According to the Chicago Tribune and verified by sources close to his family, acclaimed filmmaker, writer and actor Harold Ramis died today at the age of 69, due to complications resulting fromĀ auto-immune inflammatory vasculitis, a condition he had been dealing with for several years.

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Ramis got his start at the infamous Second City and broke into Hollywood with the hit film National Lampoon’s Animal House. He went on to co-write and star in Stripes and Ghostbusters and has worked on Caddyshack, Armed & Dangerous and many others. Ramis’ directorial achievements include Groundhog Day, Multiplicity, Analyze This and Bedazzled to name a few. It’s safe to say that Hollywood has lost an important asset and the world will surely miss him.

[fresh_video url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3QBhcjDngM”]

Sources: IMDB | Chicago Tribune |