What happened to ’80s actor Rick Moranis

Rick Moranis is a movie star synonymous with the 1980s. He starred in huge blockbuster flicks that everyone watched with their families, from Ghostbusters to Honey, I Shrunk The Kids.

But, after tragedy struck his family in the early 1990s, the star slowly stepped away from the spotlight, instead choosing to focus on much smaller projects.

Here’s everything to know about Rick Moranis and what he’s been up to since then.

Bio

One of Moranis’s most notable roles was in the 1984 film “Ghostbusters,” where he portrayed Louis Tully, the nerdy neighbor of the main characters. He also starred in the 1989 film “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” as Wayne Szalinski, a role he reprised in two sequels, “Honey, I Blew Up the Kid” (1992) and “Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves” (1997). These films were highly successful and contributed to Moranis’s popularity.

In addition to his comedic roles, Moranis appeared in other films such as “Little Shop of Horrors” (1986), “Spaceballs” (1987), and “Parenthood” (1989). He often portrayed lovable, relatable characters who elicited laughter from audiences.

However, in the late 1990s, Moranis took a step back from acting to focus on raising his children after the passing of his wife. He decided to prioritize his family over his career and took a break from the entertainment industry. Since then, he has made only a few sporadic appearances in films, including voice roles in the animated movie “Brother Bear” (2003) and its sequel.

Although Moranis’s screen appearances have been limited in recent years, his contributions to comedy and his memorable roles have left a lasting impact on popular culture. He is fondly remembered by fans for his comedic talent and the endearing characters he portrayed.

Why did Rick Moranis leave Hollywood?

Moranis slowly began moving away from on-screen acting roles starting in the mid-90s, so that he could spend time with his family following the death of his wife.

Moranis married makeup artist Ann Belsky, in 1986, and the pair had two kids: a son and a daughter. Sadly, Belsky died of breast cancer five years after their wedding, at age 35.

The Ghostbusters star didn’t originally intend to step away from his career, but instead, it happened naturally as he amended his schedule and workload to look after his kids. “It wasn’t a formal decision,”.

“It began in an already busy year where I declined a film that was being shot out of town as the school year was beginning. But I was fortunate to be able to continue to make a living writing and doing voice work in Manhattan.”

1980s Stars Who Quit Showbusiness

He continued, “Stuff happens to people all the time, and people make adjustments, change careers, move to another city. Really, that’s all I did.”

Though it felt like we never saw Moranis on screen after 1994’s The Flintstones, and The Big Bully in 1996, he never stopped working. Instead, he focused on growing his portfolio in other places: as a voice actor, as a TV writer, and as a comedian.

He welcomed the change of lifestyle and career: “It was important to me. I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever. My life is wonderful.”

What happened to Rick Moranis when he was attacked?

In late 2020, Moranis was punched in the head by a stranger while walking down the street in New York City. He admitted himself to hospital for the treatment of minor injuries, but was overall relatively unscathed.

Police released surveillance video of the assault in the hopes of finding the attacker, but did not say Moranis was the victim because of privacy concerns. Police describe the incident as a “random unprovoked assault”.

Why wasn’t Rick Moranis in the new Ghostbusters?

Though his role in the original Ghostbusters franchise was one of the most iconic of his career, Moranis actually turned down the opportunity to appear in the 2016 reboot.

“I hope it’s terrific. But it just makes no sense to me. Why would I do just one day of shooting on something I did 30 years ago?” he said of his decision.

The Ghostbusters reboot was gender-swapped, starring Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones as the NYC ghost-hunting team.

Moranis says he’s fine with his decision to sit out the film: “I’m happy with MARKMEETS I said yes to, and I’m very happy with the many things I’ve said no to. Yes, I am picky, and I’ll continue to be picky. Picky has worked for me.”

What is Rick Moranis doing now?

In 2020, Deadline reported that a Honey, I Shrunk the Kids reboot was in the works, and that Moranis was set to return for the new movie, titled Shrunk.

However, things were put on hold due to the COVID pandemic. In early 2022, Josh Gad hinted that he and Moranis were collaborating on the movie, with the hope to shoot “soon” – but nothing has been confirmed as of yet.