Though not attaining legendary status, Rick Moranis appeared in nearly every funny movie made in the 1980s into the 90s. But then he seemed to retire from the entertainment industry. That makes it interesting examine what is Rick Moranis’ net worth.
Rick Moranis’ net worth has been listed as $10 million. He has starred in 20 movies that collectively grossed $1.8 billion at box offices worldwide, according to The Numbers. He has also worked as a director and musician.
Early Years
Rick Moranis was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1953. He attended elementary school with another famous Canadian, Geddy Lee (the bassist and vocalist from the rock band Rush). Moranis began his entertainment career as a DJ on Canadian radio.
Moranis’ knack for comedic writing landed him a slot as a writer-performer on Canada’s famed comedy show SCTV. When SCTV began its syndication into the U.S., the network requested more specifically Canadian content from the show’s writers. Somewhat baffled by this mandate, Moranis and cohort Dave Thomas created Bob and Doug McKenzie to channel every Canadian stereotype they could imagine.
The beer-drinking, none-too-bright McKenzie brothers, to everyone’s surprise, quickly became SCTV’s most popular characters, and spun into life outside the program. The Great White North, the first record album featuring the characters, sold 1 million copies.
“Take Off,” a comedy rock song on the album featuring Geddy Lee, reached #16 on the Billboard 100 singles chart (oddly, a higher placement than Lee would ever achieve with Rush).
Rick Moranis Hits Hollywood
Bob and Doug made their inevitable Hollywood debut in 1983 with Strange Brew, a comedy co-written by Moranis and Thomas that grossed over $8 million. The movie was too overtly surreal to be a blockbuster, but it remains a cult favorite. More importantly, it provided Moranis his first major Hollywood role. It would not be his last.
Moranis appeared in supporting and lead roles in a number of major films through the 1980s and into the 90s. Many of his collaborators on these films embraced Moranis’ writing talents, and allowed him to rewrite much of his own dialogue.
As a result. his characters are fondly remembered from a number of beloved and highly successful comedies, including:
- Ghostbusters, which grossed $295.2 million at the box office worldwide;
- Ghostbusters 2, $215.4 million;
- Parenthood, $126 million;
- The Flintstones, $335 million.
Moranis also played the lead in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, which took in $222.7 million at the box office, setting a record as Disney’s most successful live-action film.
…And Rick Moranis Leaves Hollywood
The death of his wife, costume designer Anne Belsky, in 1997 prompted Moranis to put his career on hold so that he could care for their two children. To his surprise (and to the consternation of his fans), Moranis found life easier and more enjoyable outside the grind of Hollywood, and has remained happily out of the spotlight ever since.
But Moranis has not disappeared completely. Based in New York, he remains an active writer and voice-over actor, penning humorous pieces for the New York Times and working on projects in the U.S. and Canada. In fact, he played a Canadian bear in the 2003 animated Disney film Brother Bear, which took in $250.4 million at the box office worldwide.
Moranis has also embarked on a music career. His offbeat country album The Agoraphobic Cowboy was released in 2005, and its irreverence and good humor helped it stand out, garnering a nomination for the 2006 Grammy for Best Comedy Album. Moranis’ second album, My Mother’s Brisket & Other Love Songs, dropped in 2013.
And, proving that there’s no keeping a successful comedy act down, the McKenzie brothers continue to appear now and then. Moranis re-teamed with Dave Thomas for Bob & Doug McKenzie’s Two-Four Anniversary special in 2007, and served as a producer of the short-lived animated series Bob & Doug.
More About Rick Moranis’ Net Worth
Moranis seems to be very content outside the spotlight; as he stated so directly in a 2015 Hollywood Reporter interview, “Picky has worked for me.”
He politely, but directly, turned down a chance to appear in the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot, which, considering its worldwide earnings of $229.1 million, would have been a very easy paycheck.
But Moranis appears to have invested his 1980s blockbuster earnings wisely. He lives in a large Upper West Side apartment — valued at $1.74 million — surrounded by his art collection, and is busy enough as a writer and occasional performer.
And though fans may have been disappointed not to see him in the last Ghostbusters movie, there’s something pleasant about the fact that he didn’t have to take the gig.
After a career that has seen blockbuster success and devastating personal loss, that Rick Moranis is simply comfortable and enjoying his life is an even more satisfying ending than you’ll find in a Hollywood movie. We can’t wait to see what Moranis does next (on his own schedule, of course.)
What’s your favorite Rick Moranis quote?
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