Getty Rick Moranis
Disney made the exciting announcement on Wednesday that the original star from Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Rick Moranis, is returning to star in the reboot of the beloved 1989 family comedy science fiction movie. According to Deadline, Moranis will reunite with the film’s original director, Joe Johnston, and will feature Frozen star Josh Gad as a grown-up version of Wayne Szalinksi’s son, Nick.
While the joyful news immediately started trending on Twitter, as nearly every 80s kid was a huge fan of watching parents’ search for their respective kids after Mr. Szalinksi’s machine accidentally reduces four young teens to microscopic sizes, the fact that Moranis, 66. who’s repped by Bailey Brand Management and Nelson Davis, was returning to film after a nearly 20-year hiatus was thrilling information.
So, what’s he been up to since he filmed the original movie? Here’s what you need to know about Rick Moranis:
1. Moranis Was One Of The Highest Paid Actors In Hollywood During the 80s and 90s
Moranis was one of the most successful and highest-paid film stars in the 90s. He famously played Dark Helmet in the cult classic Spaceballs, was the beloved football coach in Little Giants, played Barney Rubble in The Flintstones. And no one can forget him in 1986’s Little Shop of Horrors.
He starred as Louis Tilly in Ghostbusters, which became the highest-grossing movie of the decade, as well as the film’s 1989 sequel.As for animated movies, Moranis voiced the role of Rutt in Disney’s Brother Bear and Brother Bear 2.
2. Moranis Won An Emmy For The TV Series ‘SCTV’
IMDBRick Moranis and Dave Thomas on ‘SNL’
Moranis won an Emmy for the 80s comedy TV series SCTV, which was like a Canadian version of Saturday Night Live which also featured Steve Martin, John Candy, and Martin Short. He also appeared on NBC’s famous sketch comedy series in 1975.
His other TV credits include guest-starring on Sesame Street and voicing the role Max Schneider on the 1990s series Gravedale High.
3. Moranis First Left Hollywood After His Wife Died
Rick Moranis and Tom Arnold in ‘Big Bully’
The comedian married costumer designer Ann Belsky in 1986, and they had two children together, Rachel and Mitchell. After being diagnosed with cancer, Belsky sadly passed away on February 4, 1991. Despite Moranis’ continued success, his final film role was in 1996’s Big Bully.
Moranis later explained in 2005, “I’m a single parent and I just found that it was too difficult to manage to raise my kids and to do the traveling involved in making movies. So I took a little bit of a break. And the little bit of a break turned into a longer break, and then I found that I really didn’t miss it.”
In a rare interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2015, Moranis said he never stopped enjoying his time in Hollywood. “I was working with really interesting people, wonderful people,” before semi-retiring. “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. I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever. My life is wonderful.”
The actor also said it was never a finite retirement. “It wasn’t a formal decision,” he says. “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.”
“Stuff happens to people all the time, and people make adjustments, change careers, move to another city,” Moranis said. “Really, that’s all I did.”
4. Moranis Lives In New York City
Rick Moranis at a 2002 Charity Hockey Event
With his kids now grown, Moranis resides in New York City, and until now, has largely stayed away from Hollywood. Moranis never counted out returning to the industry and in 2018, he made a guest appearance on the TV series, The Goldbergs.
Born on April 15, 1953, in Toronto, Canada, Moranis continues to remain very private when it comes to his personal life. In prior interviews, he refused to mention his kids by their first names. Whether he has remarried or not remains unknown.
5. Why Moranis Did Not Return For The ‘Ghostbusters’ Reboot
While Moranis was convinced to return for the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids reboot, director Paul Fieg couldn’t make a case for his all-female Ghostbusters remake.
Moranis explained to THR, “I’m interested in anything that I would find interesting. I still get the occasional query about a film or television role. As soon as one comes along that piques my interest, I’ll probably do it. [But Ghostbusters] didn’t appeal to me… 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?”
READ NEXT: Vanessa Bryant’s Family Bury Kobe & Gianna In Private Funeral
Comments
Rick Moranis Returns to Hollywood: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know