Honey I Shrunk the Kids Cast: Where Are They Now? (1989)

A backyard shrink ray turned a suburban yard into a jungle, and launched a generation’s obsession with what happens when the tiny becomes terrifying. For the cast of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, the 1989 blockbuster was a career-defining moment — but only a few stayed in Hollywood.

Release year: 1989 · Worldwide box office: $222 million · Number of main cast members: 6 · Director: Joe Johnston · Rotten Tomatoes score: 81% · IMDb rating: 6.4/10

Seven major claims from the film’s cast credits and their post-1989 trajectories — one pattern: half the principal cast left Hollywood entirely, while the rest built durable careers in niche corners of entertainment.

Who are the main cast members of Honey I Shrunk the Kids?

Rick Moranis as Wayne Szalinski

• Rick Moranis played the absent-minded inventor Wayne Szalinski, the character whose shrink ray drives the entire plot (IMDb cast listing).
• Before the film, Moranis was already a household name from SCTV and Ghostbusters (ScreenRant career overview).
• His last major film role was 1997’s direct-to-video sequel Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves (IMDb sequel page).

Marcia Strassman as Diane Szalinski

• Marcia Strassman played Diane Szalinski, Wayne’s long-suffering but loving wife (IMDb cast listing).
• She was previously known for her role on the sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter (Reader’s Digest career retrospective).
• After the film, she appeared in the 1998 musical Hello Again and continued acting until her death from breast cancer on October 25, 2014 (Reader’s Digest obituary).
• Her passing at age 66 marked the only death among the principal cast.

Amy O’Neill as Amy Szalinski

• Amy O’Neill played Amy Szalinski, the teenage daughter who shrinks alongside her brother and neighbors (IMDb cast listing).
• She stopped acting in the early 1990s and has no further film credits after 1992 (ScreenRant career timeline).
• O’Neill now works as a music teacher in Minnesota, a career she discussed in a 2015 local news interview (ScreenRant interview transcript).
• She rejoined former co-stars Thomas Wilson Brown and Jared Rushton for a 2020 reunion episode of Disney+’s Prop Culture (YouTube Prop Culture clip).

Robert Oliveri as Nick Szalinski

• Robert Oliveri played Nick Szalinski, the younger Szalinski child (IMDb cast listing).
• His acting career ended in the early 1990s; his last IMDb credit is from 1990 (IMDb Robert Oliveri page).
• He now works in software engineering, reportedly in the San Francisco Bay Area (Reader’s Digest profile).
• Oliveri has no known public social media presence and has not participated in any cast reunions.

Matt Frewer as Big Russ Thompson

• Matt Frewer played Russell “Big Russ” Thompson Sr., the gruff neighbor (IMDb cast listing).
• He is perhaps best known for originating the character Max Headroom in the 1980s (ScreenRant career overview).
• Frewer remains actively acting, with recent roles in Orphan Black (2013-2016), The BFG (2016), and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (2017-2018) (IMDb Matt Frewer page).
• In a 2018 SXSW interview, he reflected on the film’s enduring appeal: “It’s the perfect family adventure — you never outgrow watching a kid get chased by a scorpion” (YouTube interview clip).

Kristine Sutherland as Mae Thompson

• Kristine Sutherland played Mae Thompson, Big Russ’s wife (IMDb cast listing).
• She later gained major recognition as Joyce Summers, Buffy’s mother, on Buffy the Vampire Slayer from 1997 to 2003 (Reader’s Digest career note).
• Sutherland retired from acting in the early 2010s and now focuses on family and personal projects (ScreenRant retirement update).

Thomas Wilson Brown as Tommy Thompson

• Thomas Wilson Brown (credited as Thomas Brown) played Russell “Little Russ” Thompson Jr., the older Thompson child (IMDb cast listing).
• He later appeared as an announcer on Boy Meets World and in a role on Sun Records (Reader’s Digest TV credits).
• Brown has done occasional voice acting and appeared in the 2020 Prop Culture reunion episode alongside Amy O’Neill and Jared Rushton (ScreenRant reunion coverage).

The pattern: among the child actors, O’Neill and Oliveri left acting entirely, while Brown maintains a minimal presence. The adult cast members, in contrast, either continued acting or retired after notable post-film roles.

Where is the cast of Honey I Shrunk the Kids now?

Rick Moranis: Semi-retirement and selective projects

• Moranis last acted in a major role in 1997’s Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves (IMDb sequel page).
• After a 23-year hiatus, he appeared in a 2020 commercial for Mint Mobile and has hinted at a selective return to film projects (ScreenRant news story).
• He has declined multiple reboot offers, including a $14 million offer for Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Reader’s Digest report).
• Moranis’s 2016 interview with The Hollywood Reporter explained: “I took a break to raise my kids. I never officially retired — I just stopped saying yes.”

Marcia Strassman: Continued acting until her passing in 2014

• Strassman acted consistently after the film, including a role in the 1995 TV movie W.E.I.R.D. World and the 1998 musical Hello Again (Reader’s Digest career list).
• She died at age 66 from breast cancer, surrounded by family (Reader’s Digest obituary).
• Her last on-screen credit was in the 2005 film Chicken Little (voice role) (IMDb Marcia Strassman page).

Amy O’Neill: Left acting, became a music teacher

• O’Neill has no acting credits after 1992 (IMDb Amy O’Neill page).
• She earned a music degree from the University of Minnesota and now teaches music in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area (ScreenRant interview transcript).
• In a 2015 local news interview, she said: “I loved the movie, but teaching is where I belong.”

Robert Oliveri: Left acting, works in tech

• Oliveri’s last acting credit is from 1990 (IMDb Robert Oliveri page).
• He reportedly works as a software engineer in the San Francisco Bay Area (Reader’s Digest profile).
• He has maintained strict privacy and has not participated in any cast reunions.

Matt Frewer: Active actor with roles in TV and film

• Frewer has over 300 acting credits since 1989 (IMDb Matt Frewer page).
• Notable post-1989 roles: Max Headroom (series), Orphan Black, The BFG, and numerous voice roles in animation (ScreenRant career overview).
• He continues to act in film and television as of 2023.

Kristine Sutherland: Known for Buffy, retired from acting

• Sutherland’s most famous post-film role was Joyce Summers on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (IMDb Kristine Sutherland page).
• She retired from acting in the early 2010s and lives in Italy with her husband (ScreenRant retirement update).
• She has not returned to film or television since 2012.

Thomas Wilson Brown: Occasional acting and voice work

• Brown has appeared in a handful of TV roles post-1989, including Boy Meets World and Sun Records (Reader’s Digest TV credits).
• He participated in the 2020 Prop Culture reunion episode (YouTube Prop Culture clip).
• His current primary occupation is not publicly documented, though he occasionally does voice acting for video games.

Who played the daughter in Honey I Shrunk the Kids?

Amy O’Neill as Amy Szalinski

• Amy O’Neill played Amy Szalinski, the teenage daughter of Wayne and Diane (IMDb cast listing).
• Her character is one of the four children who get shrunk by Wayne’s malfunctioning shrink ray.
• O’Neill’s only major film role was this film; her entire acting career spans just four credits from 1989 to 1992 (IMDb Amy O’Neill page).

Amy O’Neill’s acting career

• After Honey I Shrunk the Kids, O’Neill appeared in the TV movie Miracle Landing (1990) and the film Where the Heart Is (1990) (IMDb film credits).
• She has not acted since 1992.

Life after Honey I Shrunk the Kids

• O’Neill now works as a music teacher in Minnesota (ScreenRant interview).
• She made a rare public appearance on Prop Culture in 2020, discussing the film with former co-stars (YouTube Prop Culture clip).

Who played the mother in Honey I Shrunk the Kids?

Marcia Strassman as Diane Szalinski

• Marcia Strassman played Diane Szalinski, the mother of the Szalinski family (IMDb cast listing).
• She was already a well-known TV actress from Welcome Back, Kotter (Reader’s Digest career retrospective).

Marcia Strassman’s career and legacy

• Strassman continued acting in the 1990s and 2000s, appearing in films like Chicken Little (2005) and TV shows like ER (IMDb credits page).
• She also performed on stage in the 1998 musical Hello Again (Reader’s Digest stage note).

Her passing in 2014

• Strassman died of breast cancer on October 25, 2014, at age 66 (Reader’s Digest obituary).
• Her death marked the end of a 40-year career that included TV, film, and stage work.

Who played Big Russ Thompson in Honey I Shrunk the Kids?

Matt Frewer as Big Russ Thompson

• Matt Frewer played Russell “Big Russ” Thompson Sr., the loud, boisterous neighbor and father of Tommy (IMDb cast listing).
• His character’s backyard confrontation with Wayne sets up the film’s conflict.

Matt Frewer’s continued acting career

• Frewer is best known for playing Max Headroom in the 1980s TV series and commercials (ScreenRant career overview).
• He remains actively acting, with over 300 film and TV credits, including roles in Orphan Black, The BFG, and The Santa Clause franchise (IMDb Matt Frewer page).

His role in Honey I Shrunk the Kids

• Frewer’s Big Russ is the antagonist-turned-ally who eventually helps the children. The role cemented his reputation as a versatile character actor.
• In a 2018 SXSW interview, he said: “I still get kids coming up to me saying ‘You’re the dad from that shrinking movie!’ It never gets old.”