Ghostbusters star Harold Ramis passes away aged 69

Tributes have been paid to Ghostbusters star Harold Ramis, who has died aged 69.

The actor and director died today from complications of autoimmune inflammatory disease.

Ramis, who was born in Chicago, is best known for playing the nerdy Dr Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters but he also wrote the hit film with co-star Dan Aykroyd.

He went on to move behind the camera for a string of successful films including Groundhog Day and Analyse This.

He moved back to Chicago in 1996, saying: “There’s a pride in what I do that other people share because I’m local, which in LA is meaningless. No one’s local.”

Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane tweeted: “Harold Ramis was a brilliant, shining example for every comedy writer hoping to achieve excellence in the field. He will be sorely missed.”