Raymond Stantz
Encyclopedia
Raymond "Ray" Stantz, Ph.D., is a fictional
scientist
and member of the Ghostbusters, appearing in the films Ghostbusters
, Ghostbusters II
, and Casper
(played by Dan Aykroyd
) and in the animated
television series The Real Ghostbusters
(voiced by Frank Welker
). He is one of the three doctors of parapsychology
on the team, along with Dr. Peter Venkman
and Dr. Egon Spengler
.
. He is characterized by his almost childlike enthusiasm towards his work, and his forthright acceptance of paranormal
activity. Though he expresses skepticism
toward Christianity
, he is extremely knowledgeable about the Bible
, even quoting a specific book and chapter--"I remember Revelation 7:12"-- about the end of the world (though the passage he quotes is actually Revelation 6:12). He is known for his wordy and overly technical explanations of scientific and paranormal phenomena. Ray, along with Egon, is responsible for pioneering the Ghostbusters' theories and designing and building the equipment used for catching and containing ghosts.
Dan Aykroyd made an appearance with Bill Murray
as Ghostbusters for a critically ill child whose dream was to meet them. Aykroyd did a cameo as Stantz in the 1995 movie version of Casper
.
Ray was born in the Bronx, according to Citizen Ghost, then later moved to Morrisville
, which appears in Look Homeward Ray. The latter episode also reveals that Ray's childhood crush was a brunette named Elaine.
During the shows run he was the closest member of the team to being a pilot, having won a free flying lesson in 1976, as mentioned in You Can't Take It With You.
Ray's surname was misspelled in the series as Stanz, in much the same way as Winston Zeddemore
's surname was misspelled Zeddmore.
Extreme Ghostbusters
Ray only appears in the two-part series finale. After the closing down of the Ghostbusters Ray got a job at a major university. After a "minor mishap", which was followed by a large explosion, he has a job at Perpetual Motors, a used car company.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
and member of the Ghostbusters, appearing in the films Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...
, Ghostbusters II
Ghostbusters II
Ghostbusters II is a 1989 science fiction comedy film produced and directed by Ivan Reitman. It is the sequel to the 1984 film Ghostbusters and follows the further adventures of a group of parapsychologists and their organization which combats paranormal activities...
, and Casper
Casper (film)
Casper is a 1995 American comedy fantasy film starring Bill Pullman and Christina Ricci, based on the Casper the Friendly Ghost animated cartoons and comic books. The ghosts featured in the film were created through computer-generated imagery...
(played by Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
) and in the animated
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
television series The Real Ghostbusters
The Real Ghostbusters
The Real Ghostbusters is an American animated television series based on the 1984 film Ghostbusters. The series ran from 1986 to 1991, and was produced by Columbia Pictures Television, DiC Enterprises, and Coca-Cola Telecommunications. "The Real" was added to the title after a dispute with...
(voiced by Frank Welker
Frank Welker
Franklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
). He is one of the three doctors of parapsychology
Parapsychology
The term parapsychology was coined in or around 1889 by philosopher Max Dessoir, and originates from para meaning "alongside", and psychology. The term was adopted by J.B. Rhine in the 1930s as a replacement for the term psychical research...
on the team, along with Dr. Peter Venkman
Peter Venkman
Peter Venkman, Ph.D. is a fictional character from the Ghostbusters franchise. He is a parapsychologist and member of the Ghostbusters, appearing in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II and in the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters...
and Dr. Egon Spengler
Egon Spengler
Egon Spengler is a fictional character appearing in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, and in the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters and later Extreme Ghostbusters. He is a member of the Ghostbusters, and one of the three doctors of parapsychology on the team...
.
Character
Ray is considered the "heart" of the Ghostbusters by the other members of the team. He is an expert on paranormal history and metallurgyMetallurgy
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are called alloys. It is also the technology of metals: the way in which science is applied to their practical use...
. He is characterized by his almost childlike enthusiasm towards his work, and his forthright acceptance of paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
activity. Though he expresses skepticism
Skepticism
Skepticism has many definitions, but generally refers to any questioning attitude towards knowledge, facts, or opinions/beliefs stated as facts, or doubt regarding claims that are taken for granted elsewhere...
toward Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, he is extremely knowledgeable about the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, even quoting a specific book and chapter--"I remember Revelation 7:12"-- about the end of the world (though the passage he quotes is actually Revelation 6:12). He is known for his wordy and overly technical explanations of scientific and paranormal phenomena. Ray, along with Egon, is responsible for pioneering the Ghostbusters' theories and designing and building the equipment used for catching and containing ghosts.
Dan Aykroyd made an appearance with Bill Murray
Bill Murray
William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
as Ghostbusters for a critically ill child whose dream was to meet them. Aykroyd did a cameo as Stantz in the 1995 movie version of Casper
Casper (film)
Casper is a 1995 American comedy fantasy film starring Bill Pullman and Christina Ricci, based on the Casper the Friendly Ghost animated cartoons and comic books. The ghosts featured in the film were created through computer-generated imagery...
.
The Real Ghostbusters
Ray has a completely extended family (which has different nationalities ranging from Swiss to Scottish to Russian), including his Aunt Lois (who appears in the episode, "The Spirit of Aunt Lois"), and Uncle Andrew MacMillan of Dunkeld, Scotland (who is mentioned as being deceased in "Bustman's Holiday").Ray was born in the Bronx, according to Citizen Ghost, then later moved to Morrisville
Morrisville, New York
Morrisville is a village in Madison County, New York, United States. The population was 2,148 at the 2000 census. The village is named after its founder, Thomas Morris.The Village of Morrisville in the northwest part of the Town of Eaton on US Route 20....
, which appears in Look Homeward Ray. The latter episode also reveals that Ray's childhood crush was a brunette named Elaine.
During the shows run he was the closest member of the team to being a pilot, having won a free flying lesson in 1976, as mentioned in You Can't Take It With You.
Ray's surname was misspelled in the series as Stanz, in much the same way as Winston Zeddemore
Winston Zeddemore
Winston Zeddemore is a fictional character appearing in the Ghostbusters films, TV series, and video games. He was played by Ernie Hudson in both movies and was voiced by Arsenio Hall in the first two seasons of The Real Ghostbusters. Buster Jones provided Winston's voice in the remaining seasons,...
's surname was misspelled Zeddmore.