Real Ghostbusters star Slimer passed away peacefully at his home in Beverly Hills at the weekend, his agent has confirmed. He was a ghost, and therefore of indeterminate age.

Slimer rose to fame in the animated adaption of the movie Ghostbusters, a hit with audiences worldwide for seven seasons in the 80’s.

Speaking about the role in an interview with Rolling Stone in 2001, he said “As an actor it was a dream come true for me. When I saw the movie I just thought ‘That’s me, that’s my life up there’. When I heard they were putting together a TV series I got on to my agent straight away. ‘Get me an audition, whatever it takes!’ I shouted, but he couldn’t really make me out over the phone. I’ve got a ridiculous voice and the handset gets all clogged up with goo.”

Slimer was subsequently cast as the iconic lime-green spook, going on to appear in 147 episodes. He brought his own twist to the role.

“I said right from the get-go I wanted his character to be sympathetic. I thought there was a naive vulnerability there that hadn’t been fully explored in the movie. He just basically shoveled sausages into his mouth and attacked Bill Murray. I felt there was more driving this guy than that.”

Slimer was rewritten as a friendly pet of the Ghostbusters, who paid their own personal tributes yesterday.

The cartoon version of Peter Venkman released a statement that read: “As the guy who did my voice died in 2001 I am unable to say anything at this sad time. To put on the page my feelings about that little fella is just too painful. So I’ll simply say this. He was a friend.”

The Cartoon version of Egon Spengler said: “I spent a lot of time pouring my heart out to Slimer. He was a great listener. More than that, he was a disgusting individual.”

In later years the series was re-branded as Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters, but by this stage many thought the show to be past its best.

“I disappeared up my own butthole” the star told Time Magazine in 2005. My behavior became unacceptable. I would spray whipped cream into my mouth, wash it down with a gallon of cream soda and a carton of fried chicken, then burp and smear myself all over the rest of the cast in a kind of frenzy. I recognize now I must have been difficult to work with.”

After the show’s cancellation in 1991 Slimer concentrated on low-key hauntings of derelict buildings, a passion he had enjoyed before taking up acting.

Dan Aykroyd said last night: “How can a ghost die? That doesn’t make any sense”, but Dan Aykroyd says a lot of things.

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