Gary Grooberson

Gary Gooberson is a supporting character in Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
He is played by Paul Rudd, who also portrayed Ant-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tommy Doyle in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, and also voiced Mr. Prince in The Little Prince and Mondo Gecko in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.
== Biography ==
=== Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) ===
In the summer of 2021 at Summerville, Gary teaches science in school. One morning, Gary stopped at the school's entrance to ask Callie if she was okay. Callie told him it was first day of her child, Phoebe, and asked him if he could imagine who they got teaching summer school. Gary informed her that he was the summer school teacher. She apologized. Gary told her it was okay and pointed out most of the children were not very bright. Gary summarized he could basically do whatever he wanted. Callie commented that was a score. Gary agreed and called it a dream job. She walked outside, turned her head once to take one more look, then resumed walking. Gary wheeled in an old cathode tube television into the classroom and greeted his students. He introduced himself as "Mr. Grooberson." During class, Gary has a talk with Phoebe when she walked in and stared at his research on the wall. He explains to her about a seismic map
The next day, Gary played "Chucky" for the class. While the other students watched Chucky attacking Karen Barclay, Podcast attempted to get Phoebe's Trap open with a wooden ruler. Part of the ruler snapped off. Gary looked up from his comic book and quickly got out of his chair. Gary was impressed with their killer replica. He picked up the Trap and admired it. Podcast agreed. Phoebe asked him what it was a replica of. Gary was shocked at her question. He told them it was a Ghost Trap. The two were unfamiliar with it. Gary admitted he was obsessed was Ghostbusters and equated New York in the 1980s to "The Walking Dead." He looked at every inch of the Trap. Phoebe asked him if it just stopped. Gary recalled there was no ghost sighting in 30 years. A small gray mist seeped out then sucked back in the Trap. Gary dropped the Trap. Phoebe told him it might be real and revealed she found it in her living room at her grandfather's house which is located on the Dirt Farm. Gary asked that was the really spooky one. Podcast told him it was farm that read "DIRT" on it. Phoebe asked what happened in New York. Gary showed them a recording taken by someone during the Manhattan Crossrip of 1984 and explained the whole city was freaking out and then these physicists showed up in their portable proton accelerators and blew the roof off a Manhattan high rise.
After school, Gary, Phoebe, and Podcast check out the trap and try to open it. When they do so, the spectral form of Vinz Clortho roared then flew towards the Shandor Mining Company property. Gary was shocked at what he saw and suggests that they should leave. 
He later drives Phoebe and Podcast to the farmhouse. Inside, Podcast found an Aztec Death Whistle. Gary recognized it and recalled it repelled spirits. Podcast blew into it. Callie walked into the study to see what the horrific sound was. Podcast asked if he could keep the whistle. Callie told him to keep it as long as he did not use it again. Gary greeted her. She was surprised that he brought them. Gary stated it was a service he provided and he always wanted to checkout the farmhouse. She gives a tour of the rest of the place where he sees a map of Summerville and takes it with him. Before he left, Gary and Callie agreed grab dinner the next day.
Callie and Gary went to enjoy Garden Restaurant for dinner. They get to know more about each other with Callie explaining information about her family to Gary. Muncher later flew through the restaurant and startled Gary and Callie.
Callie and Gary ended their date and headed to the Summerville County Sheriff's Department. The two found out that Phoebe, Podcast, and Callie’s son, Trevor, were locked up for driving without a license, speeding, and destroy half of Main Street with a Proton Pack. Gary is amazed by the sight of the Proton Pack. When the kids show up in the front, Callie asked them what were they thinking. Gary joined in and pointed out they could have really hurt themselves. Gary then introduces himself to Trevor. While Callie filled out the release form, Gary leaned toward Phoebe and asked in a whisper if she caught anything. Phoebe indicated to him a ghost was in the Trap. He then leaves with he group.
Gary parked in front of the Farmhouse. Everyone got out. Gary was about to say something but Trevor and Phoebe walked right into the house. Gary brushed it off. Callie and Gary both half shrugged to each other. She apologized for the night going sideways. He claimed he had a blast and suggested they continue their dinner the next night. Callie then gives Gary a kiss on his cheek.
Gary went to the local Walmart. Vinz Clortho, in wisp form, flew into the store after him. While shopping, he sees a group of the Mini-Pufts, a tiny but not identical version of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, that were messing around in few sections of the store including a few destroying each other. Vinz Clortho was across from him with his head in a Purina Dog Chow bag scarfing away. Gary quietly backed up. The Mini-Pufts on the Roomba crashed into his shoe then drove on. Vinz lifted his head out of the bag and stared at Gary. Gary tried to talk to it but Vinz cut him off with a roar. He panicky runs to his car outside and tried to get it to start. One of Vinz's paws stomped down on the hood. He snarled. The tires squealed and flattened. Vinz looked down then turned back, roared, and lunged at Gary then possessed him and turning his body in a Terror Dog.
Following the defeat of Gozer, Vinz, Zuul, many of the ghosts the Terror Dogs were reduced to black husks. Trevor ran over to them and pulled the head off one. Gary's head was visible. Trevor asked him if he was okay. Gary noted his hands hurt from galloping. Callie and Gary talked. Gary summarized that was weird. After some awkwardness, Gary tried to address that they had sex when they were possessed and opened the gates to hell. Callie pointed out they saved the world after. He took solace in that.
=== Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) ===
During the Sewer Dragon chase in the summer of 2024, Gary drove Ecto-1. Callie and Gary forbade Phoebe from going outside on the gunner chair. Phoebe went out anyway. Callie trapped the ghost with the Drone Trap but Gary rammed a fleet of parked rental bicycles at City Hall Park. Mayor Walter Peck held them responsible for all the damage caused by the bust. Gary insisted they couldn't let the Sewer Dragon fly around SoHo like it was Middle Earth. Peck was incensed to learn Phoebe was a minor and stated children don't become police officers, firefighters, or Ghostbusters. Gary asked for permission to approach the bench. Peck informed him he was not a judge. Gary tried to extol Phoebe's abilities. Peck asked if he was her parent. Gary replied he was a step-teacher. Peck corrected him and said he was her employer. Gary slipped and clarified she was not being paid. Peck added child labor violation to the litany of charges. Phoebe was benched until she turned 18 in three years. 
Back at the Firehouse, Gary made tacos for movie night. He revealed a VHS of "Cannibal Girls" for movie night. Callie asked if it was family friendly. Gary hoped not since it was about a family that ate people. Phoebe threatened to take her grievances to the labor board on the grounds being a Ghostbuster was her calling and she saved the world. Callie emphasized "we" but Phoebe pointed out they were turned into possessed canines. Gary asked Trevor to keep an eye on the beans and followed after the pair. Gary and Callie tried to convince her three years would go by fast. Gary pointed out he was studying earthquakes and chose to be a Ghostbuster. Gary and Callie reminisced about going on a date, being possessed, and getting some action. Phoebe contended it made sense for Gary since he was a scientist then turned to Callie. Callie warned her to choose her next words carefully. Gary and Callie went down to the basement. Gary was surprised Phoebe knew those words. Callie pointed out he could have backed her up. She found it nice he was being their friend but he sometimes needed to be an asshole, too. He felt it was not his place to be. She hoped it was. He was unsure if it was allowed. She granted him permission. He warned her he could be scary and demonstrated. She laughed at his expense. He promised to be a nice to her and only be an asshole to her kids. Gary and Callie struggled to pull down the handle together and finish depositing Sewer Dragon into the Containment Unit. The next day, after the Containment Unit was first hit by the Death Chill, Janine Melnitz checked out the basement with Gary. He asked if the original Ghostbusters even emptied it. Janine sarcastically asked where they could have done that and suggested the East River. She took a photo of the unit with her phone and promised to let Winston's engineers know about the problem. Gary was intrigued and asked if they were making "super secret ghostbusting stuff." She confirmed he was right.
The next day, Lars Pinfield took readings of the Containment Unit. Gary tried to make small talk and asked if his equipment helped him hear the ghosts in the unit. Lars replied silence helped him hear the ghosts. Gary and Phoebe exchanged looks. Lars was startled by a klanging sound from the unit. Winston, Janine, and Lars met with the new team to talk about the Containment Unit running out of space. The meeting shifted to the Paranormal Research Center, where a new one had already been built. Ray remarked it could spin the equivalent of 50 million cubic hectares of plasmic confinement, a space equal to the American West. He and Gary did a riff on "Home, Home on the Range". Gary and Callie looked at one of the ghosts being studied, Pukey, and found it cute and waved. It threw up ectoplasm towards them. That night, Gary felt bad and pretended to have trouble putting his Proton Pack back together. Phoebe played along. The team left on a call to downtown without Phoebe. 
The next day, Gary, Callie, and Trevor went to a police station after Ray, Podcast, and Phoebe were arrested over an incident at the New York City Public Library. Phoebe stood up to Mayor Peck and was arrested again for what he called slander. She was released later on. Gary and Callie came to collect her and she wanted to skip the lecture and be grounded. Callie informed her she was fired. Phoebe snapped back she would be their secretary if she was not a Spengler. Gary reminded her she was talking to her mother and being a Spengler doesn't equate to being a genius just a part of the family. Phoebe asked if he was. Gary told her if she was not being so selfish she would see they were doing everything they could to protect her. He yelled at her to wake up. She stormed out. Gary felt awful. Callie understood what he was feeling and rhetorically asked him if it sucked.
Gary pulled up to the Firehouse where Lucky, Lars, Trevor, and Nadeem Razmaadi were waiting. Phoebe asked if this was their last night at the Firehouse. Gary replied he didn't know. Callie went to her bedroom to pack. Gary revealed he wanted to stay and fight for it because it was their home. He started quoting lines from the "Ghostbusters" song and convinced her to stay, too. He added "busting make me feel good" but Callie told him to get out. Gary knocked on Phoebe's bedroom door and started talking, unaware she sneaked out, about how life was rough, unpredictable, and crazy but family was the one thing that was there for you no matter what and sometimes it was not blood relatives that reminded you you have a home. He ended repeating he thought she was really great.
The next day, Callie and Gary rushed into the Paranormal Research Center and found Phoebe and Lucky huddled in Parka Uniforms on the floor. They tried to explain what happened but Gary told them all that mattered was they were okay. Lars disagreed. He saw the pieces of the Orb and knew they were in trouble. On the way back to the Firehouse, Phoebe said it was okay if they hated her. Gary said they were worried. Callie added they had no idea where she was and she could have been killed. Phoebe admitted she felt stupid for trusting somebody she should not have. Gary tried to downplay it by saying he knew plenty of smart people who were morons. Callie reminded her she said it was okay to make mistakes. Phoebe pointed out she released a monstrous deity. Callie suggested getting a tattoo next time. Gary suggested shoplifting. Callie gave him the look then asked Phoebe if she was ready to be a Spengler again. She nodded. Callie told her they needed her. Gary, Callie, and Phoebe returned to the Firehouse. Ray asked how Garraka got free. Gary informed Janine that Garraka was a typical manifestation of evil and the ender of worlds, that kind of thing. Nadeem demonstrated his pyrokinetic ability and made a flame leap on a candle. No one was impressed. Gary asked where the packs were. Lars and Lucky unloaded Ecto-Z. Gary told Lucky and Trevor to head to the roof and shoot anything that looks terrifying. Lucky told Gary she already shot Garraka and he did not flinch.
On the second floor, Possessor entered Lucky's Particle Thrower and took aim at Trevor. Gary ran down from the steps and sacrificed himself for Trevor but Nadeem redirected the Proton Stream outside. Podcast quickly smashed up the Proton Pack with his Hammer of Truth. Possessor tried to hop away in a pizza on the table but Slimersuddenly appeared, ate the pizza, and flew up through the ceiling. Gary was dumbfounded. Callie went to the second floor and asked where Phoebe was. They heard thunder as Garraka drew closer. They all ran down to the ground floor except Nadeem. He wished them luck. Everyone opened fire but the Proton Streams had no effect on Garraka like Lucky claimed. Garraka nearly froze everyone. Melody had a change of heart and lit her match. Nadeem took control of the flame and blasted Garraka. The fire spread and thawed everyone out. Phoebe resumed blasting Garraka. Callie, Gary, and Trevor helped stabilize Phoebe from the power of the stream. The Containment Unit was successfully used to trap Garraka. A reporter asked Callie what busting ghosts together was called. Gary replied "a team" but Callie added "a family" then Gary said were the Spenglers, joking you didn't want to be a Grooberson. Slimer flew out of the Firehouse with Sewer Dragon in pursuit. As the team headed to Ecto-1, Phoebe referred to Gary as "dad" to his shock. Callie assured him she heard it, too. Gary was overcome by emotion and shouted in triumph. The Spenglers departed in Ecto-1.
== Personality ==
Gary Grooberson is incredibly enthusiastic about science and Ghostbusters, but feels the exact opposite about teaching summer school science. He feels bad about putting his foot down and being disciplinary.
== Gallery ==
File:Teacher.webp
File:GaryGroobersonFromAfterlifeSc14.webp
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