1Then: Bill Murray as Dr. Peter Venkman
Columbia PicturesDr. Peter Venkman was the questionable member of the Ghostbusters crew. He swore he was good at his job at catching spirits, but anytime you looked at him, he was either lounging around or flirting with the gals around him. Bill Murray was probably the perfect choice for this role.
2 Now: Bill Murray
Michael Loccisano//Getty ImagesWhile the Ghostbusters franchise is definitely a huge part of Murray's career, he has roles in plenty of other flicks worth talking about. Most notably, he starred in the 2003 film Lost in Translation, earning him an Oscar nomination. His other works include Zombieland, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Fantastic Mr. Fox.
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3Then: Dan Aykroyd as Ray Stantz
Columbia PicturesRay Stantz can be characterized in just two words: dedicated and friendly. He was a fellow founding member of the Ghostbusters, a passion project that he mortgaged his house over. While he may not have been nice to the ghosts, he was sure kind to everyone else around him.
4Now: Dan Aykroyd
Shareif Ziyadat//Getty ImagesAykroyd's acting history is also pretty lengthy. He earned an Oscar nomination in 1990 for his supporting role in Driving Miss Daisy, and has acted in other projects such as 50 First Dates and My Girl.
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5Then: Harold Ramis as Egon Spengler
Columbia PicturesIf you needed any inquisitive or technical question answered, Egon was your guy. He was truly the "brains" of the operation, something that consistently saved the crew from their potential doom. Though, with big brains comes a timid personality, at least in this case—Egon may have been responsible for many great ideas, but he usually counted on his pals to execute them.
6Now: Harold Ramis
Barry Brecheisen//Getty ImagesRamis didn't have the extensive career his fellow actors had, but he did end up directing some hits, like the movies Groundhog Day (which starred Billy Murray), Year One, and Bedazzled. Unfortunately, Ramis passed away in 2014, but his legacy lives on forever.
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7Then: Ernie Hudson as Winston Zeddemore
Columbia PicturesIf there was ever a voice of reason in the '80s, it was Winston. He might not have had the fancy degrees that the other Ghostbusters had, but he had his personal experience and wits upon him. While he might not have believed in ghosts at first, his face-to-face interactions with them immediately saw him change his mind.
8Now: Ernie Hudson
Karwai Tang//Getty ImagesHudson has one of those faces you can recognize anywhere. His movie career includes titles like Miss Congeniality, The Basketball Diaries, and The Crow. If you like action movies and comedies, you've probably seen him in a few more things.
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9Then: Rick Moranis as Louis Tully
Columbia PicturesThe Ghostbusters may have been a dysfunctional bunch at times, but their finances were on track thanks to Louis. He was an accountant through and through, and could figure out any numerical equation in his sleep. His ghost-busting skills on the other hand could use a little work.
10Now: Rick Moranis
Bruce Glikas//Getty ImagesRick Moranis hasn't done many movie-related things in recent years, but he was notably the voice actor for Rutt in the animated films, Brother Bear and Brother Bear 2. He was also the dad in the film, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.
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11Then: Sigourney Weaver as Dana Barrett
Columbia PicturesDana was a hot commodity in the Ghostbusters franchise. She was a talented cellist that all the guys sought after, especially Peter. She was also one hardworking woman who wouldn't ever let a ghost get in the way of what she wanted.
12Now: Sigourney Weaver
Marc Piasecki//Getty ImagesSigourney Weaver? That's three-time Oscar nominated actress to you! Weaver has proven her acting chops time and time again, especially in the '80s. Her Academy Award nominated movies include Aliens, Working Girl, and Gorillas in the Mist. Most recently, Weaver has starred in the James Cameron Avatar franchise.

Josiah is the Digital Content Producer for the commerce team at Popular Mechanics, Best Products, Runner’s World, and Bicycling Magazine. He also writes for “BIO Buys”—a column on Biography.com—giving readers the lowdown on what products their favorite celebs are using. In another life, Josiah was an editor at ThePioneerWoman.com, where he sharpened his expertise on all things lifestyle, food-news, and entertainment. Outside work related matters, he’s a fan of Studio Ghibli films, unimportant reality TV drama, and melancholy Lorde songs.
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