It's been 35 years since Ghostbusters answered the question, "Who you gonna call?" when the sci-fi comedyhit theaters on June 8, 1984.
The movie follows three former parapsychology professors and a retired Marine who create a unique business to remove ghosts for their clients. Bill Murray starred as the group's leader Peter Venkman, while Dan Aykroyd portrayed Ray Stantz, Harold Ramis starred as Egon Spengler and Ernie Hudson played Winston Zeddemore.
The film also starred Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts and David Margulies.
Following the critical praise and box office success of the 1984 film, Ghostbusters II debuted in theaters on June 16, 1989 with many of the original castmembers reprising their roles.
Aykroyd and Ramis penned the screenplays for both films, while Ivan Reitman directed.
The franchise has remained relevant over the years and has inspired a number of related projects, including the 2016 female-fronted reboot, which starred Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones. That film, which was directed by Paul Feig, received intense online backlash from fans of the original films who didn't want to see Ghostbusters remade with female characters.
Jason Reitman, who is the son of original Ghostbusters helmer Reitman, is set to direct the latest film in the franchise.
Read on to see what the cast of Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II have been up to since Venkman, Ray and Egon opened their paranormal business.
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Bill Murray (Peter Venkman)
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Murray portrayed Peter Venkman, the unofficial leader of the Ghostbusters. He is known for his blunt persona, laidback approach to his profession as a scientist and womanizing behavior. The actor had already made a name for himself in projects like Caddyshack and for starring and writing for Saturday Night Live prior to his role in Ghostbusters. Murray has gone on to star in Nothing Lasts Forever, Little Shop of Horrors, Scrooged, What About Bob?, Groundhog Day, Wild Things, Rushmore, Lost in Translation, Broken Flowers, Zombieland, Get Low, Moonrise Kingdom, Hyde Park on Hudson, The Grand Budapest Hotel, St. Vincent, Aloha and The Dead Don't Die. Additionally, he appeared in the 2016 Ghostbusters film as Martin Heiss. Murray will next appear in Zombieland: Double Tap, The French Dispatch and On the Rocks. On the TV side, Murray has made guest appearances on Alpha House, Parks and Recreation and Angie Tribeca. He starred in the Netflix holiday special A Very Murray Christmas in 2015 and currently co-hosts the Facebook Watch series Bill Murray & Brian Doyle-Murray's Extra Innings. Murray won his second Primetime Emmy Award in 2015 for his supporting role as Jack Kennison in Olive Kitteridge, while he won his first Emmy in 1977 in the writing for a variety series category for SNL.
Dan Aykroyd (Ray Stantz)
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Aykroyd starred as Ray Stantz, a member of the Ghostbusters who is often considered the "heart" of the group. Not only did the actor star in the hit film and its sequel, but he also co-wrote the screenplays for both films with Harold Ramis. The former Saturday Night Live star has kept busy since his days of hunting ghosts. His acting credits include Nothing Lasts Forever, My Girl, Grosse Point Blank, Pearl Harbor, Crossroads, Christmas with the Kranks, 50 First Dates, Tammy and Pixels. He also earned an Academy Award nomination for his supporting role of Boolie Werthan in the 1989 film Driving Miss Daisy. He wrote and starred inThe Blues Brothers, Spies Like Us, Dragnet, Coneheads and Blues Brothers 2000. He also wrote and directed the 1991 film Nothing But Trouble. Aykroyd made a cameo appearance as a taxi driver in 2016's Ghostbusters and executive produced the film.The actor has made guest appearances on a number of TV shows including The Nanny, Home Improvement, According to Jim, Family Guy and Workin' Moms. He also hosted the science fiction show Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal from 1996 to 2000 and starred in the sitcom Soul Man from 1997 to 1998.
Harold Ramis (Egon Spengler)
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Ramis starred as the third member of the Ghostbusters, who is the brains of the group and Peter's second-in-command. After starring in and co-writing Ghostbusters and its sequel, Ramis acted in the films Airheads, As Good As It Gets, The Last Kiss, Knocked Up and Year One. Known for his work off camera, Ramis made his directorial debut in 1980 with Caddyshack, which he also wrote. He went on to write films including Back to School, Caddyshack II and Rover Dangerfield. He both directed and wrote Groundhog Dog, Analyze This, Bedazzled, Analyze That and Year One. In 1993, Ramis won the best original screenplay BAFTA for Groundhog Day. Ramis died at the age of 69 in 2014. His death was caused by complications from autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis, which he was first diagnosed with in 2010.
Ernie Hudson (Winston Zeddemore)
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Hudson portrayed Winston, the only member of the Ghostbusters that lacks a background in science. Winston, who is a former Marine, is recruited to join the paranormal business when the service become more in demand. Since starring in both Ghostbusters films, Hudson has acted in the movies Airheads, The Basketball Diaries, Congo, Shark Attack, Miss Congeniality, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, Turning Point, You're Not You, God's Not Dead 2, Spaceman and Nappily Ever After. He also made a cameo in 2016's Ghostbusters as Uncle Bill Jenkins. Hudson starred in HBO's Oz as Warden Leo Glynn from 1996 to 2003 and on ABC's 10-8: Officers on Duty as Senior Deputy John Henry Barnes from 2003 to 2004. He has also made guest appearances on a number of TV shows, including Desperate Housewives, Bones, How I Met Your Mother, Grey's Anatomy, Once Upon A Time, Angie Tribeca, Blue Bloods and Arrow. And he had recurring roles on The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Transformers: Prime and Grace and Frankie. Hudson currently stars as Joseph Burnett on the Spectrum original series L.A.'s Finest.
Sigourney Weaver (Dana Barrett)
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Weaver starred in the films as Dana Barrett, a cellist that lives at 550 Central Park West. The sinister apartment building ultimately becomes the gateway for the apocalyptic deity Gozer the Gozerian. She seeks the help of the Ghostbusters after she becomes an early target of the paranormal entity. Since appearing in Ghostbusters and its sequel, Weaver has gone on to act in the films Dave, Death and the Maiden, Galaxy Quest, Holes, Baby Mama, WALL-E, Avatar, Paul, The Cabin in the Woods, A Monster Calls and The Assignment. Like most of the cast of the original Ghostbusters, Weaver made a cameo in the 2016 reboot as Dr. Rebecca Gorin. The actress is next set to appear in the films Avatar 2, Avatar 3 and My Salinger Years. On the TV side, Weaver has made appearances onFuturama, Eli Stone and Doc Marten, while she has starred inPolitical Animals and The Defenders. Weaver has been nominated for three Academy awards for her roles in Alien, Gorillas in the Mist and Working Girl, while she won Golden Globes for the latter two roles. In addition to her work onscreen, Weaver has appeared in a number of stage productions including The Guys, The Mercy Street, Crazy Mary and Love Letters.
Rick Moranis (Louis Tully)
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Moranis starred as Louis Tully, Dana's nerdy neighbor who works as an accountant. In between Ghostbusters and its sequel, Moranis starred in Little Shop of Horrors and Spaceballs. Since starring in Ghostbusters II, the actor has gone on to appear in the films Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Parenthood, My Blue Heaven, The Flintstones and Big Bully. He also voiced the character Rutt in Brother Bear and Brother Bear 2. The former SCTV actor has appeared in the television specials The Earth Day Special, Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Kids, Bob & Doug McKenzie's Two-Four Anniversary and An Afternoon with SCTV. Moranis co-created the animated sitcom Bob & Doug alongside Dave Thomas. The series ran for two seasons on Global from 2009 to 2011. Additionally, Moranis has released three comedy albums. The first was You, Me, the Music and Me in 1989, followed by 2005's The Agoraphobic Cowboy and 2013's My Mother's Brisket & Other Love Songs. The Agoraphobic Cowboy was nominated in the best comedy album category at the 2006 Grammy Awards. He turned down a chance to cameo in the 2016 Ghostbusters film, but contrary to rumors, he hasn't retired.
Annie Potts (Janine Melnitz)
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Potts portrayed Janine Melnitz, the Ghostbusters' secretary. After starring in the first Ghostbusters film, Potts appeared in Crimes of Passion, Pretty in Pink and Jumpin' Jack Flash. Following Ghostbusters II, she starred in Texasville, Breaking the Rules, Elvis Has Left the Building, Two For One, Humor Me and Happy Anniversary. The actress also voiced the character of Bo Peep in Toy Story, Toy Story 2 and the upcoming Toy Story 4. Potts starred as Mary Jo Shivley on CBS's Designing Women from 1986 to 1993, as Dana Palladino on CBS's Love & War and as Mary Elizabeth "M.E." Sims on Lifetime's Any Day Now from 1998 to 2002. The actress currently stars as Meemaw on CBS'Young Sheldon. She has also had recurring roles on the shows Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Fosters and Chicago Med. Potts appeared in the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot as a hotel clerk named Vanessa.
David Margulies (Lenny Clotch)
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Margulies appeared in both Ghostbusters films as Lenny Clotch, the mayor of New York City. Following his role in the Ghostbusters films, Margulies appeared in movies including Out on a Limb, A Stranger Among Us, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, All Good Things and Fading Gigolo. His television credits include the recurring roles of Neil Mink on The Sopranos and as Elie Wiesel on Madoff, as well as guest appearances on NYPD Blue, The Good Wife and Blue Bloods. He also appeared in a number of stage productions including A Thousand Clowns, 45 Seconds to Broadway and Wonderful Town. Margulies died after a battle with cancer in 2016. He was 79.
