The comedian reveals how he always wanted to be a rock star yet has never minded playing the nerd

Good morning, Rick! Where are you?

I’m in New York. I’ve lived here for almost 20 years now.

Some of your fans won’t know this, but music has been part of your life at least as much as comedy (1).

Like all teenagers in the early 60s I put down my hockey stick (2) when the Beatles got big and picked up a guitar. We all thought we’d be rock stars. Then I got into comedy, but I’d always find a way to use my guitar, such as writing songs and doing musical parodies.

Your new album, My Mother’s Brisket and Other Love Songs, is heavily Jewish-themed. Did you have to explain some of the references to the record company, such as bris and mezuzah?

Everybody seemed to know what a bris was, so that was helpful. I did have to explain some things to them, and they were fantastically understanding. I convinced them to forget about promotional t-shirts and to instead send out promotional yamulkes.

What does your mother think of the album?

My mother is 88. She had a couple of reservations about some of the things on it initially but after it was received so well she is really happy. (3)

I really enjoyed the song Liveblogging the Himel Family Bris. Are you a big fan of liveblogging? And would you consider ever liveblogging anything for the Guardian?

I have a problem with blogs – all the best writers benefit from edits.

How much did acting in Ghostbusters change your life?

Bob and Doug Mackenzie (4) was already big in Canada so I was very familiar with what it was like to be recognised, although not on an international scale. But I never thought of it as acting – I was a comedian. The only reason I initially got on mic or camera is because that was the best way to communicate the material. But it’s not my orientation to take other people’s words and put them through my body.

How did it feel to steal scenes from Bill Murray?

Oh I don’t know about that – I don’t think I stole anything from anyone. We were all friends. I think Ivan Reitman made a great choice in getting me to take that character as broad as possible, because it helps the audience start suspending belief and get ready for the ghosts.

I never understood though how Louis stole Janine from Egon between Ghostbusters 1 and 2. Can you explain that?

You’ll have to give me a couple of weeks to come up with an answer. I never thought about that.

Then you were in Little Shop of Horrors – had you wanted to show off your musical skills?

Well, there are so few musicals around I don’t know how I could even look for one. I was just very, very lucky. My only stipulation when I was cast was I had to do my own singing – not for reasons of ego but out of respect for people who do musicals.

Then you were in Spaceballs. Was appearing in a Mel Brooks movie something of a dream come true for a Jewish boy from Canada?

Yeah, I certainly watched all his movies, and when I got the call to meet him – let’s just say I got to the airport very early! When I walked into the room it felt like I knew him already. That was a wonderful experience.

Did you ever get tired of being cast as the nerd?

Well, I wasn’t being offered a lot of the Schwarzenegger parts! When you’re 5ft 5in, have a round Jewish face and wear glasses and refuse to wear contacts, you’re going to get offered certain parts. People thought of me as the nerdy guy, even in non-nerdy parts like Parenthood. I didn’t feel the need to change anything I was doing – I embraced it.

You’ve been retired from films for 15 years. Have you ever missed acting?

I’ve never used the R word. I just took a break because I was a single parent (5) and it got too hard flying around and looking after the kids, and the break got longer and longer and I didn’t miss what I had been doing. Also the last films I’d done weren’t as gratifying as they weren’t collaborative comedies. Movies were changing, my kids were changing, so I decided just to stop doing it.

So no Ghostbusters 3?

I have no idea. I can’t imagine that Bill [Murray] would want to do that now and I don’t know if the studio would want to do it without Bill. I got a call from Dan Aykroyd’s office a few years ago asking would I do the film so I asked about the script and I didn’t hear anything again. I am wary of sequels, I understand them from the studio’s point of view, but the audience doesn’t want more, they want better, and I thought the second Ghostbusters was not very effective, it did not really work, so there’s no reason to believe a third would. I’m more interested in new things.

Footnotes

(1) His 1983 album, Great White North, which he made with his longterm comedy partner Dave Thomas, was nominated for a Grammy

(2) Rick Moranis is Canadian

(3) Typical Jewish mother

(4) Moranis’ early 80s comedy duo with Dave Thomas

(5) Moranis’ wife Ann died from cancer in 1991