37 years ago the world saw the release of the first Ghostbusters feature film, seeing it almost immediately rise to pop culture stardom and taking over the imagination of children.
With a sequel, a cartoon series, a reboot and even a video game written by the original creators, the Ghostbusters franchise has stayed deep within public consciousness and it’s set to stay that way with the new movie Ghostbusters: Afterlife on the way.
But what happened to the original stars of the franchise and where can we find them now, nearly 40 years later.
From movie career success, death, physical assault, internal feuds and even starring roles in your favourite kids movies, this original cast have had a varied life.
Harold Ramis
Most known as the role of Egon, the nerdy straight man of the group , you may not know that Harold Ramis actually wrote Ghostbusters along with directing a number of other famous comedies from the time.
Harold Ramis would play a major part in Hollywood following the feature, writing the Groundhog Day, Analyze This and Bedazzled.
In 2014, Harold sadly passed away at the age of 69 due to complications from autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis, a condition he had been diagnosed with since 2010.
While Egon wont be returning to our screen due to Ramis' passing, the story seems to be following the characters grandchildren as they explore the legacy he left behind, a fitting conclusion to his end after impacting the lives of so many kids with his movies.
Bill Murray
Following his leading role as Peter Venkman in the franchise, Bill Murray has gone from strength to strength as his career continued to climb, more recently through his work with famous director Wes Anderson.
Bill famously had a feud with fellow Ghostbuster star and writer Harold Ramis after their relationship fell apart while production was underway on the classic feature Groundhog Day.
Murray had supposedly made Ramis so frustrated that Ramis grabbed Bill by the collar and threw him against a wall, leading to Murray refusing to speak to Harold for over 20 years.
Harold’s daughter confirmed that the pair were able to repair the feud before the end, as Bill appeared one morning at their door with a box of donuts as a police escort.
With Harold’s illness having reached a point where he was unable to speak, Bill covered most of the talking as they hung out as friends, choosing not to mention the past.
Ernie Hudson
Ernie Hudson’s career took off after a stint of smaller roles in TV made way for his appearance in Ghostbusters.
His career has since continued upward as he played leading roles in The Hand that Rocks the Cradle and the 2000 Miss Congeniality series alongside Sandra Bullock.
Ernie is most known for his role in the HBO prison drama OZ, where he portrayed the character of Warden Leo Glyn and can now be seen on Netflix’s Grace and Frankie and The Family Business.
Ernie is set to return to the role of Winston Zeddmore from the Ghostbusters movies in the upcoming feature Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
Dan Akroyd
Dan Akroyd considers himself to be a spiritualist and the original concept for Ghostbusters came from him as a more serious movie about the supernatural.
After pairing with Ramis, the due reimagined it into a family comedy and Dan continued to work within the Film and TV industry, starring as the father in the classic My Girl.
In 2009 Dan followed his father on a tour to promote a book his father had written on the supernatural experiences their family had been a part of.
Dan will be reprising his role as Raymond Stantz in the upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife movie alongside former cast members Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson and Sigourney Weaver.
Rick Moranis
Standout actor Rick Moranis stole audience hearts with his hilarious performance in the franchise and continued to secure comedic roles well into the 90s with leading parts in Little Shop of Horrors and film series Honey I Shrunk the Kids.
Moranis decided to take a break in his acting career after the death of his wife in 1997 so that he could raise his children.
After a 23-year hiatus, he hit the headlines once more after an assault in New York City sent him to hospital.
Rick is set to reprise his famous role in the Shrunk franchise, having signed onto the production of a sequel in 2020.
Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver needs no introduction as the star has long surpassed her Ghostbusters fame, with fans knowing her best as Ripley from the Alien franchise.
Weaver later appeared in the cult comedy Galaxy Quest, a movie focused on celebrating and laughing at the more ridiculous parts of earlier sci-fi entertainment.
Sigourney’s fame among horror fans has lead to her appearing as the surprise villain in a number of movies including Cabin in the Woods and Paul.
Sigourney Weaver is set to appear in the next four Avatar movies along with the new Ghostbusters: Afterlife film later this year.
Annie Potts
When explaining their reasoning for hiring the character of Janine in the series, Bill Murray and Dan Akroyd's characters simply say it’s because her voice is wonderful.
Having married four times and raising three children, Annie had a difficult time finding the one but finally found love in current husband James Hayman, most known for his directing rolls across popular American television shows like Ugly Betty, The Sopranos, ER, House M.D. and even Law and Order.
Annie Potts has gone on to voice Bo Peep in the Toy Story franchise and she now plays the role of Meemaw in the Big Bang Theory spin off show Young Sheldon.
David Margulies
Portraying the mayor of New York in both feature films, David Margulies had the difficult role of trying to reel the team in, an impossible task for anyone.
David would go on to have a long running career through Film, TV and the stage until his unfortunate death in 2016 at 79 from cancer.
- Hollywood
- Netflix
- Alien
Source: Read Full Article
