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. The twins split the role throughout filming, with director Ivan Reitman frequently positioning himself in front of both children to capture their attention between takes. The role was credited as Hank Deutschendorf. 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.
