Rick Moranis on refusing role in new 'Ghostbusters' film: "It just makes no sense to me"

October 7, 2015

Apart from voice acting for Disney's Brother Bear and its sequel, Rick Moranis—the actor beloved for his roles in the Ghostbusters franchise, Spaceballs, Honey, I Shrunk The Kids, The Flintstones and more—has been almost entirely off the map since films like Big Bully and Little Giants in the mid-90s. Fans have speculated, rumors have been spread and pleas for his return to the big screen have run rampant, but in a rare new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Moranis explains that he's exactly where he wants to be. “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.”

With this notion in mind, it's really no surprise he would turn down a role in Paul Feig's Ghostbusters reboot that's set for a summer 2016 release. Whereas many of his co-stars from the original two films are set to have cameos in the new installment, Moranis has no interest in joining them. “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?”

Following the loss of his wife to breast cancer in 1997, Moranis turned his focus to raising his children, resulting in a lengthy hiatus from screentime. “I took a break, which turned into a longer break,” he says to THR. “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.” He later adds, “Stuff happens to people all the time, and people make adjustments, change careers, move to another city. Really, that's all I did.”

You can't be mad at the guy for being a good dad and not letting fame go to his head. Below you can watch one of Moranis' scenes as Louis Tully in 1984's Ghostbusters.