Capitol susp looks just like Moranis, Twit geniuses say
Actors may love the spotlight, but Rick Moranis is getting more than his share of unwanted attention.
The FBI on Sunday released a photo of a man sought in connection with the Jan. 6 violence at the U.S. Capitol that the Twitter world decided bears a remarkable resemblance to the Canadian star of “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.”
The FBI picture shows a white man wearing rimless glasses and a military-style helmet, albeit smaller than the one Moranis wore in the movie spoof “Spaceballs.”
The law enforcement agency’s Twitter feed, where it posted the photograph asking for the public’s help, quickly filled up with suggestions that the man in question looked like the actor known for playing onscreen nerds.
“You can’t tell me this isn’t a picture of Rick Moranis,” said one tweet.
To take some pressure off Moranis, however, a few observers suggested the man in question resembled comedian Arte Johnson from the 1960s’ “Rowan & Martin’s LaughIn” or the character of Radar O’Reilly on the sitcom “M*A*S*H.”
Moranis, 67, was the victim of an assault in New York in November as he was walking on the Upper West Side near Central Park and was sucker-punched by a homeless man.
The actor, who also appeared in “Ghostbusters,” was treated at a hospital for pain in his hip, head and back.
His assailant had a history of mental illness and a string of arrests for striking strangers in the face, authorities said.
The picture posted Sunday by the FBI is one of hundreds of photos and videos that authorities have released in an effort to track down those involved in the siege of the U.S. Capitol.
Five people, including four civilians, died when the angry mob of weapon-wielding Donald Trump supporters stormed the building, where Congress was formally affirming President Biden’s Electoral College victory.
Visit tips.fbi.gov if you recognize this person. Reference photo 268 in your tip.