Jennifer Runyon, the actress best known for Ghostbusters and Charles in Charge, died on March 6, 2026, after a brief battle with cancer. Her death was confirmed on Sunday, March 8, 2026, by family members in posts on social media. She was 65.
80s Icon Turns to Teaching
A Chicago native born on April 1, 1960, Runyon began acting in the early 1980s. She made her feature debut in the slasher To All a Goodnight (1980) and later appeared in Up the Creek (1984), but her most enduring image came from Ghostbusters in which she played a female student undergoing an ESP test led by Bill Murray's Dr. Peter Venkman. The moment became one of the film's most memorable bits and helped cement her place in 80s pop culture.
Beyond Ghostbusters
Runyon also held television roles including a recurring part on Charles in Charge and appearances in A Very Brady Christmas. She married basketball coach Todd Corman in 1991, with whom she shared two children. After stepping away from acting in the mid 2010s, Runyon shifted her focus to teaching and other pursuits away from the screen.
Career Highlights
- To All a Goodnight (1980)
- Up the Creek (1984)
- Ghostbusters (1984) as the female student
- A Very Brady Christmas (1988)
- Charles in Charge (TV, 1984-85)
Legacy and Tributes
News of Runyon's passing prompted tributes from fans and colleagues who remember her for shaping an era of 80s television and film. While her time in front of the camera slowed after 2014, her work left a lasting imprint on a generation of fans who grew up with Ghostbusters and the broader 80s television landscape.
