Ghostbusters star Rick Moranis makes a VERY rare sighting - since he was the victim to an unprovoked attack - while out in NYC ahead of his 71st birthday

Ghostbusters star Rick Moranis made a rare sighting in New York City on Thursday as he stepped out for a leisurely stroll ahead of his 71st birthday next month. 

The Canadian actor, who retired from acting on screen over two decades ago, kept a low profile as he walked down a street by himself in a multi-colored beanie, blue windbreaker layered over a zip-up fleece and tan pants.

He completed his casual look with a pair of sneakers and black umbrella, which he kept in his hand, until it really began to pour. 

While he has attempted to stay under the radar since retiring from the entertainment industry, he began spending even less time out in public after becoming the victim of an unprovoked attack on the Upper West Side in 2020.

Ghostbusters star Rick Moranis made a rare sighting in New York City on Thursday as he stepped out for a leisurely stroll in the rain ahead of his 71st birthday next month

In August 2022, his attacker, Marquis Ventura, was ordered to serve a two-year prison sentence for sucker punching the legendary comedian. 

Ventura had initially denied the charges but eventually changed his plea to guilty. 

The man is also accused of randomly attacking other strangers in 2020, including the owner of a liquor store in the Soho neighborhood of Manhattan before stealing a bottle of champagne. 

Ventura, who has been arrested more than 13 times, is a suspect in multiple other unprovoked attacks on people in New York City.

Ventura admitted to punching actor Rick Moranis in an unprovoked attack on October 1, 2020, that was captured in surveillance video. 

The horrifying footage shows Moranis, then-67, who is 5ft 6in walking southbound on Central Park West near West 70th Street at about 7:30am.

Suddenly, an unidentified man walking past the star strikes him in the head, knocking Moranis to the ground.

Ventura was arrested by a transit cop at the 96th Street and Broadway subway station. Of Ventura's 13 arrests, five include felonies.

The Canadian actor, who retired from acting on screen over two decades ago, kept a low profile as he walked down a street by himself in a multi-colored beanie, blue windbreaker layered over a zip-up fleece and tan pants

He completed his casual look with a pair of sneakers and black umbrella, which he kept in his hand, until it really began to pour

While he has barely been seen out in public over the past seven years, this marks the first time the father-of-two has been seen out since he was the victim of a random punch to the head during a unprovoked attack on the Upper West Side in 2020

While the unprovoked attack was caught on video, other nearby surveillance cameras also managed to catch images of the suspect. 

The attack caused Moranis to suffer pain in his head, back and right hip. 

Moranis, who was born in Toronto, Canada, secured his big break when he appeared in the 1983 film Strange Brew. 

He then appeared in a string of commercially successful films including Ghostbusters in 1984, Spaceballs in 1987, and two films in 1989, Ghostbusters II and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.

Moranis, who was born in Toronto, Canada, secured his big break when he appeared in the 1983 film Strange Brew (seen in the 1993 film Splitting Heirs)

He then appeared in a string of commercially successful films including Ghostbusters in 1984, Spaceballs in 1987, and two films in 1989, Ghostbusters II and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

Moranis has largely remained out of the spotlight since, only doing voicework for a few animated projects including the 2003 film Brother Bear and TV series The Animated Adventures Of Bob & Doug McKenzie (seen in Ghostbusters)

He said he made the decision to step away to focus on being a single father to his children, Rachel and Mitchell, after losing his wife, costume designer Ann Belsky, to breast cancer in February 1991

The original Honey, I Shrunk the Kids was so successful that Moranis returned for sequel Honey, I Blew Up The Kid in 1992.

He completed the trilogy with straight-to-video sequel Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves in 1997 which was his last on-camera role before his hiatus.

Moranis has largely remained out of the spotlight since, only doing voicework for a few animated projects including the 2003 film Brother Bear and TV series The Animated Adventures Of Bob & Doug McKenzie.

He said he made the decision to step away to focus on being a single father to his children, Rachel and Mitchell, after losing his wife, costume designer Ann Belsky, to breast cancer in February 1991.

He told USA Today: 'As a single parent and I just found that it was too difficult to manage to raise my kids and to do the traveling involved in making movies.

'So I took a little bit of a break. And the little bit of a break turned into a longer break, and then I found that I really didn't miss it.'