Movies

Spaceballs star Rick Moranis, 72, does not look like this anymore

BBG News

Rick Moranis hasn’t been seen on screen in a theatrical feature film in nearly three decades.

It came as a surprise to followers of the 72-year-old actor and comedian when they learned that he would be reappearing on the big screen, after quite some time. This news emerged only last week.

99-year-old film director Mel Brooks appeared cheerful as he announced that actor Rick Moranis will reprise his role for a follow-up to the 1987 sci-fi comedy spoof, Spaceballs.

In the initial movie, the iconic comedian from Canada made an appearance, a film that initially received mediocre critic responses but later gained a devoted fanbase as a cult favorite. He portrayed the character Dark Helmet, a humorous take on Darth Vader from Star Wars.

For several decades now, Moranis has taken a break from Hollywood to dedicate himself primarily to bringing up his kids as a devoted single parent, following his successful comedy career in ’80s and ’90s films.

Today, almost three decades since his departure from the big screen, DailyMail.com offers a glimpse of what Moranis appears to be like currently.

On a bustling day in New York City this week, the famous comedian was almost unmatched in his appearance as he went about running errands.

As a lifestyle aficionado on-the-go, I found myself donning an effortlessly stylish ensemble – a crisp pale yellow ribbed polo shirt paired with sleek blue athletic shorts, all topped off with a clean white baseball cap.

Instead, he opted for basic black sneakers and brought along a reusable bag for his errands, as he planned to go shopping during the day.

Over the past few decades, the actor has managed to maintain a slender physique quite admirably. However, following a change in his appearance, most notably shedding his youthful, baby-faced charm, he now presents a much altered visage compared to earlier days when it was this very characteristic that brought him many laughs.

As an ardent admirer, I couldn’t help but sync my stride with the rhythm of a Moranis tune, humming along as I strolled, my earbuds buzzing with life. And then, with two bags brimming, I triumphantly marched back home, having conquered the shopping spree.

After his wife Ann Belsky lost her fight against cancer in 1991, the actor who played Ghostbuster started to gradually step away from Hollywood.

2005’s interview with USA Today found Moranis explaining that his primary reason for delaying extensive movie productions was to prioritize his family commitments.

He shared that as a solo parent, juggling child-rearing responsibilities and the demands of filmmaking proved challenging. Consequently, he decided to take some time off. This brief respite grew longer, and eventually, he realized he wasn’t longing for his previous life in the movie industry.

In the year 1996, Moranis made his last theatrical appearance in a comedy movie titled “Big Bully.” He shared the screen with Tom Arnold during this production.

The next year, he took on the main part in the direct-to-DVD continuation titled Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves.

In the following years, Moranis found himself leaning towards voice acting more often, since voice recording sessions typically require less time compared to on-screen performances.

In various children’s cartoons and even his last movie role, a theatrical production – the 2003 Disney animated film Brother Bear.

He carried on with voice acting during the 2000s, and he appeared sparingly in live-action for the TV Movie Bob & Doug McKenzie’s Two-Four Anniversary, a follow-up to the 1983 beloved comedy film Strange Brew that featured Canadian humor icon Dave Thomas as his co-star.

In addition to this, the majority of Moranis’ recent acting roles have been limited. They include a brief voice appearance as his Spaceballs character Dark Helmet in an episode of The Goldbergs from 2018 and a 2020 Mint Mobile commercial where he starred alongside Ryan Reynolds.

Although generally shying away from public attention, Moranis has made it clear that he doesn’t view himself as having fully retired.

Following reports that he declined a cameo role in the 2016 female-led Ghostbusters remake, where original stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Sigourney Weaver appeared, Moranis clarified before the movie’s premiere that he had been taking a break, or ‘hiatus.’ Now that his children Rachel and Mitchell have grown up, he is no longer against acting again.

In 2015, he shared with The Hollywood Reporter that he had become significantly more choosy about the roles he accepted as he advanced further in his acting career.

He mentioned that his pause turned out to be more prolonged, but he’s always eager to explore things that catch his attention. Occasionally, he receives inquiries regarding film or TV roles, and whenever one that sparks his curiosity arises, he’s ready.

He further expressed, “I genuinely want their success. I’m eager for it to be exceptional. However, I can’t comprehend why I should only film for a single day when I worked on this project three decades ago.

In the narrative, I envision a continuation of the series where Josh Gad steps into the shoes of Moranis’ eccentric inventor’s offspring. Remarkably, the esteemed actor himself returns to revisit and enliven the initial character he once portrayed.

Nonetheless, the Covid-19 outbreak caused a halt in the project’s progression. Yet, Gad expressed eagerness to continue working on the film in future years, mentioning that he and Moranis had been cooperating on it as late as 2022.

Yet, Gad confessed in 2023 that the sequel has sunk without a trace for now, but there’s a chance it might resurface again someday.

Regardless of Shrunk’s misfortune, Moranis is set to make his eagerly anticipated comeback to the silver screen with the forthcoming Spaceballs sequel, scheduled for a premiere in 2027.

In the reappearance of the cast, we find Brooks portraying his wise character Yogurt, while Bill Pullman takes on the role of Lone Starr, and Daphne Zuniga continues her part as Princess Vespa.

In the movie, fresh faces have been added to the team. Lewis Pullman, who is Pullman senior’s real-life son, will portray Starburst, the character’s son. Keke Palmer has been cast as Destiny, and Josh Gad will appear in a role yet to be revealed.

Originally, Brooks both wrote and directed the movie Spaceballs. However, it’s now Josh Greenbaum who will be in charge of directing, while Gad, Dan Hernandez, and Benji Samit are jointly working on the script for this project.

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2025-07-18 16:23

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