Peter Venkman

Ghostbusters

Before the first Ghostbusters film, little is known about Dr. Venkman besides that he has a Ph.D in both Psychology and Parapsychology making him highly qualified for the role of a Ghostbuster. However, early on in the film, he is fired from the University for wasting their funds and producing nothing of worth. It's this which prompts him to band with fellow professors Egon Spangler and Ray Stantz and form the Ghostbusters. Even though he is one of the founding members, Venkman always tends to look at the situations with a very cynical view and instead always tries to exploit their ghostbusting for his own goals. Usually womanising or trying to make a quick buck. However, he does seemingly fall in love with Dana Barret, one of his first clients, and spends most of the film vying for her affections and eventually saving her from Gozer the Destroyer with the other Ghostbusters.

Ghostbusters II

5 years after the first film, the Ghostbusters have gone out of business and while the other Ghostbusters do children's parties and work in labs, Peter takes to presenting a paranormal themed chat show on TV. While the situation may have changed, Peter is still as sarcastic and cynical as ever and still seemingly does not believe in the paranormal, even after experiencing the events of the original film first hand. However, after investigating the slime under the city and stopping the vengeful ghosts of the Scoleri Brothers in the courthouse, the Ghostbusters are back in business and Dr. Venkman again takes over as the leading man. Also in the sequel we see Dana with her new born son, Oscar and it becomes very apparent that Peter couldn't change his womanising ways so while there still are feelings between them, there is no real love between them.