If you lived through the ‘80s and ‘90s, you likely remember Rick Moranis from hit movies like Ghostbusters, Spaceballs, Little Shop of Horrors, The Flintstones, and of course, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Yet in 1997, at the height of his fame, the comedic actor stepped away from the silver screen to focus on his family, a career pause that turned into a 20-year hiatus from making movies. Today, the '80s legend is ready to step back into the spotlight, with a special new role on the horizon. Read on to find out why Rick Moranis left Hollywood, what he’s been up to since, and when you can expect to see the actor on the big screen next.
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Moranis left Hollywood to focus on parenting.
Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic via Getty ImagesRick Moranis was a household name in comedy through the mid-‘90s, but ultimately pulled away from acting to focus on raising his young children. His wife, Hollywood costume designer Ann Belsky, passed away in 1991 from breast cancer and Moranis found juggling parenting and acting to be a struggle.
“I pulled out of making movies in about '96 or '97. I'm a single parent, and I just found that it was too difficult to manage raising my kids and doing 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,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “In the last few years I've been offered a number of parts in movies, and I've just turned them down,” he added.
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He’s kept busy with other pursuits in the entertainment industry.
George Pimentel/Getty ImagesNow living on Manhattan's Upper West Side, Moranis has found plenty to do in his decades offscreen—namely “a lot of writing,” including penning op-eds for The New York Times, and doing “a lot of parenting.”
Additionally, the actor has done voice work for various animated films, his most famous voice role being that of Rutt in Disney’s Brother Bear, which grossed $250 million worldwide. Moranis also made several radio commercials in his native Canada. In 2013, he released a comedy music album called My Mother’s Brisket.
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He recently returned to acting for a commercial with Ryan Reynolds.
Theo Wargo/Getty ImagesLast year, the comedy legend returned to the public eye, albeit briefly, to star in a TV commercial alongside Ryan Reynolds.
In the short ad for Mint Mobile’s unlimited plan, the Deadpool actor lures Moranis out of his acting hiatus under the guise of promoting the product. “It’s hard to believe that Mint Mobile has gone so long without an unlimited plan, so we’ve brought in an actor that we’ve all gone too long without,” Reynolds says, while standing in a field of potted mint plants.
"So, what do you want me to do? You want me to say something about Mint?" Moranis asks, looking lost. "I've really got to get a phone." Reynolds admits that he doesn’t actually need help with the commercial—he’s only recruited Moranis to meet him, explaining that he’s "a huge fan."
He’ll soon be back for a reboot of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty ImagesIn his 2015 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Moranis quipped that he was surprised there were no plans to make Honey, I Shrunk the Grandkids. Since then, the universe has delivered! The actor is reportedly slated to return to the big screen to reprise his famous role as Wayne Szalinski for Disney's theatrical release of a new reboot, entitled Shrunk. Moranis will star alongside Frozen’s Josh Gad, who plays Szalinski’s now grown-up son, who shrinks his own children.
“To say it is a dream come true to once again see #RickMoranis on the big screen is the understatement of the decade,” Gad tweeted of the news. “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!”
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