Ghostbusters: Where are the cast of the 1984 sci-fi comedy now?

25 March 2024, 12:29

"Who you gonna call?" GHOSTBUSTERS!

Ghostbusters is a classic comedy film that was released in 1984 and became a huge hit at the box office.

The beloved film follows a team of eccentric parapsychologists who start a ghost-catching business in New York City and face a supernatural threat that could end the world.

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The film featured a talented cast of actors and comedians, and it remains one of the most popular films of the 1980s, if not of all time.

With the latest film in the franchise Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire bringing back some of the original cast once more, we will take a look at where the cast is today, and what they have been up to since they donned their proton packs and saved the city from ghosts.

1. Bill Murray (Peter Venkman)

   

   Bill Murray has starred in many popular movies and TV shows. He is known for his deadpan humour and his collaborations with directors like Ivan Reitman, Harold Ramis, Wes Anderson, and Sofia Coppola.

   Murray started his career in the 1970s, as a member of The National Lampoon Radio Hour and Saturday Night Live. He then transitioned to film, appearing in comedies such as Meatballs, Caddyshack, Stripes, and Tootsie. In 1984, he played one of his most iconic roles, Dr. Peter Venkman, in Ghostbusters.

   Since Ghostbusters, Murray has continued to work in both mainstream and independent films, showing his versatility and range as an actor.

   He has received critical acclaim and awards for his performances in dramas such as Lost in Translation, Broken Flowers, and Hyde Park on Hudson, as well as comedies such as Groundhog Day, Rushmore, and The Royal Tenenbaums. He has also lent his voice to animated films such as Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Jungle Book, and Isle of Dogs.

   Murray is also known for his eccentric and unpredictable personality, often surprising fans and strangers with his spontaneous appearances and antics. He is regarded as one of the most influential and beloved comedians of his generation, and a cultural icon.

   Bill returned for Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and will return once again in Frozen Kingdom.

2. Dan Aykroyd (Ray Stantz)

   

   Dan Aykroyd is a Canadian-American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and musician. He is best known for being one of the original cast members of Saturday Night Live, and for co-creating and starring in the comedy films The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters.

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   In 1984, he co-wrote and starred in Ghostbusters, The film was a blockbuster and spawned a sequel, Ghostbusters II, in 1989, and several spin-offs, including video games, animated series, and a reboot in 2016. Akyroyd also appeared in the 2021 sequel, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and the 2024 sequel, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

   Akyroyd has starred in many other comedy films, such as Trading Places, Spies Like Us, Dragnet, The Great Outdoors, Coneheads, and Tommy Boy. He has also shown his versatility in dramatic roles, such as in Driving Miss Daisy, for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 1990, My Girl, Chaplin, and Sneakers.

   Akyroyd is also a businessman, having co-founded the House of Blues chain of music venues and the Crystal Head Vodka brand. He is also interested in the paranormal and ufology, and has hosted several documentaries and podcasts on these topics.

3. Sigourney Weaver (Dana Barrett)

   

   Sigourney Weaver is best known for her roles as Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise and Dana Barrett in the Ghostbusters films. She has also received critical acclaim and awards for her performances in Gorillas in the Mist, Working Girl, The Ice Storm, and Avatar.

   Other roles include Galaxy Quest, The Village and A Monster Calls.

   She made a brief return in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, appearing in a mid-credits scene with Bill Murray.

   Weaver has also lent her voice to animated films such as The Tale of Despereaux, WALL-E, and Finding Dory. She has narrated documentaries such as Planet Earth and The Beatles: Eight Days a Week.

   She has also performed on Broadway and received a Tony Award nomination for Hurlyburly. Weaver is regarded as a versatile and influential actress in cinema history.

4. Harold Ramis (Egon Spengler)

   

   Harold Ramis was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker who was best known for his roles in Ghostbusters and Stripes, as well as his writing and directing credits for several classic comedies.

   In 1989, he reprised his role as Egon in Ghostbusters II, which he also co-wrote and co-produced.

   In 1993, he directed and co-wrote Groundhog Day, a critically acclaimed comedy starring Bill Murray as a weatherman who relives the same day over and over again. The film won a BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay.

   In 1996, he directed Multiplicity, a comedy starring Michael Keaton as a man who clones himself to cope with his busy life. In 1999, he directed and co-wrote Analyze This, a comedy starring Robert De Niro as a mob boss who seeks therapy from a psychiatrist, played by Billy Crystal. The film was a box office hit and spawned a sequel, Analyze That, in 2002, which Ramis also directed and co-wrote.

   He also directed four episodes of the television series The Office.

   In 2014, he died of complications from autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis, a rare disease that causes swelling of the blood vessels. He was 69 years old.

5. Ernie Hudson (Winston Zeddemore)

   

   Ernie Hudson is an American actor who is best known for his role as Winston in the Ghostbusters franchise.

   He reprised his role in the sequel Ghostbusters II (1989), had a cameo in the 2016 reboot and returned as Winston in Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) and its sequel.

   Besides Ghostbusters, Hudson has starred in many other films, such as The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992), The Crow (1994), Congo (1995), and Miss Congeniality (2000).

   He has also played diverse roles on television, such as Warden Leo Glynn on Oz (1997-2003), Agent Bill Fowler on Transformers: Prime (2010-2013), and Herbert 'Magic' Williams on Quantum Leap (2022).

   Hudson is a versatile and prolific actor who has shown his talent in comedy, drama, action, and science fiction genres.

6. Rick Moranis (Louis Tully)

   

   Rick Moranis is a Canadian actor, comedian, musician, songwriter, writer, and producer. He rose to fame in the 1980s as a cast member of the sketch comedy series Second City Television (SCTV).

   He then starred in several Hollywood films, such as Strange Brew (1983), Streets of Fire (1984), Ghostbusters (1984) and its sequel Ghostbusters II (1989), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Spaceballs (1987), Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) and its sequels, Parenthood (1989), My Blue Heaven (1990), and The Flintstones (1994).

   In 1997, Moranis took a long break from acting to focus on raising his two children as a widower, after his wife died of cancer in 1991. He only did some voice-over work for animated films, such as Disney’s Brother Bear (2003) and its sequel.

   He also released comedy albums and made occasional appearances at fan conventions.

   In 2020, after a hiatus of nearly 23 years from live-action films, Moranis signed to appear in a new sequel to Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, called Shrunk. He also appeared in a commercial for Mint Mobile with Ryan Reynolds.

7. Annie Potts (Janine Melnitz)

   

   Annie Potts is best known for her roles in Ghostbusters (1984), Pretty in Pink (1986), and Designing Women (1986–1993).

   After the success of Ghostbusters, Potts reprised her role as Janine Melnitz in Ghostbusters II (1989) and voiced the character in the animated series The Real Ghostbusters (1986–1991). She has also come back for the two recent sequels.

   She also starred in several romantic comedies, such as Jumpin’ Jack Flash (1986), Who’s Harry Crumb? (1989), and Breaking the Rules (1992).

   She received critical acclaim and an Emmy nomination for her performance as Dana Palladino, a witty and cynical chef, in the CBS sitcom Love & War (1993–1995).

   She played the lead role of Louanne Johnson, a former Marine turned teacher, in the drama series Dangerous Minds (1996–1997), based on the film of the same name.

   She earned two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for her portrayal of Mary Elizabeth Sims, a Southern woman dealing with social issues, in the Lifetime drama series Any Day Now (1998–2002).

   She voiced Bo Peep in the animated films Toy Story (1995) and its sequels. She also appeared as a recurring guest star in several popular shows, such as Joan of Arcadia (2003–2005), Ugly Betty (2007–2008), and The Fosters (2013–2018).

   More recently, she plays Connie 'Meemaw' Tucker, the grandmother of the young genius Sheldon Cooper, in the sitcom Young Sheldon (2017–present), a spin-off of The Big Bang Theory.

8. William Atherton (Walter Peck)

   

   William Atherton is best known for his roles as the antagonistic EPA agent Walter Peck in Ghostbusters (1984) and its sequel, and the arrogant reporter Richard Thornburg in Die Hard (1988) and Die Hard 2 (1990).

   Since Ghostbusters, Atherton has continued to work in various genres and mediums. He starred as Professor Jerry Hathaway in the comedy Real Genius (1985), as well as in several dramas such as No Mercy (1986), The Pelican Brief (1993), and The Last Samurai (2003).

   On TV, he has guest-starred on popular shows like The Twilight Zone, Murder, She Wrote, Desperate Housewives, Law & Order, Lost and Castle.

   Atherton is also an accomplished stage actor who has won several awards for his performances on and off Broadway.

   He returns in Ghostbusters: Frozen Kingdom.

9. Ray Parker Jr

   

   Ray Parker Jr is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for writing and performing the theme song for Ghostbusters, which was a number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.

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   Since 1984, Parker has continued to release solo albums and collaborate with other artists.

   Parker is still making music, and is also active on social media, where he shares his personal and professional updates with his fans.