Rick Moranis Is 71! Inside His Quiet Life Since Leaving Hollywood 28 Years Ago

The beloved star of '80s favorites like 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids' and 'Ghostbusters' has chosen to lead a quieter life throughout the 2000s

"I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever. My life is wonderful."

That's what Rick Moranis told The Hollywood Reporter in 2015 when asked about his decision to step away from the spotlight.

The actor — who turns 71 on April 18 — was a popular star throughout the 1980s and 1990s. After first finding fame on the Canadian sketch show Second City Television, he moved on to blockbusters like Ghostbusters and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, in addition to Little Shop of Horrors and Parenthood.

But after his wife, costume designer Ann Belsky, died of breast cancer in 1991, the father of two retreated from Hollywood.

"I took a break, which turned into a longer break," he told THR. "Stuff happens to people all the time, and people make adjustments, change careers, move to another city. Really, that's all I did."

From his early hits to his more recent public moments, look back on Rick Moranis' time in and out of the spotlight.

June 1984: Rick Moranis stars in Ghostbusters

Following a two-year stint on Toronto's Second City Television (SCTV), Rick Moranis' star continued to rise in films like 1983's Strange Brew and 1984's Streets of Fire. But it was the June 1984 blockbuster Ghostbusters that really brought him to the masses as nerdy Louis Tully, who finds himself inhabited by a ghost.

"You can't be with Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis and not have fun," Moranis said in an interview with critic Bobbie Wygant at the time. "When [director Ivan Reitman] called me to do this I just had to say yes."

He returned for 1989's Ghostbusters II, in addition to other '80s favorites like Hockey Night and Spaceballs.

December 1986: Rick Moranis stars in Little Shop of Horrors

"Feed me, Seymour!" Rick Moranis played the lead in the big-screen adaptation of the dark musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors, alongside fellow comedians like Steve Martin, Jim Belushi and John Candy and stars including Tisha Campbell,Tichina Arnold, Ellen Greene and Michelle Weeks.

"The film is great," he told David Letterman that year. "There's some wonderful performances."

Related: The Cast of Little Shop of Horrors: Where Are They Now?

June 1989: Rick Moranis stars in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

In a movie that introduced him to younger audiences, Rick Moranis led the Disney production Honey, I Shrunk the Kids as an inventor dad who accidentally . . . shrinks his kids.

"If that were made today, it would be made very differently, probably just with green screen and computer-generated stuff," the actor said during a rare 2020 interview about the movie for Disney+'s Prop Culture.

Director Joe Johnston "had the vision of this in his head," Moranis added. "And on that movie, I was really an actor. I think I drove him crazy a couple of times trying to get more comedy into it because I was always looking for how to disrupt and get some more jokes in, and poor Joe just wanted to make his movie."

Moranis returned for the 1992 sequel Honey, I Blew Up the Kid and 1997's direct-to-video Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves! in addition to the '90s Walt Disney World attraction Honey, I Shrunk the Audience.

May 1994: Rick Moranis stars in The Flintstones and other film favorites

From then on, Rick Moranis starred in a string of hits like Parenthood, Little Giants, My Blue Heaven and Big Bully.

He also went back in time as Barney Rubble in the live-action Flintstones alongside Rosie O'Donnell as his wife Betty, and John Goodman and Elizabeth Perkins as Fred and Wilma Flintstone. The film made more than $340 million worldwide.

Late 1990s: Rick Moranis steps back from the spotlight

Following the death of his wife, costume designer Ann Belsky, in 1991, the father of two took a step back from work to raise his children, doing a handful of voice roles through the 2000s but staying largely off screen.

In a 2015 interview with The Hollywood Reporter,he reflected on the shift from hustling on sets to raising kids.

"I was working with really interesting people, wonderful people," he said. "I went from that to being at home with a couple of little kids, which is a very different lifestyle. But it was important to me."

He added, "I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever. My life is wonderful."

February 2020: Rick Moranis plans a return to the big screen

In February of 2020, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Rick Moranis was returning to the big screen for a reboot of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, entitled Shrunk. In it, he was slated to play his former character, Wayne Szalinski, with Frozen's Josh Gad starring as his now-grown son. Original director Joe Johnston was also returning.

“To say it is a dream come true to once again see #RickMoranis on the big screen is the understatement of the decade. But to say, I get an up seat view of him returning to play one of his most iconic roles is the understatement of the Century. Welcome back hero!” Gad wrote on Twitter.

In 2023, Gad shared an update, writing on Twitter that COVID, scheduling problems and budgetary issues had possibly derailed the project.

"If you want it, let your local @disney know," he added.

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September 2020: Rick Moranis joins Ryan Reynolds on screen

While he still owned Mint Mobile, Ryan Reynoldsmanaged to wrangle Rick Moranis for an ad.

"It's hard to believe that Mint Mobile has gone so long without an unlimited plan," Reynolds said in the spot. "So, to introduce it, we brought in an actor we've all gone too long without: Rick Moranis."

"So why am I here?" Moranis asked after Reynolds tells him he doesn't actually have to promote the new plan.

"I'm a huge fan," Reynolds explained. "Massive."

"That's it?" Moranis asked before heading out of frame. "See ya."

Reynolds released a statement about the star with the ad, saying in part, "We asked Rick to do this eight days before our shoot, kind of on a lark, but after a few emails and a conversation, he agreed. And it was wonderful. Everyone on set was completely starstruck, most of all me. We’re so grateful he came back and hope he stays back."

Related: Why 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids' Star Rick Moranis Left the Spotlight: I Have 'No Regrets'

October 2020: Rick Moranis is attacked in New York City

Rick Moranis' name was in the news for unfortunate reasons in late 2020, when he was the victim of a random punch to the head on the Upper West Side of New York City. One month later, police announced they'd arrested a suspect.

Moranis went to a local hospital with pain in his head, back and hip, according to WCBS, which reported that the star reported the incident to the 20th NYPD precinct.

"He is fine but grateful for everyone’s thoughts and well wishes," Moranis' rep told The Hollywood Reporter at the time.

Social media reacted to the news, with stars like Chris Evans coming to Moranis' defense.

"My blood is boiling. Find this man. You don’t touch Rick Moranis," Evans wrote on Twitter.

March 2024: Rick Moranis is photographed in N.Y.C.

Most recently, Rick Moranis was photographed on a quiet walk through New York City in March 2024, weeks before his 71st birthday. He was dressed for the wet weather in a blue jacket over a matching shirt, tan pants and black shoes, plus a multicolored knit cap.

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