Harold Ramis, the BAFTA-winning actor and director of popular cinematic comedies like Stripes, Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day, has died at the age of 69.

His death was confirmed earlier today after he succumbed to complications of a rare condition known as autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis. He had been in ill health since 2010 but after an initial recovery, he suffered a relapse which finally led to his passing.

He broke into showbusiness back in the 1970s when he fronted The National Lampoon Show with fellow comedian actor Bill Murray. He also showed shone as a screenwriter as he penned scripts for the fratboy classic Animal House (1978) before following that up by writing and directing the golf comedy Caddyshack (1980).

He then wrote the wacky war comedy Stripes (1981), a film that also saw him star in the role of wimpy soldier Russell Ziskey. He would also direct the funny family flick National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983).

But the work that he would be most remembered for was his portrayal of geeky ghost exterminator Egon Spengler in the renowned 1984 blockbuster Ghostbusters.

Once again, Ramis wrote the humorous script for that film as well as its underwhelming sequel Ghostbusters II (1989). He was set to return to the fold for the long-delayed third installment but his death is likely to have put that project to sleep once and for all.

After his Ghostbusters days, Ramis went on to write and direct the hit 1993 comedy Groundhog Day (his fourth cinematic collaboration with Murray). The film would win him a BAFTA for his original screenplay.

He then later directed Analyze That (1999) and Analyze This (2002) as well as Bedazzled (2000). However his filmmaking career would end dismally with his work on the critically-mauled prehistoric comedy Year One (2009). His most recent film roles included Airheads (1994), As Good as It Gets (1997) and Knocked Up (2007).

Ramis is survived by his second wife and two sons.