Julie Andrews: The Epitome of Poppins

“Do you really think so?” These are the very first words that Dame Julie Andrews spoke on camera on the first day of filming one of the biggest blockbuster movies of all time-certainly for Walt Disney Studios, but also for films in general. She was cast as the lead in Mary Poppins (1964) by Walt Disney, despite the fact that she had never been in a motion-picture before, but she quickly rocketed to the top! Let’s take a look at what Dame Julie has done for the Walt Disney Studios, and the irony of her resulting Oscar Win.

At the age of 21, Julie Andrews was cast as Eliza Doolittle in the Learner and Lowe musical, My Fair Lady, based on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion. Starring opposite Rex Harrison as Professor Henry Higgins and Stanley Holloway as her dustman father, Alfred P. Doolittle, she was well-received by audiences and critics alike, and the whole production was a big hit.

Jack L. Warner, one of the four founding fathers of Warner Bros. Pictures, saw the original Broadway production and purchased the film rights. He cast Harrison and Holloway in their stage roles. However, because Harrison and Holloway were both big names in terms of film and Andrews was not, Warner did not cast Andrews. Instead, Warner asked Academy-Award-Winner Audrey Hepburn to play Eliza in the film. (Harrison and Holloway both received Tony Nominations for their roles on stage as well as Academy Award Nominations for the film version and Harrison won both!) Because Audrey Hepburn couldn’t sing, Warner Bros. contracted Marni Nixon to provide Audrey Hepburn’s singing voice.

Disheartened, though still overtly ambitious, Julie Andrews went on to star in a television adaptation of Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (1957) and more than 100 million viewers tuned in the evening it aired on March 31st, 1957. Next she played the female lead in Lerner and Lowe’s next musical project, Camelot, based on the legends of King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, and the Nights of the Round Table. In 1961, she performed excerpts from that musical in an episode of The Ed Sullivan Show (1948-1971), and the episode was seen by the Disney composer/lyricist team of Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman.

As they worked on “Poppins,” Disney, along with the Shermans (and Screenwriter Don DaGradi and Co-Producer Bill Walsh) had been considering the likes of Mary Martin, Bette Davis, and Angela Lansbury for the role of the magical nanny. However, after Andrews’ Ed Sullivan performance they knew instantly that they had found their “Mary.” The Shermans recommended Julie Andrews for the role to Walt Disney and he went to see her in the actual show. After he had seen “Camelot,” Disney agreed she would be perfect for the role, and went backstage after the performance to offer it to her. Julie was hesitant to accept, because at this time she was pregnant with her daughter Emma Walton, at the time. Walt Disney offered to wait to begin filming until she had her baby, and after that, she agreed. Disney also offered her then-husband, Tony Walton, the job of designing costumes and some sets for the film. (In the film, Julie Andrews also makes an uncredited voice-over appearance as the whistling Robin that flies on to Mary Poppins's hand in the "Spoonful of Sugar" sequence.)

Julie Andrews went on to receive Golden Globe and Oscar Nominations for her performance as “Mary Poppins,” and was very fortunate enough to receive both. In the ultimate irony, she beat Audrey Hepburn, who had been nominated that year for the Golden Globe in My Fair Lady (1964), and as a result of that, Julie Andrews thanked Jack L. Warner for making her win possible. (Hepburn was not nominated for the Academy Award.) It would be nearly 4 decades before she made another film for the Walt Disney Studios again. 

After undergoing a traumatic throat surgery, which unfortunately took away her singing voice, the late-great Garry Marshall (1934-2016) hired her to play Mia’s grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldi in Disney’s The Princess Diaries (2001). The role did not require her to sing. She reprised the role of Queen Clarisse Rendaldi for the sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, which was released in 2004. She was also fortunate enough to perform a song in the film that didn’t have a great deal of range with co-star, Raven-Symone. (Garry Marshall later went on to say that Julie Andrews was one of his favorite people to work with of all time.) In between the “Princess,” movies, she appeared as the nanny on ABC Television in the television movies based on the Eloise books, entitled Julie Andrews Eloise at the Plaza (2003) and Eloise at Christmastime (2003). For the 2004, 40th Anniversary DVD Edition of “Mary Poppins,” Andrews narrated a short created especially for the DVD entitled “The Cat That Looked at a King,” which is based on an excerpt taken out of the book Mary Poppins Opens the Door (1943). She was also the narrator in Enchanted (2007).

Andrews went on to receive 2 other Academy Award nominations in the category of Best Actress throughout her career, for her performances as Maria Rainer von Trapp in The Sound of Music (1965) and as Victoria Grant in Victor/Victoria (1982). (In “Victor/Victoria,” she was directed by her second spouse, the late-great Blake Edwards (1922-2010). The film also marked her 2nd pairing with 3-time co-star, James Garner. With Garner, she made her only black-and-white film, The Americanization of Emily (1964), released the same year as “Poppins.” She and Garner were reunited in the made-for television film, One Special Night (1999).”  To this day, she remains the only Oscar-Winning movie star to win an Oscar for a performance in a Disney film. (Meryl Streep received her record-breaking 19th nomination for Disney’s Into the Woods (2014), but was beaten that year by Patricia Arquette in Boyhood (2014) and Johnny Depp was also nominated for his performance as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), but was beaten by Sean Penn in Mystic River (2003)). 

With everything that she made for Disney, Julie Andrews personified the nanny and/or grandmother that everyone wishes they could have with her incredibly beautiful song and dance skills and her very proper British diction. It’s hard to believe she only got the role because she didn’t get the one she wanted in the first place!

1966: The End of a Magical Era

In the 1960s, the Walt Disney Studios were at the top of their game. From the triumphant success of Disneyland, to films like Mary Poppins (1964), and The Jungle Book (1967), to the early development of the “Florida Project,” which would go on to become what we know today as Walt Disney World, the Disney Studios were riding higher than ever before. Sadly, on December 15th, 1966, Walter Elias Disney passed away to cardiac arrest following lung cancer surgery. In honor of my 50th blog, I’d like to tell you about some of the great achievements from Walt’s last prolific years…50 years ago…  

In 1964, the same year the studio released “Mary Poppins,” Walt and his brother Roy, purchased over 27,000 acres of land in central Florida for a project that they were to call “Disney World.” It was to include a more elaborate version of Disneyland, which was to be called the Magic Kingdom and it would also include a number of golf courses and resort hotels. The heart of “Disney World,” however, was to be an Experimental Prototype City (or Community) of Tomorrow, or EPCOT, where residents would live, work, and interact using special technology. EPCOT ultimately developed into a Theme Park that opened in 1982, 11 years after the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971. On July 24th, 1966, the New Orleans Square opened at Disneyland. It was one of the last additions to the park overseen by Walt himself. Walt created this to capture the flavor and the architectural detail of New Orleans Bourbon Street. To this day, it is the current park locale to Pirates of the Caribbean attraction and the Haunted Mansion attraction.

In addition to theme parks, with the release of “Poppins,” Walt was also able to achieve his long-term goal of receiving an Academy Award Nomination for Best Picture, a goal he had been hoping to achieve since Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). Although “Poppins,” lost the Best Picture Oscar to My Fair Lady (1964), it won 5 Academy Awards, out of a total of 13 nominations, including Julie Andrews as Best Actress for her performance as the titular character and Best Original Song “Chim Chim Cheree,” and it also went on to become the biggest hit in the entire history of the studio at that time. (Other live-action films that were in-production around this time were Follow Me, Boys! (1966) and The Happiest Millionaire (1967), which ignited the careers of Golden-Globe-Nominee Kurt Russell and Academy-Award-Nominee Lesley Ann Warren, who appeared together as brother and sister in The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968)).      

Walt also first brought Winnie the Pooh into his storytelling universe with the very first “Winnie the Pooh,” short Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966). The short was released on February 4th, 1966, just 10 months prior to Walt’s death. Walt also approved the final storyboarding for The Jungle Book (1967) and The Aristocats (1970), but unfortunately didn’t live to see the final cuts of either film. Each of the above turned out to be hits for the studio, and “Winnie the Pooh,” and “Jungle Book,” spawned several theatrical and direct-to-video sequels, as well as television shows. (The sequel short to “Honey Tree,” Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968) won the Academy Award for Best Short Subject, Cartoons. It also marked the first appearance of the characters of Tigger and Piglet, who hadn’t been in “Honey Tree,” previously.) A live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book was released to theaters on April 15th, 2016, which played to rave reviews. There is currently a live-action adaptation of “Winnie the Pooh,” in development at the studio. Plans for a sequel to “The Aristocats,” were developed, but ultimately scrapped.

In 1966, Walt Disney passed away, an artist at the top of his game. He left behind the most extraordinary legacy in the entertainment industry that no other filmmaker neither prior to him nor since him has ever been able to surmount. He created magical/family-oriented storytelling through the mediums of film, television, and amusement park attractions. It took a great deal of time for the magic to “come back to life,” after his death. While the theme parks have expanded a great deal and have continued to remain popular since their opening dates, it wasn’t until 23 years after his passing that the Disney films finally started again to look as though they had been produced by Walt Disney himself, with the release of The Little Mermaid (1989). Walt once said “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.” There, undoubtedly, was a great deal of imagination left in Walt Disney and while he might not have gotten to achieve everything that we would have wanted to achieve, I’m sure we can all agree that we would be proud of everything that has happened at his studio since.  

Disney “Role” Models

In the early days of the Walt Disney Studios, whenever they cast an animated film, they filmed the voice-actors live, as a visual reference for the animators. However, if the voice actors didn’t closely resemble the designs that the animators had come up with for the characters, they would hire other actors to film as stand-ins for the voice actors. You might remember from one of my earlier blogs, that was how the character of Cruella De Vil was brought to life on screen in 101 Dalmatians (1961). Betty Lou Gerson provided the voice of the character, but actress Mary Wickes, served as her model. And just like voice actors at Disney, the model actors were re-hired for a multiple amount of times by the studio. In this blog, I’d like to tell you about two of Disney’s finest “visual” models.

Marge Champion was just 18 years old when she was hired by the Walt Disney Studios to serve as the model for Snow White in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). (She did some of the modeling for Dopey as well!) She was dating Disney Animator Art Babbitt at the time, and Babbitt supervised the majority of the reference filming. Just 4 months prior to the premiere of “Snow White,” Champion and Babbitt tied the knot on August 8th, 1937. (The animation on Snow White that Marge Champion modeled for was reworked for Duchess in The AristoCats (1970) and for Maid Marian in Robin Hood (1973)). Champion went on to do modeling for the Blue Fairy in Pinocchio (1940) and Hyacinth Hippo in Fantasia (1940), along with Ruby Dandrige, and Mr. Stork in Dumbo (1941). She also helped choreograph the hippo sequence in “Fantasia.” Champion and Babbitt unfortunately divorced after 4 years of marriage in 1941, and she would remarried twice, to Broadway star Gower Champion (1947-1973), and Boris Sagal from 1977, until he was killed in an unfortunate helicopter accident in 1981. Since then, she has retired to New York where she still continues to dance, even at age 96. She is the only surviving “cast” member of “Snow White.”

Helene Stanley served as the model for Cinderella, as well as the stepsister, Anastasia Tremaine in Cinderella (1950) at the age of 21. She also modeled for Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty (1959), and Anita in 101 Dalmatians (1961). Stanley also portrayed Davy Crockett’s wife, Polly Crockett in the live-action Disney film, Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier (1955). She married Dr. David Niemetz in 1959, and after modeling for Anita, permanently retired from show business and became a full-time wife and mother in 1961. She died of unknown causes at the age of 61, on December 27th, 1990.

These are just two of many people who have modeled for Disney characters. Disney does continue to hire human models today, as well as animal models (with trainers) who serve as inspiration for their animal characters. The models are never actually seen on screen. They unfortunately are not given screen credit in the film either, but the extraordinary efforts that they give to inspire the magical, colorful drawings that we see move about the screen in Disney movies never ceases to pay off. 

The Garry Marshall Family Tree Part 1

On Tuesday, July 19th, 2016, we lost the great Garry Marshall, creator of comedic television shows and films that could make us laugh unlike any other comedy ever could. The New York City native was mostly known for his achievements as a writer, producer, director, and even an actor of television and film. From The Odd Couple (1970-1975) and Happy Days (1974-1984) to Pretty Woman (1990) and The Princess Diaries (2001), what sets Marshall’s work apart from other comedy writers is that the heart of all of his work, first and foremost, was family. Throughout his Hollywood career Garry Marshall created a quite remarkable “family tree,” if you will, by helping to mentor (and sometimes launch) the careers of many talented actors. And in his various films, he often accessed that same talent over and over. He was well known for placing family in high priority on the set, and even gave his relatives bit parts in his films.

Julia Roberts rose to international stardom with her performance as Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman (1990), which earned her 2nd Academy Award Nomination, though it was her 1st Nomination for Best Lead Actress. She is the only actress ever to receive an Academy Award Nomination for a performance in a Garry Marshall movie. Roberts was reunited with “Pretty Woman,” co-star Richard Gere for Marshall’s Runaway Bride (1999) and also starred in Valentine’s Day (2010) as well as Garry Marshall’s last film, Mother’s Day (2016). (Her niece, actress Emma Roberts, also appeared in “Valentine’s Day.”)

Garry Marshall directed Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell in Overboard in 1987. 17 years later, in 2004, he directed their daughter, Kate Hudson in Raising Helen, and later in “Mother’s Day.” Garry Marshall was kind enough to let Hudson’s son, Ryder Russell Robinson, who was born while “Raising Helen,” was in production, run the movie clapboard and call “Action,” during the filming of “Mother’s Day.”   

Joan Cusack starred in “Runaway Bride,” “Raising Helen,” and she and Garry Marshall both lent their voices to Disney’s Chicken Little (2005). In the baseball game scene of “Bride,” you can see Joan Cusack wearing a baseball cap that says “Peaches.” That is ironic, because Garry Marshall’s sister, Penny Marshall, who is another renowned actor/director, directed the film, A League of Their Own (1992), which starred Joan’s eldest sister, Ann Cusack as Left Fielder, Shirley Baker (the woman who initially couldn’t read). Garry played Walter Harvey, the founder of the A.A.G.P.B.L.

Anne Hathaway had her film debut as Mia in The Princess Diaries (2001). She reprised her role for the sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004). Marshall auditioned several young women for the role of Mia, and showed the tapes to his granddaughters, Lilly and Charlotte and asked them whom they liked. They picked Anne Hathaway, because they told him they thought she had the best “princess-y,” hair. The girls even make a brief appearance in the film as the too little girls who ask for Mia’s autograph. (Their names, Lilly and Charlotte, are the character names Marshall used for Mia’s best friend and Queen Clarisse’s secretary (which was played by Garry Marshall’s daughter, Kathleen).

Hector Elizondo is the “grand champion” of Marshall films, having acted in 18 of his movies between 1982 and 2016. Most notable was his one and ply Golden Globe Nominated performance in “Pretty Woman.” He also played Joe in “Princess 1 and 2,” and Mickey Massey, the car dealer in “Raising Helen,” rounding out his Marshall-led roles in Valentine’s Day (2010), New Year’s Eve (2011), and “Mother’s Day.”

Garry Marshall has truly left a most enduring legacy in the entertainment industry. His films and television shows did far more than just entertain. They told stories that were very easy for normal people to identify with. More importantly, they made each of our family lives seem a little more humorous. Hats off to Garry Marshall!

Hollywood’s Oldest Bachelor

When we think of actors with unmistakably deep voices, there are many names that come to our minds: James Earl Jones, Alan Rickman, Fred Gwynne, and others. A name that doesn’t come to mind to quickly is Tony Jay, but he is definitely an actor who would fit that group. And interestingly, he was one of Hollywood’s oldest bachelors, having never married until the age of 70! He married his wife of 2 years, Marta MacGeraghty, in 2004, but had been in a relationship since 1974, and had a son together, Adam. Jay, however, unfortunately passed away in 2006 due to complications from cancer surgery. He lent his “Shakespearean,” baritone voice to a great deal of Disney films and television shows, and for each of them, his voice served as one of it’s most beneficial assets.

Tony Jay made his Disney debut in Beauty and the Beast (1991) as the voice of Monsieur D’Arque, the asylum superintendent. The film’s creators (Producer, Don Hahn and Co-Writers/Directors, Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise) were so impressed with his audition for the film, that they hired him right on the spot to voice the character and recorded all of his dialogue at his audition. His next Disney role was that of the evil Judge Claude Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996). (That film was also produced by Don Hahn and written/directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise). Jay also voiced Dr. Rosenthal in Recess: School’s Out (2001) and was the narrator for Treasure Planet (2002). He voiced Shere Khan the Tiger for the Disney Channel Series, TaleSpin (1990-1991), and reprised the role for the theatrical sequel to The Jungle Book (1967), The Jungle Book 2 (2003).

Jay’s other television roles include, ABC’s The Golden Girls (1985-1992), and Disney’s Darkwing Duck (1991-1995), The Little Mermaid (1992-1994), Aladdin (1994-1995), Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (2000-2001), and House of Mouse (2001-2002). He acted in many live-action films as well, including Woody Allen’s Love and Death (1975), and his best known live-action role was starring opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger as Werner/Narrator in Twins (1988). He was also known for voicing the Elder God in the video game series, Legacy of Kain (1996-present).

Tony Jay may or may not have been Hollywood’s oldest bachelor, but her certainly was one of them. We can be sure however, that his incredibly powerful voice made each of his voice-over roles seem effortless, facile, and distinctively entertaining. Although none of the Disney films he worked were supervised by Walt Disney, I’m sure Disney would have been a huge fan of Tony Jay’s voice.

Sky High’s Clouds

Sky High (2005) was released on July 29th, 2005, and was a commercial, critical, and public success. The film starred Kurt Russell as Steve Stronghold/The Commander, father of Will Stronghold, the film’s main protagonist, and Danielle Panabaker as Layla Williams, Will’s best friend turned girlfriend in the film. The film also starred Dave Foley and Kevin McDonald of The Kids in the Hall (1989-1995). Foley portrayed Jonathan Boy/All-American Boy who was the Hero Support Teacher at Sky High, but who was also the Commander’s former sidekick. McDonald played the role of Professor Medulla, Sky High’s mad scientist professor. The film also featured a cameo by Tom Kenny and his real-life spouse, Jill Talley, who play a husband and wife who almost get killed when the evil “Royal Pain” attempts to send Sky High down to the normal world. It’s possible, however, that each of these actors are better known to you for lending their acting and voice talents to other Disney movies.

Kurt Russell began his career as a Disney child star making his feature film debut in Follow Me, Boys! (1966), opposite fellow Disney veteran Fred MacMurray. Next came The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968), which would be his first film with future companion, Goldie Hawn. His other Disney films include The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit (1968), The Barefoot Executive (1971), and Superdad (1973). He portrayed the character of Dexter Riley in The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969) and its two sequels Now You See Him, Now You Don’t (1972) and The Strongest Man in the World (1975). He also acted in seven episodes of Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color (1954-1992), lent his voice to the character of Adult Copper in The Fox and the Hound (1981), and prior to “High,” played U.S. Hockey Coach Herb Brooks in Disney’s Miracle (2004). He will next be seen in Disney/Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2017).

Danielle Panabaker acted in 2 Disney Channel Original Movies, Stuck in the Suburbs (2004) and Read It and Weep (2006). In “Weep,” she acted alongside her real-life sister, Kay Panabaker, who has also appeared in Disney Channel television shows and films. 

Dave Foley made his Disney debut voicing the character of Flik the Ant in A Bug’s Life (1998). He reprised the role for A Bug’s Life: The Video Game (1998), the It’s Tough to Be a Bug (1998) attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the Toy Story 2 (1999) outtakes, and he voiced the “Flik” car in the Cars (2006) outtakes. He also voiced Terry in Monsters University (2013) and reprised that role for the short, Party Central (2014). In addition to all of his film roles, Foley has also portrayed Brick’s therapist/friend, Dr. Fulton in Disney/ABC’s The Middle (2009-) and voiced Wayne the Elf in Prep & Landing (2009) and it’s two sequels, Prep & Landing Stocking Stuffer: Operation: Secret Santa (2010), and Prep and Landing: Naughty vs. Nice (2011). Foley also lent his voice to an episode of the Disney Channel Television Show, Lilo and Stitch: The Series (2003-2006). 

Kevin McDonald, who is best friends with Dave Foley in real life, provided the voice of Pleakley in Lilo and Stitch (2002). He reprised the character for the series as well as the three direct-to-video sequels, Stitch: The Movie (2003), Lilo and Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch (2005), and Leroy & Stitch (2006). McDonald also lent his voice to an episode of the Disney Channel Show, Phineas and Ferb (2007-2015).

Tom Kenny, who played Mr. Timmerman in “Sky High,” is best known throughout the world for doing the voice of Spongebob Squarepants (1999-). In addition to that role, Kenny also voiced Mr. Willerstein in Disney’s Meet the Robinsons (2007), Rabbit in Winnie the Pooh (2011), and the New Holland Townsfolk in Frankenweenie (2012). Kenny has also done numerous voices in Disney Channel Shows, including Kim Possible (2003-2007) “Phineas and Ferb,” and Miles from Tomorrowland (2015-). Kenny’s wife, Jill Talley, who played Mrs. Timmerman, does the voice of Plankton’s computer wife, Karen on “Spongebob.” Talley also portrayed a Dance Competition Official in the Disney Channel Original Movie, Gotta Kick It Up! (2002).

Each of these people played significant roles in helping make “Sky High,” the hit that it became. It has now been 11 years since the film’s release, and each of these actors are still busy. It is unlikely that there will be a sequel to the film, but considering sequels are rarely better or even as good as the original, by itself, “Sky High,” will be an asset in continuing the Disney legacy of family entertainment.  

Ghostbusters Lives On

Do you believe in ghosts? You don’t have to answer that, but can you believe it’s been 32 years since the ‘80s classic film Ghostbusters (1984) was released? And in addition to that, they’re coming out with an all-new remake of the original film (July 15th) with Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, and Chris Hemsworth. I thought with this piece I would acknowledge to you the stars of the original film and some of the other memorable films of their career. Did you happen to know that many of them have been the voices of Disney cartoons?

Bill Murray, better known as “Dr. Peter Venkman,” received an Academy Award Nomination for Best Actor in Lost in Translation (2003). Murray also starred opposite future “Ghostbuster” Melissa McCarthy in St. Vincent (2014). He most recently lent his voice to Baloo in Disney’s live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book (2016), and his “Translation” co-star, Scarlett Johansson, voiced Kaa the Snake in “Jungle Book.”

Dan Aykroyd, who portrayed Dr. Raymond Stantz in “Ghostbusters,” and co-wrote the screenplay for the film with Harold Ramis, received an Academy Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actor in Driving Miss Daisy (1989). He also starred opposite Melissa McCarthy as her father, Don, in Tammy (2014). He never voiced any Disney cartoon, but did voice Yogi Bear for Warner Bros. live-action adaptation of Yogi Bear (2010), starring opposite the voice talent of Justin Timberlake as Boo Boo. 

Sigourney Weaver who played Dana Barrett in “Ghostbusters,” is one of the very few actresses in the entire movie industry ever to be nominated for two Academy Awards for two different films in the same year, being nominated in 1989 for Best Supporting Actress in Working Girl (1988) and Best Actress for Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey (1988). She previously was nominated for Best Actress in Aliens (1986). She portrayed the evil Warden in Disney’s Holes (2003). She also provided the voice of the Ship’s Computer in Disney/Pixar’s Wall-E (2008) and portrayed herself in Finding Dory (2016). 

The late, great Harold Ramis, who played Dr. Egon Spengler in “Ghostbusters,” sadly never received any Academy Award Nominations for any of his work. Nor did he star in any Disney films. He did, however, collaborate with good friend Bill Murray on 6 comedy films, including Meatballs (1979), Caddyshack (1980), Stripes (1981), Ghostbusters (1984), Ghostbusters 2 (1989), and Groundhog Day (1993). (Ramis wrote each film and he also produced and directed “Groundhog Day,” and “Caddyshack.” (co-written with Bill Murray’s brother, Brian Doyle Murray.) “Ghostbusters 1 and 2,” “Stripes,” and “Meatballs,” were all directed by Ivan Reitman.”) Both consider “Groundhog Day” their best work. They feuded throughout production of the film, but reconciled their friendship before Ramis’s untimely death at age 69 on February 24th, 2014.

Ernie Hudson who portrayed Winston Zeddermore in “Ghostbusters,” played Agent Gus Sanders in Disney’s Mr. Magoo (1997). He voiced Pedro the Bulldog in Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 (2011) and Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva La Fiesta! (2012), the direct-to-video sequels to Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008), and played King Poseidon in an episode of ABC’s Once Upon a Time. He, along with all of the other living “Ghostbusters,” originals less Rick Moranis, are going to make cameos in the upcoming “Ghostbusters,” film.  

Rick Moranis played the role of Louis Tully in “Ghostbusters,” as well as Wayne Szalinski in Disney’s Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989). (This was released the same year as Ghostbusters 2 (1989)). He reprised that role for both the sequels to that film, Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (1992), and the direct-to-video sequel, Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves (1997). He also provided the voice of Rutt the Moose in Brother Bear (2003) and reprised that role for the direct-to-video sequel to that film, Brother Bear 2 (2006).

Annie Potts who was Janine Melnitz, the secretary in “Ghostbusters,” played in Iona in Pretty in Pink (1986), in between “Ghostbusters,” and it’s sequel. She provided the voice of Bo Peep in Toy Story (1995) and Toy Story 2 (1999). She did not reprise the character for Toy Story 3 (2010), but is currently attached to do so for Toy Story 4, which is to be released in 2018.

Each of these actors have gone far beyond “Ghostbusters.” But thanks to their efforts for the film, along with the efforts producer/director Ivan Reitman, and it’s team of Oscar-nominated visual effects artists, (Richard Edlund, John Bruno, Mark Vargo, and Chuck Gaspar), as well as singer Ray Parker, Jr. who received an Academy Award Nomination for Best Original Song “Ghostbusters,” “Ghostbusters,” the movie has become a true cult classic. Like many other ‘80s films that spawned sequels, i.e. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Back to the Future (1985), the sequel to “Ghostbusters,” didn’t equal the success of its predecessor. Whether or not the upcoming new film will do so remains to be seen. In spite of that, “Ghostbusters,” will continue to be remembered for many years to come.