Ghostbusters actor Jennifer Runyon dead at 65

Jennifer Runyon, best known for starring in Ghostbusters and Charles in Charge, has died. She was 65.

The actor's family announced her passing in a statement shared to social media.

"This past Friday night our beloved Jennifer passed away. It was a long and arduous journey that ended with her surrounded by her family.

"She will always be remembered for her love of life and her devotion to her family and friends. Rest in peace, our Jenn."

Runyon was a star of film and TV in the 1980s and early 1990s. She made her feature-film debut in the slasher film To All a Goodnight in 1980, and went on to have supporting roles in the comedies Up the Creek in 1984 and the original Ghostbusters, also 1984, in which she appeared as the female student participating in Dr Peter Venkman's ESP test.

She also scored a lead role as Gwendolyn Pierce in the 1984 sitcom Charles in Charge, during its first season.

No cause of death has been disclosed, but it has been widely reported that she had been fighting a battle with cancer.

Runyon stepped back from Hollywood in her later years to concentrate on raising her family. She leaves behind her husband, Todd Corman, and their two adult children: a son, Wyatt Corman, and a daughter, Bayley Corman.