November 17th 2024.
A well-known comedy legend made a rare appearance in New York City this week to run some errands. The Hollywood star, who had taken a break from the film industry back in the 90s, was spotted on a casual outing after keeping a low profile for the past few decades.
The 71-year-old Rick Moranis, who is rarely seen in public, looked almost unrecognizable as he bundled up to brave the cold weather. He was wearing a bulky brown jacket with the collar pulled up, corduroy trousers, and gloves. To further conceal his identity, he also had on dark shades and a green flat cap.
Moranis had turned his back on his successful film career and fame over 25 years ago, following the tragic death of his wife, Ann Belsky, who was a successful costume and make-up designer. She passed away at a young age of breast cancer in 1991. Moranis then focused on raising their two children as a single father.
The Ghostbusters star's last onscreen film credit was in 1997's Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves, the final sequel in the popular family comedy franchise that began with 1989's Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. As he strolled down the sidewalk lost in thought, Moranis went unnoticed by many thanks to his flat cap and sunglasses.
After starting his career on the sketch comedy show Second City Television in his native Canada, the comedian and actor began working in movies. He had notable roles in Strange Brew, Streets of Fire, Ghostbusters, Parenthood, Spaceballs, Little Shop of Horrors, and The Flintstones live-action film, where he played Barney Rubble.
In the photographs, Moranis seemed to be on a trip to the supermarket, carrying a reusable black bag and listening to something through white wired earphones. He had a thoughtful expression on his face as he walked, clearly focused on his task at hand.
In a 2015 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Moranis clarified that he had not retired from Hollywood but had become more selective about the roles he takes on. He still receives occasional offers for movies or TV roles, and he will consider them if they pique his interest.
While he had not appeared on camera for many years, Moranis did keep busy with voice work, including Disney's Brother Bear and its sequel. He explained that he didn't miss making movies after finding it challenging to travel while raising his children.
In 2016, when the all-female reboot of Ghostbusters was released, Moranis did not make a cameo appearance like the rest of the original cast. He said it made no sense to him to film one day for something he did 30 years ago.
In 2020, Moranis made a surprise appearance in a series of adverts for Mint Mobile, a phone plan company that he owns, and made actor Ryan Reynolds "weep with joy." Later that year, he made headlines again after being violently assaulted while walking through Manhattan. The incident was caught on CCTV, and the perpetrator was eventually arrested and charged.
In the same year, Moranis delighted fans by signing up to appear in Shrunk, a continuation of his beloved franchise alongside Josh Gad. However, the project has faced numerous delays due to Covid, scheduling conflicts, and budgeting issues. Gad, who is a big fan of Moranis, is determined to bring him out of retirement and make the sequel happen.
Although there have been setbacks, Gad remains hopeful that the project will come to fruition. He described Moranis as one of the greatest actors and comedians of all time and said that they were still discussing the film. He also revealed that they were mere weeks away from filming on multiple occasions, but things fell through.
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