What Is Rick Moranis Up To?

Eric Conner
Updated December 23, 2020 12 items

“I didn’t walk away from (Hollywood). I applied all of my creativity to my home life, to my kids, to my family. I was the same person. I didn’t change. I just shifted my focus." - Rick Moranis, Bullseye With Jesse Thorn

Where is Rick Moranis now? Reminding everyone that there's more to happiness than fortune and glory, that's where. Twenty years ago, Moranis' wife perished from cancer and he made one of the boldest, most humane choices imaginable: he took a step away from Hollywood to care for his kids. 

Rick Moranis's acting roles could always bring a smile to audiences. His nebbish neighbor in Ghostbusters. His nebbish father in Parenthood. His nebbish portrayal of plant owner in Little Shop of Horrors. Yeah, he played a lot of nebbishes, dating back to his time on the brilliant SCTV. But he could elevate any movie he appeared in and any role he portrayed with his sincerity and perfect comedic timing.  

What happened to Rick Moranis? He tackled the most important role of his career as a dad. Just don't say he retired: he's merely enjoying a Twin Peaks-length hiatus between seasons of his life.

  • He'll Appear In The 'Honey, I Shrunk The Kids' Reboot

    He'll Appear In The 'Honey, I Shrunk The Kids' Reboot
    Photo: Honey, I Shrunk the Kids / Buena Vista Pictures

    In February 2020, Moranis confirmed that he will appear in the upcoming reboot of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Actor Josh Gad will play the son of Moranis's quirky scientist Wayne Szalinski. Moranis starred in the 1989 original, as well as its two sequels.

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film will mark Moranis's first return to live-action films since 1994's Little Giants.

  • He Raised His Children After His Wife Perished

    He Raised His Children After His Wife Perished
    Photo: Parenthood / Universal

    "When my kids came home, there was music, and there were lights on, and there were great smells coming out of the kitchen. And it was just a joyful place to be, and that’s what I wanted.” - Rick Moranis on Bullseye

    Rick Moranis's wife passed from breast cancer in 1991. A few years later, the actor realized that being a full-time actor and a single parent was not going to work. The priority was his kids. 

    As he described on Bullseye, his decision to care for his young children would not have been viewed the same way if he had a more traditional job. Since he was walking away from the bright lights of Hollywood, everyone found his decision rather shocking.   

    But he wouldn't have it any other way. Rick Moranis wanted to make sure his children grew up in the same loving, supportive household that he experienced in his native Toronto.  

    And if this doesn't make you fall in love with Rick Moranis, there is a gaping black hole where your heart should be.  

  • He Was Nominated For A Grammy In 2005

    He Was Nominated For A Grammy In 2005
    Video: YouTube

    In 2005, Moranis's The Agoraphobic Cowboy was nominated for a Grammy for best comedy album. He and fellow nominees Lewis Black, Seth McFarlane, and Larry the Cable Guy lost to Chris Rock.

    With songs like "Wheaties Box" and "Five Star Motel," Cowboy is a perfect showcase for the actor's endearing singing voice and slightly warped sense of humor. 

  • He Wrote For 'The New York Times'

    He Wrote For 'The New York Times'
    Photo: The Wild Life / Universal Pictures

    In the 2000s, Rick Moranis contributed a few quirky op-ed pieces to The New York Times, including one in which he literally took stock of his life (excerpt below):  

    I HAVE two kids. Both are away at college.

    I have five television sets. (I like to think of them as a set of five televisions.) I have two DVR boxes, three DVD players, two VHS machines and four stereos.

    I have nineteen remote controls, mostly in one drawer.

    I have three computers, four printers and two non-working faxes.

    I have three phone lines, three cell phones and two answering machines.

    I have no messages.

  • He Produced The Cartoon 'Bob & Doug'

    He Produced The Cartoon 'Bob & Doug'
    Video: YouTube

    Before Wayne and Garth, there was Bob and Doug McKenzie from the Canadian sketch show SCTV. The drunken hosts of the "Great White North" (played by Moranis and Dave Thomas) soon took over the pop culture world. 

    They recorded a song with Rush's Geddy Lee, starred with Max Von Sydow in the beer-soaked feature Strange Brew, and even popularized the catchphrases "Take Off" and "Hoser."

    In 2009, the animated version of Bob & Doug premiered on the Global Network in Canada. Though Rick Moranis helped create and produce the show, he handed over the voice duties to Full House's Dave Coulier. At least now the character could do a flawless Popeye imitation.

  • He Recorded 'My Mother's Brisket'

    He Recorded 'My Mother's Brisket'
    Video: YouTube

    Per his interview with Jesse Thorn, Rick Moranis was cajoled into releasing a comedy album of Jewish songs called My Mother's Brisket & Other Love Songs in 2013. Moranis joked that the album was an act of vengeance against his parents for making him go to Hebrew School several times a week. 

    You don't have to be Jewish to appreciate his songs "Kiss My Mezuzah" and "Oy, the Mistakes I Made," but let's be honest, it helps if you are.    

  • He Hasn't Been In A Feature Film Since 'Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves'

    He Hasn't Been In A Feature Film Since 'Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves'
    Video: YouTube

    In the 1980s, so many great Hollywood comedies had one thing in common: Rick Moranis. Ghostbusters, Little Shop of Horrors, Parenthood, Spaceballs, and Strange Brew all went up a massive peg thanks to the charming and goofy Canadian star. Twenty years have passed since Rick Moranis was last seen in a feature film, 1997's straight-to-video Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves.

    Let's hope the subpar Disney sequel is not the last time we see the talented Moranis.   

  • He Voiced A Moose

    He Voiced A Moose
    Photo: Disney

    Did you watch Brother Bear and wonder, "Why did those moose sound like Bob and Doug McKenzie?"  The answer is simple: they were the famed McKenzie Brothers. Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas were the voices of Rutt and Tuke, giving the moose a Clearly Canadian sound.

    Even if the film is second-tier Disney, any chance to hear Thomas and Moranis to do their thing is well worth it.  

  • He Brought Back Bob McKenzie For A Good Cause

    He Brought Back Bob McKenzie For A Good Cause
    Photo: MGM

    Bob and Doug McKenzie came back to non-animated life for a one-night fundraiser to benefit spinal cord research. The cause was all the more personal after Dave Thomas's nephew had recently been paralyzed in a snowmobile accident. According to the CBC, "Bob and Doug started off their first live show with a joke that they've been AWOL for all these years because they were trying to reduce their carbon footprint by not leaving their house."

    The lineup was a veritable who's who of Canadian comedy, including Dan Aykroyd, SCTV alum Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, and Martin Short, along with members of The Kids in the Hall. In one night, they raised over $300,000 for a most worthy cause. Not bad for a couple of "hosers."

  • He Got Picky, But He Doesn't Regret His Acting Choices

    He Got Picky, But He Doesn't Regret His Acting Choices
    Photo: The Flinstones / Universal Pictures

    With all due respect, not all of Moranis's film choices were Oscar-caliber. A few might have even been Golden Raspberry level at best. (Looking at you, Big Bully, Splitting Heirs, and Little Giants). As Moranis explained to The Hollywood Reporter:

    It's hard to come up with original material. Occasionally, they get it right or else they wouldn't attempt to do these things. I'm surprised that Disney hasn't done Honey, I Shrunk the Grandkids. But I'm happy with the things 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.

  • He Turned Down The Ghostbusters Reboot

    He Turned Down The Ghostbusters Reboot
    Photo: Columbia Pictures

    In Paul Feig's polarizing femme-boot of Ghostbusters, almost all of the original cast showed up in cameo roles, including the notoriously complicated Bill Murray. But Rick Moranis opted to not bust any more ghosts nor master any more keys. From The Hollywood Reporter:   

    I wish them well. 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?

  • Rick Moranis Is Happy, With No Regrets

    Rick Moranis Is Happy, With No Regrets
    Photo: Metaweb / GNU Free Documentation License

    From his Hollywood Reporter interview:

    I was working with really interesting people, wonderful people. 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.

    Can't all dads be like Rick Moranis?!