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.
After graduating from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri his first job was as a mental-ward orderly. Ramis worked as joke editor for Playboy magazine. 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.
Although occasionally mistaken for a Canadian, Ramis is actually from Chicago, Illinois, USA. He has worked frequently with Bill Murray and Ivan Reitman.
