Actor Rick Moranis Takes A Rare Stroll On The Streets Of New York

Folks of New York City may have been surprised to see actor Rick Moranis out and about over the weekend.

Best known for his roles in movies such as Ghostbusters and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, the 71-year-old talent stepped away from the spotlight in the late 90s and is known to abstain from the public eye.

With a bustling career of more than two decades, Moranis was once considered a heavy hitter in the comedy world. Still, nothing could prepare him for the role that destiny placed in his lap.

In 1991, Moranis’ wife of five years, costume make-up designer Ann Belsky, lost her battle with cancer. It was a stunning blow to the actor, who now was left with two young children to care for while mourning the love of his life.

“I took a break,” Rick told The Hollywood Reporter during a rare 2015 interview, “which [then] turned into a longer break. Stuff happens to people all the time, and people make adjustments, change careers, [and] move to another city. Really, that’s all I did.”

Following his appearance in the live-action movie for The Flintstones in 1994 (seen above) and the third movie of the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids franchise – Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves – in 1997, Moranis mostly focused on voice work. His last television appearance occurred that year in an episode of Muppets Tonight, the 90s offshoot of The Muppet Show.

“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,” he explained to THR. “But it was important to me.”

The Canadian-born Moranis is known to call New York City home but rarely is seen on its streets. Perhaps that’s why PEOPLE took notice of the actor taking a leisurely stroll on November 15.

Moranis was seen wearing a brown jacket with dark brown gloves, keeping himself warm from the brisk fall wind. His green-brown pants synced with the green hat on his head and his light brown shoes. With a black tote bag in his hand, the actor appeared to be locked into whatever sound was coming through his wired earbuds.

Though he first inched his way back to television with a 2018 cameo on The Goldbergs, it was a violent incident two years later that fully pushed Moranis back into the public eye.

While taking a morning walk through Manhattan’s Upper East Side in October 2020, the actor was randomly attacked by a violent passerby. Coincidentally, ABC 7 Eyewitness News noted that the attack took place not far from where Moranis’ Ghostbusters character, Louis Tully, lived in the movie.

The actor was said to have been punched in the back of the head and was knocked to the ground. He suffered injuries to his head, back, and hip, but was able to transport himself to a hospital soon after.

A representative of Moranis’ relayed “well wishes” from his client and thanked the public for their support. The person who attacked the actor, Marquis Ventura, was quickly captured and charged with assault, as NBC 4 New York reported. Ventura was also charged with incidents related to four other assault victims.

In February 2020, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Moranis would be making his way back to the big screen in Shrunk, a new entry in the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids franchise.

As he had in all three previous entries, Moranis would portray Wayne Szalinski, the bumbling scientist who invented the shrink ray that caused the shenanigans in each of the films. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, production on Shrunk was said to have been paused. IMDB states that as of 2024, Shrunk is now in the pre-production phase.

Along with returning to one of his most bankable roles, Moranis also appeared that year in ad for Mint Mobile, the virtual mobile network co-owned by fellow actor Ryan Reynolds. In his time away from the spotlight, Moranis recorded two albums (bringing his overall discography to five) and wrote several op-eds for The New York Times.