They still ain’t afraid of no ghosts.

Where is the cast of Ghostbusters today? See what the original stars are up to more than 40 years later

They still ain't afraid of no ghosts.

By Declan Gallagher

and Kevin Jacobsen

June 8, 2026 2:00 p.m. ET

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Bill Murray as Peter Venkman, Dan Aykroyd as Ray Stantz, Ernie Hudson as Winston Zeddemore, and Harold Ramis as Egon Spengler in 'Ghostbusters'. Credit:

Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett

*Ghostbusters* has the kind of premise, title, and comedic stars that could have made it a one-and-done experiment that didn't live up to its potential. Instead, the genre-bending story of a trio of parapsychologist professors who launch a ghost-capture business in New York City achieved a rare status as a comedy, becoming a hit with critics and audiences in 1984 and earning two Oscar nominations for its catchy title song and visual effects.

Directed by Ivan Reitman, the film helped bolster the careers of stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis, alongside their impressive cadre of costars like Sigourney Weaver, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, and Rick Moranis. More than 40 years later, *Ghostbusters *has become a multimedia franchise, with most of the original stars reprising their roles in 1989's *Ghostbusters II* and the two legacy sequels in the 2020s. Ahead, as the original *Ghostbusters* celebrates the 42nd anniversary of its release in theaters, we're looking at where the cast is now, decades after first encountering the deceptively villainous Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.**

Bill Murray (Dr. Peter Venkman)

Bill Murray as Peter Venkman in 'Ghostbusters'; Bill Murray attends the 29th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on Feb. 26, 2023, in Los Angeles, Calif. Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock; Frazer Harrison/Getty

Bill Murray began his storied career with Second City and the *National Lampoon Radio Hour* before making himself known to national audiences on *Saturday Night Live*. Film roles in *Meatballs *(1979), *Caddyshack *(1980), and *Stripes* (1981) cemented his cinematic credentials, but it was *Ghostbusters *that blew the actor (and the film itself) into the box-office stratosphere.

"Basically we were fortunate to have the greatest comic leading man of our generation come on and see the appeal of it and carry the ball right down and win the game for us," costar and screenwriter Dan Aykroyd told EW in 2014 as part of an oral history for the film's 30th anniversary. "There would've been no success without Murray. We don't do these things alone, but I credit 50 percent of the success of that whole adventure to him, and we'll never see the likes of it again."

In the immediate aftermath of *Ghostbusters*, Murray took a dramatic turn with 1984's *The Razor's Edge* (which he also wrote), and made his musical debut in *Little Shop of Horrors* (1986) opposite Rick Moranis. After codirecting 1990's *Quick Change*, he gave a seminal performance in *Ghostbuster *scribe Harold Ramis' *Groundhog Day *(1993). He later breathed new life into his career with a key supporting role in Wes Anderson's second feature, *Rushmore *(1998). The actor has since appeared in every subsequent Anderson film (including as the title character in 2004's *The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou*), except 2023's *Asteroid City.*

The funnyman continued to work with some of the most compelling directors of the 21st century, receiving an Oscar nomination for his textured turn in Sofia Coppola's *Lost in Translation* (2003). He won an Emmy for his supporting turn in the 2014 HBO miniseries *Olive Kitteridge*.

Murray has long had a reputation for being hard to work with, which culminated in 2022, when production on the film *Being Mortal *halted following allegations of inappropriate conduct. Many actors, including Geena Davis and Seth Green, have since come forward with stories of alleged misconduct by Murray. Regardless of the negative press, his career has trotted onward, reprising his role as Dr. Peter Venkman in 2021's *Ghostbusters: Afterlife* and 2024's *Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire*.

Murray has six children between his two ex-wives.

Dan Aykroyd (Dr. Raymond Stantz)

Dan Aykroyd as Raymond Stantz in 'Ghostbusters'; Dan Aykroyd as Buddy on 'The Conners'. Columbia Pictures/Everett; Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty

Dan Aykroyd made a name for himself on *Saturday Night Live* as one of the original writers and performers. After breaking into the movies with a series of hits, he wrote and starred in *Ghostbusters — *but he couldn't have pulled it off on his own.

"Without Ivan [Reitman] and Harold [Ramis], [the script] would've had no shape," Aykroyd told EW in 2014. "Ivan did a good job of taking my whole through-line, as Harold encouraged us to do, and keep it alive: the industrial-hazard aspect of cleaning these spirits up and making sure that they don't bother us here in this dimension. That was the through-line: This is a tough job. That's why they smoke cigarettes — not because I'm promoting smoking. These guys were under stress, and I wanted to show the stress of being ghost cleaners, what it really would be like."

After many more comedy ventures, Aykroyd flexed his dramatic chops in 1989's *Driving Miss Daisy*, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He then made his directorial debut in 1991's *Nothing But Trouble* and appeared in some notable hits during the ‘90s. Who among us had dry eyes during *My Girl** *(1991)? *Tommy Boy* (1995) provided some solid laughs, and *Grosse Pointe Blank* (1997) is a classic that perhaps features his best performance.

He continued acting in the new millennium, appearing as a military captain in the blockbuster romance *Pearl Harbor** *(2001), as the father to Britney Spears in *Crossroads *(2002), and in the Terence Davies adaptation of Edith Wharton's *The House of Mirth *(2000).

Aykroyd later acted in Steven Soderbergh's Liberace picture *Behind the Candelabra* (2013), the Melissa McCarthy vehicle *Tammy* (2014), and the James Brown biopic *Get on Up *(2014). He returned for the *Ghostbusters* legacy sequels *Afterlife* and *Frozen Empire* as well.

After marrying in 1983, Akyroyd separated from his wife, actress Donna Dixon, in 2022.

Sigourney Weaver (Dana Barrett)

Sigourney Weaver as Dana Barrett in 'Ghostbusters'; Sigourney Weaver attends the 2023 'Vanity Fair' Oscar party at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 12, 2023, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Columbia Pictures/Everett; Lionel Hahn/Getty

Sigourney Weaver rose to prominence after headlining one of the most influential sci-fi and horror films of all time: Ridley Scott's *Alien** *(1979). Then, she surprised everyone with a pivot toward comedy by playing Dana Barrett in *Ghostbusters*.

"Comedy actually was what I felt I did best, but after *Alien*, no one could imagine that I could be funny," Weaver told EW in 2014. "I'd been offered an Andy Kaufman project about two robots that fall in love, and I was so excited to work with him. But my agent convinced me that the script just wasn't good enough, so I had sort of tearfully let that go. So with *Ghostbusters *— which was brilliant and so funny and so full of heart — I was really determined."

And her determination paid off. Now regarded as one of cinema's most talented and versatile actors, Weaver has worked across genres (and budgets) over the last four decades and accumulated accolades from all corners of the industry. She reprised her iconic character Ellen Ripley for three *Alien* sequels and even scored a Best Actress Oscar nomination for James Cameron's 1986 follow-up, *Aliens*. She then became the rare actor to earn two Oscar nominations in the same year for her turns in 1988's *Gorillas in the Mist* and *Working Girl*, and has gone on to stand out in films such as *The Ice Storm* (1997) and *Galaxy Quest* (1999)

Then came Weaver's turn as Dr. Grace Augustine in 2009's *Avatar*, adding yet another seminal sci-fi franchise to her jam-packed resume. She remarkably returned to the 2022 sequel, *Avatar: The Way of Water*, as the teenage daughter of her past character, Dr. Augustine, who has been adopted into the Na'vi community. She reprised her teenage role in 2025's *Avatar: Fire and Ash, *and joined the *Star Wars* universe playing Colonel Ward in *The Mandalorian and Grogu* (2026). Weaver also had a cameo in *Ghostbusters: Afterlife*.

Weaver has been married to stage director Jim Simpson since 1984; they have one child.

Harold Ramis (Dr. Egon Spengler)

Harold Ramis as Egon Spengler in 'Ghostbusters'; Harold Ramis at the 'Meet the Oscars' exhibit at the Shops at North Bridge on Feb. 25, 2010, in Chicago, Ill. Columbia Pictures/Everett; Barry Brecheisen/Getty

Like his costar Rick Moranis, the late Harold Ramis got his start in the early days of *Second City Television* (*SCTV*). For a time, Ramis was replaced in the cast by John Belushi before he found a niche as Belushi's sidekick. This began his historically fruitful and eventually rocky relationship with Bill Murray, as Belushi recruited the two comedians to work for the *National Lampoon Radio Hour*.

While Ramis enjoyed previous acting roles in some of his directing and writing ventures, his turn in *Ghostbusters *as Big Brain Dr. Egon Spengler remains his most culturally iconic. And, of course, he penned an incredible script with costar Dan Aykroyd.

But Ramis' best output is hands-down *Groundhog Day* (1993). It's a terrific time-loop film that still holds up, but it led to a catastrophic falling out between Murray and Ramis that was only patched up just before Ramis died in 2014 at age 69.

After *Groundhog Day*, Ramis directed a string of modest comedies, some of which (1996's *Multiplicity*, 1999's *Analyze This*, 2005's* The Ice Harvest*) were better, or at least more interesting, than others.

Ramis continued acting, with roles including a supporting part in *As Good as It Gets *(1997), an amusing cameo in *Orange County* (2002), and playing Seth Rogen's dad in *Knocked Up* (2007). Even so, he'll always be best remembered for his stunning contributions to comedy across decades.

"With his sly, Cheshire cat grin and twinkling, half-mast eyes hidden behind owlish glasses, Harold Ramis always gave the impression of a guy who was guarding the punchline to the world's funniest joke," wrote EW's critic in a tribute following the star's death. "After all, if anyone had the merry-prankster genius to conceive it, polish it into a jeweler-precise gem, and deliver it with crack comic timing, it was Ramis."

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Ernie Hudson (Winston Zeddemore)

Ernie Hudson as Winston Zeddemore in 'Ghostbusters'; Ernie Hudson attends the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations – Career Retrospective: Ernie Hudson at SAG-AFTRA Foundation Screening Room on June 6, 2023, in Los Angeles, Calif. Columbia Pictures/Everett; Araya Doheny/Getty

Ernie Hudson had previously worked with director Ivan Reitman on 1983's *Spacehunter* before netting the role of Winston, a sort of Everyman who gets swept up fighting the supernatural in *Ghostbusters*.

"I get a lot of — not just Black kids — but a lot of minority kids who will come up to me and go, 'Oh, we're so thankful because it was the first big blockbuster movie and there was a Black character and he didn't embarrass us,'" Hudson told EW in 2019. "Just having him be there and be one of the guys, that meant a lot to them … I get that a lot."

After returning for the sequel and starring in the 1989 sci-fi horror film *Leviathan*, the actor worked steadily throughout the '90s with turns in *The Hand That Rocks the Cradle *(1992), *The Crow* (1994), *Airheads* (1994), *The Basketball Diaries *(1995), and *Congo* (1995). Yet it was after starring as Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's *Oz* that Hudson's career really began to soar.

Since then, he's enjoyed extended arcs on series like *Desperate Housewives *and *Grace and Frankie*, and currently leads *The Family Business*. Hudson has also stacked up more than 50 feature film roles, including 2023's genial sports comedy *Champions*, 2026's *Toy Story 5*, and the recent *Ghostbusters* films.

Hudson has been married to his wife, Linda Kingsberg, since 1985.

Annie Potts (Janine Melnitz)

Annie Potts as Janine Melnitz in 'Ghostbusters'; Annie Potts attends the 28th annual Critics Choice Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on Jan. 15, 2023, in Los Angeles, Calif. Columbia Pictures/Everett; Frazer Harrison/Getty

After netting a Golden Globe nomination for her film debut in 1978's *Corvette Summer*, Annie Potts joined the cast of *Ghostbusters*, played the ultimate Cool Girl record store clerk in *Pretty in Pink* (1986), and essayed her most iconic role as barbed single-mother Mary Jo Shively on *Designing Women*. She remained active in television with an Emmy-nominated role on the CBS sitcom *Love & War* and earned a SAG nod for her turn on Lifetime's *Any Day Now*.

Even though she's acted in her fair share of comedic roles before and since *Ghostbusters*, the film's singular offbeat style and improvised delivery make it stand out to Potts decades later. "It was a very unique property and I think everybody saw that," she told EW in 2014. "Even with Bill [Murray] and Ivan [Reitman]'s success, it was like, 'What is this? A comedy? Sci-fi?' It was almost unclassifiable. I'd never seen anything like it. I thought, this is just going to be totally awesome or totally awful."

Aside from appearances in every subsequent *Ghostbusters *picture to date (including as a separate character in Paul Feig's 2016 reboot), Potts has kept busy while voicing Bo Peep in the *Toy Story* movies (excluding the third film), playing the grandmother on *Young Sheldon* and its spinoff (*Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage*), and starring on the Fox medical dramedy *Best Medicine*.

Rick Moranis (Louis Tully)

Rick Moranis as Louis Tully in 'Ghostbusters'; Rick Moranis attends the Dave Thomas and the Second City Present 'Take Off, EH!' An All-Star Benefit after party for Jake Thomas and Spinal Cord Injury Ontario held at Wayne Gretzky's on July 18, 2017, in Toronto, Canada. Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock; George Pimentel/Getty

Before he played Louis Tully, Rick Moranis was already a celebrated disc jockey and television personality in Canada. As one of the (several) breakout stars of *SCTV*, he and costar Dave Thomas became widely known as their respective on-screen personas, Bob and Doug McKenzie. A year before *Ghostbusters* hit theaters, Moranis made his film debut in *Strange Brew*, a feature-length McKenzie brothers adventure. His other notable acting credits include *Little Shop of Horrors* (1986), *Spaceballs* (1987), and *Parenthood* (1989).

Outside of *Ghostbusters* and its immediate sequel, Moranis is famous for his turn in *Honey, I Shrunk the Kids* (1989) as family-man inventor Wayne Szalinksi, whose gadgets often bear tragic repercussions for his loved ones (the nature of which you can guess based on the title). It was followed by two franchise films: *Honey, I Blew Up the Kid* (1992) and *Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves* (1997).

In 1997, Moranis announced that he was taking a hiatus from the industry to raise his two children after his wife, Ann Belsky, died of cancer. In the meantime, he took on a few voice-acting gigs in projects like *Brother Bear *(2003). Fans were nevertheless disappointed to learn that he wouldn't return for a cameo in the 2016 *Ghostbusters* reboot, along with other original cast members. "I wish them well," Moranis told *The Hollywood Reporter *in 2015. "I hope it's terrific. But it just makes no sense to me. Why would I do just one day of shooting on something I did 30 years ago?"

After sporadic guest spots in film and television during the early aughts, Moranis appeared alongside Ryan Reynolds for a 2020 Mint Mobile advert. He is set to make his first live-action film appearance in 30 years in *Spaceballs: The New One* (2027), reprising his role as Dark Helmet.

William Atherton (Walter Peck)

William Atherton as Walter Peck in 'Ghostbusters'; William Atherton attends a 'Ghostbusters' fan event presented by Wizard World held at Sony Studios on June 8, 2019, in Culver City, Calif. Columbia Pictures; Albert L. Ortega/Getty

Perhaps best known for his role as the morally debauched television reporter Richard Thornburg in *Die Hard* (1988), William Atherton began his career with appearances in '70s titles such as *The Day of the Locust* (1975) and *The Sugarland Express *(1974), the latter of which was Steven Spielberg's debut theatrical feature.

After appearing as supercilious EPA company man Walter Peck in *Ghostbusters*, Atherton completed his trilogy of goofy comedies with *Real Genius* (1985) and *Bio-Dome* (1996). The actor had small parts in movies like the Tom Cruise epic *The Last Samurai *(2003) and *The Girl Next Door* (2007).

He returned for *Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire*, with Walter Peck now serving as the mayor of New York City.

Atherton has been married to Bobbi Goldin since 1980.

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