In the midst of the nightmare that was 2020, there were a handful of bright spots. A bunch of movies landed on streaming services to help us survive, Taylor Swift graced us with two new albums, and Rick Moranis re-emerged into the spotlight after having taken years off to raise his kids.

The one-time megastar who started on SCTV starred in Strange Brew, headlined the Honey I Shrunk the Kids trilogy, and co-starred in Ghostbusters and Spaceballs, pulled back from Hollywood after his wife passed from cancer. Now that his kids are grown, he’s making a return to the industry, most notably in the forthcoming legacy-quel to Honey I Shrunk the Kids on Disney+.

Despite the imminent arrival of a new Ghostbusters film that exists in the same universe as the original movies and will feature cameos from some of the original cast, Moranis is not supposed to appear. Or is he?

Ernie Hudson, who suited up alongside Bill Murray, Dan Akyroyd, and Harold Ramis, was recently asked if Moranis makes an appearance in the new movie, and he didn’t exactly say no…

During a chat with Living Life Fearless, he was asked point black, and he dodged the question. “I think the studios probably want to hold that one,” Hudson said. “I love Rick. But yeah, I’ll let them share that.”

Moranis hasn’t spilled the beans, but he has expressed a willingness to dive back into work – but that the female-led Ghostbusters movie didn’t pique his interest.

“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,” Moranis told The Hollywood Reporter in 2015. “[But Ghostbusters 2016] didn’t appeal to me.”

If Hudson is playing coy and Moranis is returning, it’s a pretty well-kept secret. Bill Murray himself even denied it when he guested on Ellen, saying, “”We’re missing Rick Moranis and we’re missing Harold Ramis,” Murray said. “And they’re greatly missed for so many reasons. They were so much a part of the creation of it and the fun of it. But Harold is featured in the story of the movie, so it’s going to be very interesting.”

Maybe the movie’s delay, which was made necessary due to the pandemic, afforded a little extra time to find a way to get Moranis into the film. Or maybe the cast are just great at bluffing!

Either way, we’ll have to wait til this summer to find out, when Ghostbusters: Afterlife premieres. But you can tie yourself over with some crazy Facts About Rick Moranis.

You thought you knew Rick Moranis? Sorry to break it to you pal, but you don’t.

In fact, here are 15 facts you probably didn’t know about him. Facts so good you could impress other dads at daycare pickup by slipping one of these bad boys into casual conversation. (“Oh, your kid likes teddy bears? Reminds me of when Rick Moranis voiced Mr. Cuddles the Teddy Bear in 2003 animated film Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer & the Island of Misfit Toys.”)

So many facts that next time you get in a Rick Moranis Facts-Off with your annoying neighbor who’s always trying to one-up you, you’ll be laying down cold hard Rickies (street slang for Rick Moranis facts) and ending with a mic drop.

Get a load of these Rickies. Take them in. Your prep for the next neighborhood Rick Moranis Facts-Off starts here. Godspeed.

1. Rick took a hiatus from acting, but he never really left.

There were rumors that work for Rick dried up and that’s why we hadn’t seen him on the big screen for a while, but c’mon, you know Rick better than this. He’s insanely talented and kept getting offers for roles left and right over the years, but Rick stayed home to be a single dad after his wife passed away from breast cancer.

In a Hollywood Reporter interview, Rick says he never really retired from the industry — he was just picky.

Although we didn’t see him on the screen for a while, Rick was always there. From 2001 to 2006, he voiced characters for three animated films and made a voice appearance in The Goldbergs to reprise his role from Space Balls, Dark Helmet.

2. His decision to be a stay-at-home dad wasn’t a tough one.

In an interview with Uproxx, Rick explains shifting his focus to his kids in a matter-of-fact, “duh, of course, my kids are the most important thing”-kind of way.

“Stuff happens to people everyday, and they make adjustments to their lives for all kinds of reasons. There was nothing unusual about what happened or what I did, I think the reason that people were intrigued by the decisions I was making and sometimes seem to have almost admiration for it had less to do with the fact that I was doing what I was doing and more to do with what they thought I was walking away from, as if what I was walking away from had far greater value than anything else that one might have.”

Other people might bat a few eyes at walking away from rising movie star fame, but not Rick.

When asked about walking away from a career in which he got to use his creativity every day, Rick said, “I didn’t walk away from that. 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.”

We love this guy and his attitude. We could all stand to be a little more like Rick.

3. He’s been confirmed for a “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” Reboot.

If you’ve been keeping up at The Dad then you already knew this one, and if you haven’t been keeping up with The Dad, why not? Well, good news: Rick is definitely on board for a reboot of “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.” Honey, I’ve been overtaken by nostalgia. Honey, I’ve busted a tear from my left eye. Honey, he’s back.

Rick starred as Wayne Szalinski, an inventor dad who committed the biggest “oh sh*t” of our time by shrinking his kids with an experimental ray gun. At some point he accidentally sweeps up his tiny kids in a dustpan and throws them in the trash, but like, who among us?

The reboot, called Shrunk, will focus on Wayne’s son, who’s now grown. Apparently the “accidentally shrinking your own kids” gene is strong in this family since Wayne’s son does the ole shrinkaroo on his own kids. We can’t wait to see what Wayne/Rick/the OG shrinker has to say about that.

4. Rick released a comedy/country album called The Agoraphobic Cowboy.

What are you doing with the rest of your day? I just cleared my calendar to listen to The Agoraphobic Cowboy on vinyl while wearing assless chaps and pondering my fear of public spaces, and I invite you to join me.

If you approached me in 2005 and said, “Guess what Rick Moranis is doing right now?” I would say, “Tell me.” And then if you said, “He’s writing a country album called The Agoraphobic Cowboy,” I would say, “Yes, I believe you. That sounds like the most Rick Moranis thing of all time.” He’s since released another comedy music album called My Mother’s Brisket & Other Love Songs, so it looks like I’ll have to clear my calendar for tomorrow, too.

5. Seymour and his plant in Little Shop of Horrors would make a good Halloween costume for a dad and his plant-sized baby.

This isn’t really a fact, just something we noticed. Do you love Rick Moranis and are you looking for an easy DIY costume for Halloween? Do you have a baby without the job, income, or wherewithal to plan its own costume? No worries. Dress like good old Seymour Krelborn, one of our favorite Rick Moranis characters. Slap on some glasses and tape leaves onto that baby. Sing him Little Shop of Horrors original music like “Grow For Me.” Pray that he doesn’t grow too large and one day overtakes you.

6. Rick breathed life into his Ghostbusters character by improvising.

There is writing a good screenplay, then there is hiring a good actor that makes that screenplay come to life in ways you couldn’t have written.

Rick improvised scenes in Ghostbusters, most notably the one in which Louis welcomes a couple to a party by airing out all their financial details to other partygoers. Apparently the whole thing was Rick’s idea and he kind of just made it up along the way.
Director Ivan Reitman explained:

“Right away, Rick had all these wonderful ideas. I think it was his idea to play him as an accountant; he wrote that extraordinary speech when he is inviting people to a party at his house and he’s walking that incoming couple through. I had the joke of throwing the coat on the dog that’s in his bedroom, but that whole wonderful speech … Rick just made all of it up as he was doing it. All these guys were so, so good at writing.”

7. There was talk of a Space Balls 2, but it didn’t pan out.

The movie’s cult following urged the question: will there be a Space Balls 2? The answer was almost yes, according to Rick:

“It wasn’t a box office hit. It was a cult video hit, and MGM wanted to do a sequel. And my idea for it was Spaceballs III: The Search for Spaceballs II…But the deal he presented me, what he wanted me to do, was not workable. It was two or three years later…It’s better if I don’t get into the particulars of it…But I was unable to make a deal, and it would have been something I wanted to do.”

Son of a. We were so close to getting another Space Balls. Maybe someday.

8. Rick improvised the Spaceballs scene where Dark Helmet plays with dolls.

You know how your kid can just pick up some dolls and create this whole fantasy world? Your kid and Rick Moranis have that in common.

Apparently, director Mel Brooks came to set with the idea for the scene one day, told Rick about it, and Rick was like, say no mo’. The king of acting/improvising strikes again.

9. Rick Moranis would rather not fly.

Celebrities: they hate flying just like us! It’s not that he’s afraid of flying — Rick Moranis isn’t afraid of anything. He just hates the grossness of being stuck on a plane in a germ stew with a hundred other strangers and the inefficiency of it all.

“We started to hear the stories of people stuck on the tarmac for six hours,” Rick told Heeb Magazine. “If that happens to me, I’ll be on the front page of the New York Post the next day. I’ll fake a heart attack or melt down. So it’s better for me to stay away from airports.”

If he can drive there, he will. Say, Rick, I hate flying too, wanna road trip together?

10. Rick has dated here and there over the years.

Can you imagine going on a date with Rick Moranis? Apparently, Rick’s been putting himself out there a bit, just not on dating apps: “What picture would I use? The guy from Ghostbusters? I don’t think dating sites work for people with famous punims.”

Rick told Heeb Magazine he’d probably travel more if he had a lady companion, but hear me out, Rick. You don’t need a lady to travel with you. What about a dude’s trip? I know at least 10 dads who would love to go on a road trip with you (no airplanes, promise).

11. Rick is Jewish but non-practicing.

If you hadn’t guessed already, that’s what his comedy album My Mother’s Brisket & Other Love Songs is all about. Funny, lively, delightfully Jewish — it’s basically a musical manifestation of Rick.

Rick described the album:

“When I first began writing jokes and sketches with various Jewish partners one of us would inevitably stop at some point and announce, ‘Too Jewish!’ Too Jewish for the star, the show, the network, or the audience. The songs on this album are all in that category.”

If you want to wax poetic/comedic about silver Yiddish cups, a challah, and a very Jewish mother serving up some brisket, then take this one for a spin.

12. Rick’s kids didn’t care that he was famous.

Who, that guy? The guy who changed our diapers? He’s alright, I guess.

Rick told Uproxx:

“My earliest memories were of being in public situations where people would get all excited because they were seeing a famous person, and my kids were just like, ‘Why are you so excited? It’s just him.’ They had a really good perspective on celebrity and fame very early on.”

But it sounds like his kids had a sort of indifference to celebrities and fame in general. About the time his five-year-old son saw Derek Jeter at a Knicks game:

“Derek Jeter turned around, recognized me, got kind of like, ‘Oh hi! Hi!’ And my son said, ‘Have you met Chuck Knoblauch yet?’ And Jeter looked at him like, ‘Who is this kid.’ But that was my son. He was comfortable around anyone, and I think the reason was, is because he just didn’t buy why anyone would get excited around me.”

I hope if I ever run into Rick Moranis, I play it as cool as his kids.

13. He “isn’t saying no” to performing his music live.

In an interview with Heeb Magazine, Rick said:

“I’m intrigued by the idea of playing this music live. I’ve never done that. To do a stage performance in a theater with this music, it might be enjoyable. I have no idea. I’ll see what happens. I’m not saying no to anything at this point, including all of the above.”

If we all start working on our Rick Moranis movie character cosplays now, we can be ready by the time you, me, and every dad we know turn up for the Rick Moranis live music function.

14. Rick was fired from The Breakfast Club.

First of all, director John Hughes, how could you. And second: guess the reason he was fired. You can’t.

Did you guess because he played the role of Carl the Janitor with a too-over-the-top Russian accent? Damn, how’d you guess that?

I’m now commencing my boycott of any The Breakfast Club rewatches and I invite you to join me. Rick Moranis belongs in any movie, in any role, even as a gimmicky Russian janitor, and it’s a cardinal sin to think otherwise. If I watch it now, all I’ll be able to think about is how much better it would’ve been with Rick Moranis.

15. His daughter is an architect and his son works in entertainment.

Talk about doing some hella fathering. Rick fathered these kids so good that they’re both doing super impressive things. Rachel, now 32, has multiple degrees in architecture, attended Harvard for grad school, and has co-founded multiple companies. Mitchell, also 32, has busied himself with all things entertainment biz: acting, screenwriting, producing, songwriting, you name it.

Looks like Rick stepping back from Hollywood to take care of his family paid off after all. We love you, Rick. Probably more than your own kids do. Okay, fine, it’s not a competition.

These crazy facts are a part of our dad trivia series, where we drop some pop-culture science you can impress your dad pals with at the next BBQ.

Check out our previous edition where we featured crazy Facts You Don’t Know About Gary Sinise.

Rick Moranis is in the pantheon for both all-time great comedic actors and for great dads. And he briefly came out of retirement for a 30-second commercial and that’s the type of energy we need to carry us through 2020. It’s the one time we’re actually excited to watch a commercial.

Moranis cemented his comedy legend status through monster hits like “Ghostbusters” and “Spaceballs”, and also through just good time comedies like “Strange Brew.” He’s even confirmed to make his long-anticipated return to the big screen with a Honey I Shrunk reboot.

Moranis took a step back from his film career in the 1990s though, after his wife’s tragic passing from cancer. Moranis decided to leave the movie game behind so he could fully focus on being a single dad and raising his kids, and he has no regrets. Great actor, great dad.

Today, we finally have new Rick Moranis content. And it’s all thanks to fellow Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds. It’s a commercial for Reynolds’ Mint Mobile, but that’s not the point here. It’s just to bring Rick back, and let Reynolds bask in his company for 30 seconds. Even if it’s for a commercial, everyone was PSYCHED to see Moranis briefly out of retirement.

Today @Mintmobile is launching unlimited for just $30 AND bringing back Rick Moranis. Suck it, 2020. pic.twitter.com/N1sl7mYchF

— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) September 9, 2020

Fine, I will retweet this ad but only because of the sheer joy of seeing Rick Moranis in something again, RYAN REYNOLDS. You win! (But also thank you for this gift.) https://t.co/PM5V8Ug5Os

— Preeti Chhibber (@runwithskizzers) September 9, 2020

Rick Moranis came out of hiding to save 2020 pic.twitter.com/cRqPufMFiW

— Allison the Disney diva (@Daviesallison1A) September 9, 2020

Everyone when they saw Rick Moranis pic.twitter.com/34A682E0aY

— Allison the Disney diva (@Daviesallison1A) September 9, 2020

Sorta stunning to see Rick Moranis back in front of a camera. https://t.co/DQN5nmjZ7r

— Scott Wampler™ (@ScottWamplerBMD) September 9, 2020

It’s been more than two decades since Rick Moranis has been on-screen, so that’s why people are going full fanboy over what is essentially a commercial. Ryan Reynolds is no fool, though. He knows the content game and how to bring a smile to the collective face of the internet, like with the Reynolds Cut version of Green Lantern.

Reynolds is OK in our book. It’s awesome to see Moranis back doing anything, so the two of them combined is a welcome respite from the type of news we’re used to in 2020.

2020 will be remembered for a lot of things, many of them – the coronavirus, murder hornets – not so wonderful. But something else is happening this year, something that’s been a long time coming, and it’s a lot more welcome than a global pandemic and killer insects.

I’m talking about the Moranissance. After 20+ years away from the business, Rick Moranis, the beloved star of SCTV, Ghostbusters, and the Honey I Shrunk the Kids franchise, has returned to Hollywood. The actor left the industry to care for his children when his wife passed away from cancer and is currently involved in a legacyqual – a reboot and set in the original timeline/universe of the first film – the Honey I Shrunk the Kids franchise.

Josh Gad will star as Nick Szalinksi, one of Moranis’s character’s grown children, from whom he’s become estranged over the years. Before we get that movie, Moranis appeared on Disney+’s Prop Culture show, a new series exploring some of the studio’s classic films, to discuss the original Honey I Shrunk the Kids.

The actor discussed how different the movie might have been if it been made with today’s technology.

“If that were made today, it would be made very differently, probably just with green screen and computer-generated stuff,” Moranis told Prop Culture‘s host, Dan Lanigan.

He also talked about what the experience of making the movie and working with director Joe Johnston, was like. “He had the vision of this in his head,” said Moranis. “And on that movie, I was really an actor. I think I drove him crazy a couple of times trying to get more comedy into it because I was always looking for how to disrupt and get some more jokes in, and poor Joe just wanted to make his movie.”

Something about it worked because the movie was a hit that spawned sequels and the forthcoming legacyquel, which was slated to begin production this year for theatrical release. Whether that timeline has changed, thanks to coronavirus, has yet to be seen.

Either way, the Moranissance has begun, and it’s great to see the actor and dedicated family man back on camera. We can’t wait for more!

You can sign up for Disney+ for $6.99/month or $69.99/year.

Hollywood is a fickle beast. One-time stars often fade into obscurity through no fault, and no choice, of their own. Sometimes those stars get lucky and get another shot at the spotlight – often thanks to Quentin Tarantino – but sometimes they don’t. Once you’re gone, you can be easily forgotten.

Rick Moranis was never forgotten. The beloved comic actor, who appeared in both Ghostbusters movies and the Honey I Shrunk the Kids franchise, disappeared from our screens 24 years ago, and many fans wondered if and when he’d be back. It turns out he’ll be back this year, having just announced his return to acting, reprising his role as the mistake-prone inventor in the Honey I Shrunk the Kids legacyquel. It’s impressive to see someone bounce back after more than two decades out of the business.

Even more impressive is why he left in the first place.

Moranis wasn’t a victim of Hollywood’s conveyor belt or fans’ shifting tastes. His departure from the limelight was a personal choice, and the actor has no regrets.

In 1991, Moranis’s wife, costume designer Ann Belsky, died from cancer, and the actor left his career, which was still on the ascent, to stay home and raise his two children. Now 66, the actor is on the verge of a comeback, and he’s explaining where he went.

“I took a break, which turned into a longer break,” he told the Hollywood Reporter . “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.”

He left to be a single dad, and he stands by it. “I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever. My life is wonderful.”

He says he never retired from the industry, he was just picky. And he remains picky, as he explained about opting not to participate in 2016’s female Ghostbusters movies.

“I wish them well,” he said. “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?”

Presumably, that holds true for the next Ghostbusters movie as well, in which he does not have a part. He seems perfectly at peace with leaving his career to focus on family.

“I was working with really interesting people, wonderful people,” he said. “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.”

Good for him. But we’re glad to have him back. For 80s kids, he was important to us too.

On one hand, with so many reboots and revisitations of existing properties, classic and otherwise, it’s hard to be surprised when you hear that something else is being revived. Like The Mighty Ducks.

On the other hand, this one is truly surprising, for multiple reasons.

A few weeks ago rumors started swirling that Disney planned on bringing back the Honey I Shrunk the Kids franchise – and to movie theaters, not Disney+. Complete with Rick Moranis, who hasn’t appeared in a movie in more than a decade, having left the business to raise his family, like a champion.

Now, both Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter have confirmed the actor has closed a deal with Disney to bring his character back to the silver screen.

Moranis will reprise his role as Wayne Szalinski, a scientist who created a shrink ray in the first movie (and an embiggening ray in subsequent efforts). The Disinsider states that he is in early talks, so nothing is guaranteed, but it does offer a synopsis of the new movie, to be titled, “Shrunk”.

It will take place 30 years later, with Wayne reeling from the loss of his wife to cancer, and having grown estranged from his kids as his grief isolates him.

Aware that the family ties have loosened over time but seemingly afraid to confront anyone directly. He has been tinkering alone in his attic for decades, dealing with the grief of losing his wife. When we first meet him, he has accidentally shrunk himself and is flying around on a shrunken drone — seemingly lost in a continuous of tinkering and experimenting that often puts himself and his family in jeopardy. He later reveals he shut himself away to try and invent a solution to help shrink Diane’s cancer but found it hard to cope when he ran out of time. His guilt and shame is palpable. Through the crisis of the kids getting shrunk, the truth emerges and the bonds begin to redevelop between him and his kids.

Sounds a tad darker than the originals!

Josh Gad is locked in to play Wayne’s grown son, Nick, in what Disney is calling a “legecyequel,” meaning it’s a reboot but one set in the original timeline of the first film. (Here’s hoping we never hear that term again!) The film is to be directed by Joe Johnson later this year.

We’ll see if Moranis returns. Too bad they couldn’t get him for the new Ghostbusters flick!