It's been 40 years since Ghostbusters showed up on our movie screens. Manhattan first called them in 1984 to help with the city's out-of-control ghost problem. And they showed up in their blaring Ectomobile to save us, armed with proton packs, their iconic theme song playing in the background. Ghostbusters is a supernatural comedy from SNL alumnus and comedy legend Dan Aykroyd, who was inspired by his family's own fascination with the paranormal.
Ghostbusters
Summary
Ghostbusters is a supernatural comedy franchise created in 1984. Its first installment was the movie Ghostbusters, released on June 8, 1984 by Columbia Pictures. It centers on a group of eccentric New York City parapsychologists who investigate and capture ghosts for a living. For the movie, the franchise licensed action figures, novelizations, and other original materials to be produced around the ghost movies' theme. After the initial success, they released original material in other fields such as comic books, video games, television series, and a theme park attraction.
The original Ghostbusters became a cultural phenomenon and the second highest grossing movie of 1984. Its tremendous success took Ghostbusters from a stand-alone comedy to a multi-million dollar franchise. One of the key ingredients to its success is the franchise's all-star cast, which includes big names like Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Paul Rudd, and Sigourney Weaver. There are many other big names that were almost attached to the franchise. But for one reason or another, these eight actors and actresses all declined roles in the Ghostbusters franchise.
9 Rick Moranis
Yes, we're aware that Rick Moranis does appear in the original Ghostbusters and its 1989 sequel Ghostbusters II, playing the lovable nerd, Louis Tully. But the actor did decline appearing in the franchise's much later sequels, 2021's Ghostbusters: Afterlife and 2024's Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Moranis retired from acting after his wife tragically died from cancer in 1991, retreating from the public eye to become a full-time single father to his two children.
He recently stated that he's no longer retired but is very selective about his roles. Apparently, those Ghostbusters sequels just didn't appeal to him. Moranis did, however, sign on to reprise his role as Wayne Szalinski in a new sequel in the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids film series. But the movie, Shrunk, has been stuck in developmental hell ever since the 2020 pandemic.
8 John Candy
It's hard to imagine anyone other than Rick Moranis playing Louis Tully, but it almost happened. The role was initially offered to John Candy, a prominent comic actor during the 1980s. He appeared in several notable comedies before his untimely death, such as Spaceballs, Home Alone, Uncle Buck, and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.
He nearly added the original Ghostbusters to that impressive list, but he told the film's director, Ivan Reitman, that he didn't understand Louis Tully's character. He oddly suggested portraying him as a German foreigner, who owned multiple German Shepherds. But the filmmakers wisely declined, which prompted Candy to decline as well.
7 Sandra Bernhard
You may not recognize the name now, but back in the day, Sandra Bernhard was a rising star in comedy. She gained attention with her stand-up comedy in the late 1970s and made her way into film and television. She appeared in notable sitcoms like Roseanne and Will & Grace, as well as films like Martin Scorsese's The King of Comedy.
Bernhard was offered the role of the Ghostbusters' stone-faced secretary Janine Melnitz, but she turned it down. The role then went to Annie Potts, who's reprised her role as Janine in every Ghostbusters sequel.
6 Paul Reubens
Paul Reubens rose to fame as the comedy characterPee-wee Herman, appearing in various films and television shows during the 1980s. Just before his Pee Wee character really took off, Reubens was offered the role of the iconic Ghostbuster villain, Gozer the Gozerian. The evil god was originally imagined as a business-suited architect, a far cry from the androgynous character that we wound up getting. But Reubens passed on the role, which went to Yugoslavian actress Slavitza Jovan instead.
5 Steve Guttenberg
It's impossible to imagine anyone other than Bill Murray playing Dr. Peter Venkman, the sarcastic, hilarious member of the Ghostbusters. But this nearly became a reality -- and in various different ways. The role of Venkman was originally written for Aykroyd's friend and SNL co-star, John Belushi. After Belushi's untimely death, Aykroyd turned to another friend and SNL co-star to take his place. That's right, Bill Murray. The popular comedian agreed to join the cast without an explicit agreement, which is how he often worked. This worried the film's producers, who didn't feel like Murray was a sure bet. They looked into other actors for the role, like Steve Guttenberg.
Guttenberg was a rising star in comedy during the 1980s. Before his career took off, he was offered the role of Venkman. Guttenberg rejected the part in favor of appearing in 1984's Police Academy. And it wasn't a bad decision. While Police Academy is certainly no Ghostbusters, it did propel Guttenberg's career. From there, he starred in several notable films, such as Cocoon, Three Men and a Baby, and Diner. Guttenberg's career simmered down in the '90s, and he's struggled to recapture his earlier success.
4 Chevy Chase
Steve Guttenberg isn't the only comic actor to turn down the role of Venkman. Chevy Chase was another SNL pal of Dan Aykroyd's and a comedy heavyweight during the 1970s and '80s, appearing in comedy classics like Caddyshack, National Lampoon's Vacation franchise, and Fletch.
In an interview with Huffington Post, Chase lamented all the roles he'd turned down in the past, which included Forrest Gump, American Gigolo, and, of course, Ghostbusters.
3 Emma Stone
Who could've predicted that the redhead from Superbad would grow up to be one of the greatest actresses in modern Hollywood? At just 35-years-old, Emma Stone already has two Oscars under her belt for her performances in La La Land and Poor Things. Her filmography is impressive, from beloved comedies like Easy A and Crazy, Stupid Love to critically acclaimed films like Birdman and The Favourite.
Stone was approached to star in Ghostbusters: Answer the Call, the 2016 reboot that starred an all-female cast.Stone rejected the role, mostly because she didn't want to commit to another franchise (she had already appeared in the Amazing Spider-Man movies with Andrew Garfield). And this was probably a good decision. Yes, 2016's Ghostbusters was subject to review bombing and misogynistic online hate for being "too woke." But as an overall movie, it just isn't very good.
2 Eddie Murphy
Everybody knows Eddie Murphy as a comedy legend. He's appeared in some funny and iconic movies over the years, including Shrek, Coming to America, Trading Places, The Nutty Professor, Mulan, and many others. But what most people don't know is that Murphy was supposed to appear in Ghostbusters. Or at least, that was Dan Aykroyd's hope.
Aykroyd wrote the script with two of his SNL buddies in mind: John Belushi as Venkman and Eddie Murphy as Winston Zeddemore, the last recruit on the Ghostbusters team. When Murphy said no, the role of Winston went to Ernie Hudson. But it wasn't a bad choice by Murphy, who instead decided to star in Beverly Hills Cop. Remember when we said that Ghostbusters was the second highest grossing film of 1984? Well, Beverly Hills Cop was the first.
10 Horror Comedy Classics For People Who Love Ghostbusters
Here's a list of horror comedy classics that, in the same vein as Ghostbusters, are terrifying but also absolutely hilarious.
1 Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton was another rising star in comedy during the 1980s. The man was offered not one but two roles in 1984's Ghostbusters: Venkman and Egon Spengler, the latter of whom was played by Harold Ramis.
Keaton shockingly rejected both roles, even though he hadn't yet found Hollywood success. That came in the late '80s with two back-to-back hits from Tim Burton: 1988's Beetlejuice and 1989's Batman. Keaton continues to be a major player in Hollywood after reviving his career with 2014's Birdman, starring alongside Emma Stone.
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