When Rick Moranis made a surprise appearance in a commercial for Ryan Reynolds’ Mint Mobile, fans were overjoyed to see the actor back on their screens, even for a brief TV spot. Some claimed that the 67 year-old had returned to save the world from the dumpster fire that is 2020, but Reynolds has since been forced to apologize for subjecting the Spaceballs star to a year unlike any other.
In shocking news, CCTV footage revealed Moranis being attacked in the street earlier this week when he was doing nothing more than enjoying a stroll near his home in New York. The actor’s representatives have confirmed that he’s okay, but Moranis would have no doubt been shaken up by the ordeal, having gone to the hospital complaining of head and neck pain before reporting the incident to the police.
While the attacker is still yet to be arrested, the NYPD have now offered a $2500 reward for any information on Moranis’ assailant, and you can guarantee that there’s already an army of internet sleuths on the case to try and find the person responsible for the completely unprovoked assault on a beloved actor that defined a generation with roles in movies like Ghostbusters, Little Shop of Horrors and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.
Of course, the incident will hardly convince Rick Moranis to end his self-imposed exile from the public eye, and he’s largely stuck to voice work over the last quarter of a century after initially taking a break from Hollywood. However, his recent commercial has led to hopes that he might become a more regular presence in front of the camera, especially as he’s set to star in his first live-action movie since 1997 when he teams up with Josh Gad for Honey, I Shrunk the Kids follow-up Shrunk.