'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids' star stepped away from Hollywood for crushing reason — fans say he's a ‘real one’

While stay-at-home parenting is often associated with mothers, Canadian actor and comedian Rick Moranis challenged this expectation by stepping away from Hollywood after the tragic passing of his wife, Ann Belsky. Yes, you read that right! The "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" actor chose to step away from Hollywood to become a full-time single father to his children — Rachel and Mitchell. A year after his wife, a costume designer, passed away from breast cancer at the age of 35, Moranis took a nearly 23-year hiatus to look after his family.

"I took a break, which turned into a longer break. But I’m interested in anything that I would find interesting," Moranis told The Hollywood Reporter in 2015, putting to rest the rumors about his retirement. Moreover, the "Little Giants" actor mentioned that transitioning from working on film sets to being at home with his kids was a completely different experience, but one that was important for him. "I have no regrets whatsoever. My life is wonderful," Moranis had shared. Interestingly, he did not vanish all of a sudden but gradually distanced himself from the entertainment industry.

"It wasn’t a formal decision. It began in an already busy year when I declined a film that was being shot out of town as the school year was beginning. But I was fortunate to be able to continue to make a living writing and doing voice work in Manhattan," Moranis said. The "Ghostbusters" actor recognized being a single dad made it too difficult for him to manage his kids and movies. So, initially, Moranis decided to take a short break that eventually turned into a longer one. "Stuff happens to people all the time, and people make adjustments, change careers, move to another city. That’s all I did," he shared.

Moranis' decision to quit Hollywood at the peak of his career to prioritize his family drew attention online once again when u/sad_stay_5471 shared a post about it on Reddit. The post received an overwhelming response on social media, with many praising the actor for his thoughtful gesture. u/uru5z21 commented, "I loved his movies as a child. Watched it so many times (limited VHS collection at the time). Respect for giving up a comedy career for the family." u/silverbreezed shared, "That’s what true love and dedication look like. Respect to him for that." u/cdjohnny wrote, "I got to spend a little time with him at a dinner one time. Very down-to-earth and smart. He is a nice guy."

On the other hand, u/enough_boysenberry68 said, "This guy had his head on straight. The industry lost a real Chad, but I’m glad that his kids had a real dad." u/jbvoovbj added, "I would retire and watch my kids too if I could afford it. Great on him, regardless." u/thebaneeffect shared, "This man shaped many comedic moments in my childhood. 'Little Shop of Horrors, 'Ghostbusters,' 'Spaceballs,' and of course, 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.' A great Hollywood human!"

After being away from the spotlight for so many years, Moranis surprised everyone with his appearance alongside Ryan Reynolds in a commercial for Mint Mobile, per PEOPLE. Notably, the "Deadpool," actor who had an ownership stake in the company, confessed to being a huge fan of Moranis. "Like many Canadians and humans, I adore and worship Rick Moranis. We asked Rick to do this eight days before our shoot kind of on a lark but after a few emails and a conversation, he agreed. And it was wonderful," Reynolds said.