Some of Second City’s greatest stars grew up on or moved to the North Shore, including Bill Murray and Harold Ramis. The North Shore connection is so strong that Second City is coming here next month to parody New Trier High School.To learn more about Second City’s 50th anniversary festivities, click here.
Harold Ramis (right), an Evanston native who still lives on the North Shore, performing in 1969.
1959: Barbara Harris, born in Evanston, was a Broadway stage star and later became a film actress. She appeared in such films as “Plaza Suite,” “Nashville,” “Family Plot,” “Freaky Friday,” “Peggy Sue Got Married,” and “Grosse Point Blank.” Harris has won a Tony Award and has been nominated for an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards.
1969: Harold Allen Ramis was born in Chicago and still resides on the North Shore. He is an American actor, director, and writer, specializing in comedy. His best-known film acting roles are as Egon Spengler in “Ghostbusters” (1984) and Russell Ziskey in “Stripes” (1981); Ramis also co-wrote both films. As a writer/director, his films include the comedies “Caddyshack” (1980), “Groundhog Day” (1993), and “Analyze This” (1999). Ramis was the original head writer of the TV series “SCTV” (in which he also performed), and one of three writers to pen the screenplay for the film “National Lampoon’s Animal House” (1978).
1973: Bill Murray was born and raised in Wilmette and first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live. He went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films including “Caddyshack” (1980), “Ghostbusters” (1984), and “Groundhog Day” (1993). He gained additional critical acclaim later in his career, starring in “Lost in Translation” (2003), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award, and a series of films directed by Wes Anderson, including “Rushmore” (1998) and “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” (2004).
1978: Tim Kazurinsky, who now lives in Evanston, is an actor, comedian and writer best remembered as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and for his role as “Sweetchuck” in the Police Academy films. He is typically known for playing characters who are mousey and sheepish pipsqueak types. Eventually, he was discovered by Saturday Night Live and joined SNL as a writer and cast member in 1981.
1989: Joel Murray, brother of Bill Murray, was born and raised in Wilmette. In high school, at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois, Joel was a captain of the football team as well as lead in the musical. His career began in Chicago, where he performed at various improvisational theaters, including the Improv Olympic, the Improv Institute and The Second City. Murray has acted in numerous TV shows and films.
