Rick Moranis Turns 70 Yet Looks Decades Younger - He Gave up Hollywood to Be a Single Dad after Losing Wife

• Rick Moranis is turning 70 this year!
• After a 23-year-long break, he returns to the screen looking almost identical to when he was seen last.
• After his wife's passing, the actor took a break from show business to focus on parenting his children as a single stay-at-home dad.

Frederick Allan "Rick" Moranis is a Canadian actor widely known for his breakout role in the original "Ghostbusters," where he played a quirky accountant and helped write the screenplay. The "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" star has featured in various notable productions that contributed to the film industry's 'boom' throughout the '80s and '90s.

Moranis used to work as a wacky hockey games salesman, employing funny and out-of-the-box sales tactics to sell programs to hockey fans. The "The Flinstones" talent also dabbled as a DJ during high school, playing for multiple stations in Toronto. The comedian also learned how to play the guitar and compose his own songs because earlier in his life, there was a time when he wanted to be a rockstar.

Moranis' comedic skills were first noticed in 1977 when he appeared on CBS's "90 Minutes Live." This series would showcase funny and irreverent sketches that Moranis wrote in his spare time. After being convinced by a friend to audition for "Second City Television" (SCTV), Moranis' comedy career began to take flight.

The "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" star became known for his hilarious gimmicks, impressions, and musical parodies. When SCTV moved to CBC, Rick and Dave were asked to compose Canadian-identifiable content for the network, and thus the iconic "The Great White North" was born.

Playing on the stereotypical nuances of Canadian culture, the pair dressed in Canadian-associated dress - lumberjack shirts, ate Canadian bacon and used the word "eh" in most of their speech. The sketch was such a hit in Canada and the U.S. that Rick and Dave were conferred as members of the Order of Canada for all their contributions to Canadian culture.

Some years after the sketch's success, a comedy album was made that went on to be nominated for a Grammy, and in 1983, Rick and Dave were asked to reprise their roles of Bob and Doug McKenzie to star in their own movie, "Strange Brew. The film was a huge success and ended up grossing double the money of the movie's original budget.

Following his triumphant comedy start after his "The Great White North" sketch, Moranis reached "icon" status after the multi-million-dollar success of "Ghostbusters." At the height of his career, he met his wife, Anne Moranis, a costume designer who became the love of his life. The couple married in 1986 and had two children, Mitchell and Rachel Moranis.

Fresh off the coattails of his success, Moranis' triumphant career quickly halted when he learned that Anne's breast cancer prognosis worsened. It had spread to her lungs, and her health deteriorated. As a result, Moranis decided to drop out of projects he had been busy with and stay at home to be at his wife's side.

Rick Is A Father First and A Famous Actor Second

Though Moranis' fans thought the "Spaceballs" actor retired, his extended absence from the screen was considered a hiatus he took shortly after his wife's passing. Anne passed away in 1991 from breast cancer, and Moranis was left heartbroken and devastated. He became a single father left with the responsibility of raising his two young kids independently. Moranis quickly made adjustments and expressed this necessity:

"Stuff happens to people all the time, and people make adjustments, change careers, move to another city. Really, that's all I did."

The decision to step away from the camera ensued because Moranis wanted to foster a loving and secure home environment for his two kids, much like the childhood he remembered experiencing. The back and forth with attempting to keep in contact with his children became all too difficult to maintain while he traveled.

Moranis' transition from being a booked and busy actor to a single father was an easy decision for him to make because not only was it a decision born out of necessity but of desire too. In an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter, The "Little Giants" star assured he has no regrets:

"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."

As someone big on family, Moranis has been laser-focused on his kids and recalls precious memories he has shared with them over the years. Though he enjoys keeping himself and his children out of the public eye, the comedic star has expressed that his interest in getting back in front of the camera has never disappeared.

The actor has recently indicated his anticipation of returning to the screen; however, he is very selective with the projects he sees himself being a part of. The "Brother Bear" star has said that he continues to get approached for roles and is willing to be a part of projects he finds fascinating:

"I took a break, which turned into a longer break. But I'm interested in anything that I would find interesting. I still get the occasional query about a film or television role, and as soon as one comes along that piques my interest, I'll probably do it."

When the announcement of Paul Fieg's all-female cast reboot of the popular classic "Ghostbusters" came, Moranis, in addition to other A-listers that formed the cast from the original movie, was offered a cameo. He chose not to accept the offer but wished for the film to be nothing but successful:

"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?"

Moranis has no regrets about turning down the offer to be a part of the film reboot. The comedy legend went so far as to say that he has been purposively 'picky' about the roles he chooses to accept and boasts about how this strategy has worked for him.

The decision for Moranis to disengage from the public eye and the camera was gradual and was not a formal decision he made. The pullback from projects ensued during an already busy year of his life and happened in the middle of the school year. Fortunately, his hiatus from filming did not impact his ability to make a living by writing and doing voice work in Manhattan.

Fans of Moranis were left feeling both nostalgic and emotional as his long-anticipated return to the screen in Reynolds' Mint Mobile advert did not disappoint.

The "Strange Brew" actor supported himself and his children for some time by taking on writing and narration/voice roles. In 2003, he voiced the character of Rutt from Disney's "Brother Bear," which grossed $250 million worldwide. The comedian also went on to do radio commercials, released comedy albums, and wrote for The New York Times.

Rick Returns To The Screen After 23-Year-Long Hiatus

After twenty-three long years, Moranis returned to the screen in a quirky new 40-second commercial for Ryan Reynolds' Mint Mobile. The "Deadpool" star boasted how much of a legend Moranis is in the industry and how excited he is to get a chance to work with the "My Blue Heaven" talent. Reynolds expressed how thrilled he was to have his invitation accepted by Moranis to be a part of the advert:

"Like many, I've missed seeing Rick in movies for the past decade, so I pretty much begged him to re-emerge for Mint. There's really no good reason for it except this year has been weird, and I thought we could all use more Rick Moranis."

Fans of Moranis were left feeling both nostalgic and emotional as his long-anticipated return to the screen in Reynolds' Mint Mobile advert did not disappoint. The beloved comedian stars alongside a very excited Reynolds as the two exchange comedic repartee advertising the network's new phone plan. The scene starts with Reynolds already on camera talking about the Mint Mobile plan as Moranis casually walks onto the screen.

The tongue-in-cheek moment of the entire commercial played on the fact that Mint Mobile has "gone too long" without an unlimited plan by introducing Moranis as a beloved actor who fans have gone too long without. Fans remarked in wonder at the comedic legend's appearance in the advert, which has hardly changed since twenty-three years ago. He still gets recognized by fans whenever he leaves his apartment in Manhattan. Moranis describes what most fan encounters look like for him:

"People are very nice when they see me. They ask me, 'How come they don't make movies like they used to?' We were governed by a certain kind of taste at that time, and there were places we wouldn't go with language and bodily fluids and functions. I think that's what they're nostalgic for."

Now that Moranis' children, Rachel and Mitchell, are all grown up, he resides alone in an upscale apartment on the Upper West Side, continuing to write and conduct voice work. When he is not fighting with trying to figure out the workings of his electronics, the actor enjoys watching ESPN and wants to find a way to remove the word "retired" from his Wikipedia page.

An October 1, 2020, incident left Moranis' quiet and simple life shaken and stirred when an assailant punched the actor in the head upon his return to his apartment. Marquis Ventura pleaded guilty to the assault charge and got taken into police custody following the incident. When asked about the assault, Moranis' representative commented:

"Rick Moranis was assaulted on the Upper West Side yesterday. He is fine but grateful for everyone's thoughts and well wishes."

Though Moranis' head, hip, and back got injured in the assault, he was able to take himself to the hospital and the police station to report the incident afterward. Additionally, celebrity fans of Moranis showed solidarity for the unjust assault on the "Ghostbusters" talent. The likes of Reynolds and Chris Evans tweeted their disappointment at the incident that took place and wished Moranis a speedy recovery.

The reaction to Moranis' small but major cameo in Reynold's commercial (which garnered 1.5 million views in just a few days) reminded fans just how much they missed the beloved "Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves" comedic actor and left fans eager to see what the comedian does. However, though fans may anticipate Moranis' full return to the screen following the commercial, he continues to live a relatively quiet life in Manhattan.

The "Shrunk" alum now spends his time indulging in pastimes from his youth, sitting down with his guitar and composing songs. The "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" actor released a comedic album called "The Agoraphobic Cowboy" in 2005, which went on to earn him another Grammy for Best Comedic Album. In 2013, Moranis released an additional album titled "My Mother's Brisket & Other Love Songs," which was also well-received.