Henry J. Deutschendorf II
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Henry J. Deutschendorf II (April 29, 1988, June 14, 2017), known as Hank, was an American actor and martial arts instructor. He and his twin brother William T. Deutschendorf were nephews of the late folk singer John Denver, and their father managed charitable work on behalf of the Windsor Foundation that Denver had established.
In Ghostbusters II (1989) Hank and his twin brother William together portrayed baby Oscar, the infant son of Dana Barrett. Because infant productions require multiple takes with very young children, the twins alternated in the role throughout filming. Director Ivan Reitman would frequently position himself in front of both children to hold their attention between setups. Approximately five versions of Oscar's medical examination sequence were filmed. The role was credited as Hank Deutschendorf. The brothers were later referenced in a Coming Soon advertisement on page 11 of IDW Publishing's Ghostbusters 101 Issue 6, which noted their post-film career in martial arts. The 2017 documentary Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters featured the Deutschendorf brothers reflecting on their experience making the film.
After their acting career the brothers channeled their energy into martial arts, becoming instructors at the West Coast Martial Arts Academy. They organized philanthropic events including an annual Kick-a-Thon benefiting Rady Children's Hospital and free women's self-defense seminars. Hank Deutschendorf passed away in 2017 after a long battle with schizoaffective disorder; his brother William subsequently established Hank's Hope for a Cure with the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation.