Jennifer Runyon, an American actress best known to audiences for her supporting role in the 1984 comedy Ghostbusters and as the main female lead on the CBS sitcom Charles in Charge, has died at the age of 65 after a brief illness. She died on March 6.
Who Was Jennifer Runyon?
Her death was confirmed by close friend and fellow actress Erin Murphy, who shared the news on Facebook and Instagram. “Sad to share that my friend Jennifer Runyon Corman has passed away after a short battle with cancer (sic),” Murphy wrote. “Some people you just know you’re going to be friends with before you even meet. She was a special lady. I’ll miss you Jenn. My thoughts are with your family and beautiful children (sic).”
Born on April 1, 1960, in Chicago, Illinois, Runyon came from a creative household. Her father, Jim Runyon, was a radio announcer and disc jockey; her mother, Jane Roberts, was an actress. It was perhaps inevitable that it would find its way to the screen.
She made her feature film debut in the 1980 slasher Good Night before landing the roles that defined her career. In 1984, she appeared in two films in relatively quick succession – the comedy Up the Creek and Ghostbusters, the Bill Murray blockbuster that became one of the most popular comedies of its era. In Ghostbusters, Runyon played a college student who Murray’s character tests for ESP in an early scene—a small but memorable role in a film that has endured for decades.
That same year, she took on a more substantial role as Gwendolyn Pierce in the first season of Charles in Charge, a sitcom starring Scott Bai that ran from 1984 to 1990. Although Runyon did not remain on the show beyond its inaugural season, the role helped establish her as a recognizable face on American television.
Her career until the end of the 1980s was consistently active. In 1988, she starred as Cindy Brady in the television movie A Very Brady Christmas, a reunion special that generated considerable nostalgic interest at the time. In the same year, she took the lead role in the drama The In Crowd and appeared in the pilot episode of Quantum Leap, a sci-fi series that became a cult classic. She also starred in the comedy 18 Again! and has guest starred on popular series including Murder, She Wrote, A Man Called Sarge and Beverly Hills, 90210.
In 1991, Runyon married Todd Corman, a college basketball coach who also worked in film and television production in the off-season. The couple had two children together – son Wyatt and daughter Bayley.
In 2014, Runyon largely stepped back from the entertainment industry, telling interviewers that she was semi-retired from acting and had instead taken up teaching — a quieter life far removed from Hollywood.
A tribute posted on Facebook after her death captured the warmth with which she was treated by those who knew her. “She will always be remembered for her love of life and her devotion to family and friends,” it said. “I know she is looking down on us all with her beautiful smile. Rest in peace our Jenn.”
