Celebrity

Rick Moranis: Clear Photo of Attack Suspect Surfaces

On Friday, the New York City Police Department published a close-up photo of the man they believe […]

On Friday, the New York City Police Department published a close-up photo of the man they believe attacked actor Rick Moranis. Moranis was randomly assaulted on the Upper West Side of Manhattan on Thursday, and a man matching the attacker’s description was caught by a surveillance camera in a subway station not long after. Police are hoping the photo will help them identify the suspect.

The man in the photo is wearing it black hoodie with the “I [heart] New York” design across the front, and the hood partially raised. He wore a black face mask as well, and had a backpack on. The man appears to be the same one who attacked Moranis just outside of his own apartment building on Thursday morning at around 7:30 a.m. ET. According to a report by The New York Post, the stranger punched Moranis in the head without warning, knocking him to the ground and then fleeing the scene.

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Surveillance footage of the attack has been released as well. It shows the stranger lunging to hit Moranis, then calmly walking away, apparently in no rush. So far, the motive is not clear.

“Rick Moranis was assaulted on the Upper West Side yesterday. He is fine but grateful for everyone’s thoughts and well wishes,” said Moranis’ manager, Troy Bailey on Friday.

Moranis was taken to the hospital after the attack and treated for pain in his head, back and hip. He was released shortly after and went straight to the local police precinct to report the attack. New York Daily News spoke with Det. Kaz Daughtry, who was keeping up with Moranis. On Friday, he said that Moranis spent Friday resting, and asked for privacy.

According to Daughtry, the actor “just wants us to catch the bad guy and all of this to go away. He just wants to stay home, he just wants to recover and he just wants peace of mind.”

Moranis is one of the unforgettable talents of the 1980s and 1990s, with roles in movies like Ghostbusters, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Spaceballs and The Flinstones. For years, he maintained a relatively private lifestyle, but in recent years he has begun to return to public life. Moranis will appear in Disney’s new series Shrunk — a revival of Honey I Shrunk the Kids, as well as Martin Scorsese’s Second City TV on Netflix. So far, neither has a confirmed release date.