Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Where are they now...

Where are the Ghostbusters now?
BILL MURRAY (Dr. Peter Venkman)
One of the early "Saturday Night Live" stars, Murray, now 58, has worked with director Wes Anderson on "Rushmore," "The Royal Tenenbaums," "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou" and "The Darjeeling Limited." He received a Best Actor Oscar nomination for "Lost in Translation," directed by Sofia Coppola, and recently completed production on "Zombieland" and "Get Low," which co-stars Robert Duvall and Sissy Spacek. Murray also lent his voice to Anderson’s upcoming animated feature, "Fantastic Mr. Fox."

DAN AYKROYD (Dr. Raymond Stantz)
This funnyman-turned-Blues Brother (and Oscar nominee for "Driving Miss Daisy") has had a consistent presence on the big and small screens. Aykroyd, 56, appeared in 2007’s "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry," and had a recurring role on the sitcom "According to Jim." Offscreen, the Canadian native is pursuing a more "spirited" passion as creator of Canada’s Crystal Head Vodka.

SIGOURNEY WEAVER (Dana Barrett)
Known for her larger-than-life performances in the "Alien" series, Weaver, 59, is about to hit the big screen in yet another otherworldly role. She plays Dr. Grace Augustine in the much-anticipated James Cameron flick "Avatar." Earlier this year, Weaver came down to Earth for the Lifetime original movie "Prayers for Bobby," a story of a gay teenager’s suicide and his conservative mother’s road to repentance.

HAROLD RAMIS (Dr. Egon Spengler)
Despite being one of the film’s lesser-known stars, Ramis, 64, has had a consistent writing, directing and acting career since "Ghostbusters." He played Seth Rogen’s dad in "Knocked Up," had a role in "Walk Hard" and is in the new Jack Black-Michael Cera comedy "Year One," which he directed and co-wrote.

WILLIAM ATHERTON (Walter Peck)
After getting his big break in "The Sugarland Express" (1974), Atherton garnered success in a few dramas before establishing himself as an ’80s cult icon in "Ghostbusters." Since then, the actor, now 61, has worked on "The Pelican Brief" and "The Last Samurai" and made TV appearances on shows including "Desperate Housewives," "Law & Order" and "Monk." Most recently, Atherton was on NBC’s "Life."

ANNIE POTTS (Janine Melnitz)
Potts, 56, continued to have a successful career starring on the TV sitcom "Designing Women." When that show was canceled, she went on to guest appearances on series like "Ugly Betty" and "Law & Order: SVU." Younger fans can also catch her in the upcoming "Toy Story 3," where she again lends her voice to the animated Little Bo Peep.

ERNIE HUDSON (Winston Zeddmore)
Thanks to his big break in "Ghostbusters," Hudson, 63, has maintained a long, relatively busy career in Hollywood. Aside from appearing in movies like "Congo" and "The Basketball Diaries," he’s also noted for his roles in the cult classic "The Crow" and the HBO series "Oz." Most recently, Hudson appeared in "Dragonball Evolution," which was released in April. And he just made his Broadway debut in the Tony-winning revival of "Joe Turner’s Come and Gone."
Ten movies that might have a shot at awards.
Best Picture: Realistically, Michael Mann’s “Public Enemies” is probably the most likely summer Oscar nominee, considering its esteemed pedigree. However, “The Hurt Locker” is the kind of smart thriller that could make a dent during awards season and blow the race wide open. But if I had to pick one summer movie that will earn some kind of Best Picture nomination, it would be Judd Apatow’s “Funny People,” which has a great shot as the Golden Globe for Best Comedy/Musical. Friends who have seen it have come away impressed with one arguing that it’s better than the director’s two other films, “The 40 Year-Old Virgin” and “Knocked Up.” High praise, indeed.

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