Early life and family
William and Hank Deutschendorf were born on April 29, 1988, in Los Angeles, California.1 They are the sons of Ron Deutschendorf, the brother of folk singer-songwriter John Denver (born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr.).3 Through their father, the twins grew up connected to the Windstar Foundation, a charitable environmental organization co-founded by their uncle Denver and Thomas Crum in 1976, which the family continued to operate after Denver's death in 1997.4
The brothers were approximately one year old when they appeared in Ghostbusters II. Neither pursued acting beyond that single credit. Instead, both took an early interest in martial arts starting around age ten. After completing studies in education around 2010, both brothers became certified instructors at the West Coast Martial Arts Academy in California.5
Ghostbusters II
In Ghostbusters II (1989), the character Oscar is the infant son of Dana Barrett. Casting an infant in a speaking, reactive role requires working around strict regulations limiting the number of hours a child performer may be on set; using identical twins allows a production to continue filming while one child rests. Will and Hank Deutschendorf split the role in exactly this way, alternating as Oscar throughout the shoot.
Director Ivan Reitman would station himself directly in front of whichever twin was on set and talk to him in order to hold the infant's attention for a given shot. Approximately five versions of the scene depicting Oscar's medical examination were filmed, reflecting the challenge of directing infant performers. The film was released on June 16, 1989, when the twins were just over one year old.
The role received a nod in IDW Publishing's Ghostbusters 101 #6 (2017), which included a "Coming Soon" advertisement on page 11 referencing Will and Hank Deutschendorf and their careers in martial arts.6
William appeared as himself in the documentary Too Hot to Handle: Remembering Ghostbusters II (directed by Anthony Bueno), which explored the production and legacy of the 1989 film.5
Life after Ghostbusters
After Ghostbusters II, neither brother returned to acting. Both channeled their energy into martial arts. Beginning at roughly age ten, they trained seriously and eventually became instructors at the West Coast Martial Arts Academy in California.5 The brothers also pursued education degrees around 2010.5
Through the Windstar Foundation, the family engaged in ongoing community philanthropy. Will and Hank organized an annual Kick-a-Thon benefiting the Liam's Fund of Rady Children's Hospital, hosted a free eight-week women's self-defense seminar, ran self-defense seminars for Girl Scout troops and high school sports teams, and formed partnerships with local organizations including Danceology, Frozen Ropes, CrossFit Barracks, and Gyminny Kids.
Hank's illness and death
In August 2008, Hank Deutschendorf was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, a chronic mental health condition combining features of schizophrenia and mood disorders.3 His symptoms included hallucinations, delusions, depression, and mania.3 While medication helped manage delusions, it could not fully eliminate auditory hallucinations, and its side effects were severe: William later described Hank as feeling "like a zombie," experiencing rapid weight gain, sleeping excessively, and losing much of his former personality.7 William characterized pre-diagnosis Hank as "upbeat, healthy, witty, kind, outgoing, and always ready to stand up for people."7
On June 14, 2017, Hank Deutschendorf died by suicide at the age of 29 in Escondido, California.3 He and William had been sharing an apartment there; William found his brother.3 Hank's death was widely reported in entertainment media, which noted his status as one of the two actors who had played Baby Oscar in Ghostbusters II.37
Advocacy and memorial work
Following Hank's death, William launched "Hank's Hope for a Cure," a fundraising campaign supporting the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, which funds scientific research into mood disorders, schizophrenia, and related conditions.5 William wrote publicly and in detail about Hank's illness and final years, stating that he wanted to raise awareness of mental illness and the inadequacy of available treatments. He described existing medications as "a bandaid for a gunshot wound" and called for increased research funding and systemic attention to suicide prevention.3
On April 29, 2025, the twins' 37th birthday, William launched a second campaign titled "Hope is Stronger Than Fear," raising funds for Friends for Survival, a nonprofit organization that provides support services specifically for survivors of suicide loss.8 The campaign, which framed its appeal through a playful Ghostbusters II theme ("Vigo has returned. This time, he's not after me... he's after my daughter, Hope"), offered donors entries to win a limited-edition Vigo the Carpathian collectible statue personally signed by William.8 The campaign surpassed $1,000 in donations within two weeks of launch, nearing 50 percent of its $5,000 goal shortly thereafter.8 William also discussed the campaign and Hank's story on the "Why We Bust" podcast in May 2025.9
References
Some content on this page was researched using the Ghostbusters Wiki on Fandom.
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"William T. Deutschendorf," IMDb, accessed 2026-06-13, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0222111/
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"Henry J. Deutschendorf II," IMDb, accessed 2026-06-13, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0222110/
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The Wrap, "Henry J Deutschendorf II, Baby Oscar From 'Ghostbusters II,' Dies of Suicide" (June 21, 2017), https://www.thewrap.com/henry-j-deutschendorf-ii-baby-oscar-from-ghostbusters-ii-dies-of-suicide/
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"John Denver," Wikipedia, accessed 2026-06-13, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Denver
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Looper, "What Baby Oscar From Ghostbusters II Looks Like Today" (February 16, 2021), https://www.looper.com/334662/what-baby-oscar-from-ghost-busters-ii-looks-like-today/
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IDW Publishing, Ghostbusters 101 #6 (2017), p. 11
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AV Club, "R.I.P. Henry Deutschendorf, baby Oscar from Ghostbusters 2" (June 21, 2017), https://www.avclub.com/r-i-p-henry-deutschendorf-baby-oscar-from-ghostbuster-1798263230
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Ghostbusters News, "Ghostbusters II's Baby Oscar, Will Deutschendorf, Launches Fundraiser Honoring Late Twin Brother" (April 29, 2025), https://ghostbustersnews.com/2025/04/29/ghostbusters-iis-baby-oscar-will-deutschendorf-launches-fundraiser-honoring-late-twin-brother/
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Ghostbusters News, "Ghostbusters II's Baby Oscar, Will Deutschendorf, to Appear on Why We Bust Podcast in Support of Mental Health Fundraiser" (May 1, 2025), https://ghostbustersnews.com/2025/05/01/ghostbusters-iis-baby-oscar-will-deutschendorf-to-appear-on-why-we-bust-podcast-in-support-of-mental-health-fundraiser/
