How far would you be willing to go to put your family first?
If you grew up in the 80s, you’re more than familiar with a comedic actor named Rick Moranis. Rick appeared in dozens of television shows and hit Hollywood movies, including favorites like “Honey, I Shrunk The Kids,” “Ghostbusters,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Spaceballs,” and more.
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His friendly, goofy face appeared in countless films throughout the 80s and 90s, and his career seemed in no danger of slowing down.
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Then, in 1997, Rick disappeared from the silver screen, possibly forever. But why?
The story behind Rick’s absence might make you think differently about the man who made us all laugh.
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Rick made the decision to walk away from his fame and fortune because in 1997, his wife Ann Belsky passed away. He was suddenly left as the sole parent to two infants.
Ann had been battling breast cancer for some time, and once she was gone Rick realized that raising children Rachel and Mitchell alone was going to take all of his time, energy, and concentration. Selflessly, he stepped away from the limelight so he could be the best dad possible.
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“I’m a single parent and I just found that it was too difficult to manage to raise my kids and to do the traveling involved in making movies,” Rick later explained. “So I took a little bit of a break. And the little bit of a break turned into a longer break, and then I found that I really didn’t miss it.”
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Rick’s costars and colleagues all thought he would be back, growing tired of the domestic life in the suburbs. However, Rick found that both he and his children were thriving under their new arrangement.
“When my kids came home, there was music, lights, and great smells coming out of the kitchen. It was just a joyful place to be, and that’s what I wanted.”
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Over the years, Rick dabbled in voice work, even voicing the character of “Rutt” in the Disney “Brother Bear” movies. He has also satisfied his urge to be creative by releasing two albums of comedy songs, and he’s done some radio work as well.
When asked if he misses the creative process of making movies, he says he doesn’t.
“I didn’t walk away from that. I applied all of my creativity to my home life, to my kids. I didn’t change. I just shifted my focus.”
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Rick’s modest approach to life is commendable, and his children seem to have thrived under his attentive parenting style. As for his Hollywood career, only time will tell if he’ll ever return to the silver screen, but one thing is for sure: he doesn’t regret making the decision to turn away from his acting career at all.
“I decided I wanted to be home with my family. I have absolutely no regrets. My life is wonderful.”
As if we needed another reason to love this actor! Please share this story to remind everyone to always put their families first.
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