, 55, Belarusian football player and coach.
Aldo Zenhausern, 60, Swiss Olympic ice hockey player (1976).
1/8Dave Alexander, 73, American blues singer and pianist, suicide.
Herb Clarke, 84, American television weatherman (WCAU-TV), NATAS Governor's Award winner (2007), Alzheimer's disease.
Franz Dorfer, 61, Austrian Olympic boxer (1976).
Dmitry Machinsky, 74, Russian archaeologist.
Alexis Weissenberg, 82, French pianist.