Moviefone logo
Trending
'Wicked: For Good' Trailer
'Zootopia 2' Teaser Trailer
'Superman' Trailer
'Ironheart' Trailer
Prime Video
MurderbotMurderbot
Lilo & Stitch - Noisy Moviegoer Clip
Lilo & Stitch
Elio - Freeze Frame Clip
Elio
Superman - Official Teaser Trailer
Superman
Jurassic World Rebirth - Jonathan Bailey Character Poster
Jurassic World Rebirth
Cleaner - Daisy Ridley Exclusive Interview
Cleaner
Wednesday Season 2 - Hunter Doohan Character Poster
Wednesday
Elio - Teaser Clip 2
Elio
FUBAR Season 2 - Arnold Schwarzenegger at the Los Angeles Premiere
FUBAR
Lilo & Stitch - Frog's POV Clip
Lilo & Stitch
Wicked: For Good - Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba
Wicked: For Good
Lilo & Stitch - Car Ride Scene
Lilo & Stitch
Wednesday Season 2 - Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán Character Poster
Wednesday
Murderbot - Now Streaming Clip
Murderbot
Echo Valley - Domhnall Gleeson at the European Premiere
Echo Valley
Elio - Gift Bag Beam Me Write Up Clip
Elio
Saint Clare - Bella Thorne as Clare Bleecker
Saint Clare
  1. News
  2. ›Movies

7 Movies To Make You Wish Rick Moranis Was Still Acting

Todd Gilchrist
April 18, 2019 - 1 min read

From “SCTV” to shrunken children, there were few actors in the 1980s who made us laugh more than Rick Moranis. In roles big and small, seemingly conventional and irrepressibly wild, Moranis was an essential part of an ensemble of comedians and actors that recombined itself in endless variations not just for laughs but tremendous critical and commercial success. To commemorate the actor’s 66th (!) birthday, we’ve assembled a shortlist of films that highlight his amazing talent, as we desperately wish he would return to acting.

‘Strange Brew’ (1983)

Moranis not only co-starred in this 1983 breakthrough film as Bob McKenzie, one half of the popular Canadian duo first launched on SCTV, but co-wrote and co-directed this film about two brothers whose idiotic scheme for free beer leads them to uncover a vast mind control conspiracy conceived by a corporate overlord played by Max Von Sydow. You know. That old story.

‘Ghostbusters’ (1984)

One of the decade’s biggest blockbusters, Ivan Reitman’s comedy added Moranis as Louis Tully, a socially awkward ant who gets possessed by demonic spirits -- but the trade-off is that he gets to make out with his comely neighbor Dana, played by Sigourney Weaver.

‘Little Shop of Horrors’ (1986)

In Frank Oz’s musical update of the 1960 Roger Corman cheapie (adapted from the Off-Broadway sensation), Moranis plays Seymour Krelborn, a scrappy flower shop cashier whose acquisition of a strange plant has homicidal repercussions. We can't walk by a Venus flytrap without saying "Feed me, Seymour!"

‘Spaceballs’ (1987)

Mel Brooks’ skillful “Star Wars” parody is anchored by Moranis’ performance as Lord Dark Helmet, the all-powerful but infantile commander of the Spaceball forces who learns how to fast forward the movie to learn what to do next, and eventually squares off against hero Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) using only the power of the Schwartz.

‘Honey I Shrunk the Kids’ (1989)

Joe Johnston capitalized on Moranis’ nerdy persona in earlier films like “Ghostbusters” to cast him as Wayne Szalinski, a scientist who invents a device that can shrink objects, including -- you guessed it -- his own children.

‘Parenthood’ (1989)

Ron Howard beautifully used Moranis in a different way in this decidedly more grounded comedy-drama, where he plays an overachieving scientist whose obsession with his daughter’s education begins to drive a wedge between him and his wife (Harley Kozak).

‘My Blue Heaven’ (1990)

Herb Ross directed this comedy about a rigid FBI agent named Barney Coopersmith (Moranis) who forges an unusual friendship with a mobster (Steve Martin) after agreeing to monitor his placement in the Witness Protection program.

strange brew
Movies
Todd Gilchrist
Article by Todd Gilchrist
Freelance Writer

Related News

Whew! '30 Rock' Will Stream on Hulu Along With 'Parenthood'
Whew! '30 Rock' Will Stream on Hulu Along With 'Parenthood'
Dax Shepard Encouraged Wife Kristen Bell to 'Suck Off Josh Duhamel's Mustache' in 'CHiPs'
Dax Shepard Encouraged Wife Kristen Bell to 'Suck Off Josh Duhamel's Mustache' in 'CHiPs'
Lauren Graham Says 'Gilmore Girls: A Year In the Life' Leaves No Question Unanswered
Lauren Graham Says 'Gilmore Girls: A Year In the Life' Leaves No Question Unanswered
How Jason Ritter Is 'Helping to Keep' His Family's Legacy Alive
How Jason Ritter Is 'Helping to Keep' His Family's Legacy Alive
A 'Parenthood' Revival Could Happen, Inspired by 'Gilmore Girls'
A 'Parenthood' Revival Could Happen, Inspired by 'Gilmore Girls'
5 Best Series to Watch Before Entering Parenthood
5 Best Series to Watch Before Entering Parenthood

More News on Moviefone

‘Harry Potter’ TV Series Adds Nine More Cast
‘Harry Potter’ TV Series Adds Nine More Cast
Netflix's 'In Your Dreams' Sneak Peek With Craig Robinson
Netflix's 'In Your Dreams' Sneak Peek With Craig Robinson
Movie Review: ‘The Life of Chuck’
Movie Review: ‘The Life of Chuck’
Cobie Smulders s ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ Season 4
Cobie Smulders s ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ Season 4
'Diablo' Exclusive Interview: Scott Adkins
'Diablo' Exclusive Interview: Scott Adkins
Andrew Garfield and Monica Barbaro in Talks For ‘Artificial’
Andrew Garfield and Monica Barbaro in Talks For ‘Artificial’
‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ Adds ‘Pearl’s Mia Goth
‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ Adds ‘Pearl’s Mia Goth
A ‘One of Them Days’ Sequel is in the Works
A ‘One of Them Days’ Sequel is in the Works
Every Wes Anderson Movie, Ranked
Every Wes Anderson Movie, Ranked
'Dogma' 25th Anniversary Interview: Director Kevin Smith
'Dogma' 25th Anniversary Interview: Director Kevin Smith
Beach Boys Co-Founder Brian Wilson Dies Aged 82
Beach Boys Co-Founder Brian Wilson Dies Aged 82
Emily Hampshire s Marvel’s ‘Vision’ Series as E.D.I.T.H.
Emily Hampshire s Marvel’s ‘Vision’ Series as E.D.I.T.H.

Movie and TV Reviews

How to Train Your Dragon poster
How to Train Your Dragon
Movie Review
75
Ballerina poster
Ballerina
Movie Review
55
Stick poster
Stick
Season 1
TV Show Review
75

Top Movies

Deep Cover poster
Deep Cover
If you want to survive, improvise.
78
Spaceballs poster
Spaceballs
May the farce be with you.
68
The ant² poster
The ant²
Do you like puzzles?
72

Top Series

Dept. Q poster
Dept. Q
Not all causes are lost.
79
FUBAR poster
FUBAR
Heroes don't retire. They reload.
67
Poker Face poster
Poker Face
Murder mysteries can take detours.
76

Follow Moviefone

RSS

Latest Trailers

'In Your Dreams' Teaser Trailer1:19'In Your Dreams' Teaser Trailer
'Saint Clare' Trailer1:35'Saint Clare' Trailer
'Foundation' Season 3 Trailer2:13'Foundation' Season 3 Trailer
'Eddington' Trailer2:22'Eddington' Trailer
'Ballard' Trailer2:24'Ballard' Trailer
'Abraham's Boys: A Dracula Story' Trailer1:52'Abraham's Boys: A Dracula Story' Trailer
Moviefone logo

our Newsletter

Movies by Keyword
TV Show Clips
Apple TV+
Cinemark Theatres
Made In Hollywood Teen
TV Movies
TV GenresComedy TV Shows
Marvel Cinematic Universe
James McAvoy
We Live in Time
RSS
Copyright © 2025 Moviefone Media LLC
Asset 1 This product uses the TMDb API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDb.