Why Did Rick Moranis Leave Hollywood? Actor Returns for ‘Spaceballs’ Sequel

Rick Moranis was a titan of ’80s and ’90s comedy, with unforgettable star turns in films like Ghostbusters, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and Spaceballs. However, after losing his wife to cancer in 1991, Moranis stepped away from Hollywood to raise their two children, quietly shifting away from the spotlight in 1997.

So fans have been thrilled and surprised to find out that Moranis is reprising his role as Dark Helmet in the new Spaceballs sequel; he will be joined on screen by original co-stars Bill Pullman and Mel Brooks, as well as new addition Keke Palmer. Prior to this, his last live action film role was in 1997’s Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves, and his last live-action TV appearance was 2007’s Bob & Doug McKenzie’s Two-Four Anniversary, in which he reprised his iconic SCTV character Bob McKenzie. The actor has done some voiceover work in the intervening decades, most notable for Disney’s Brother Bear films.