Jerry Zucker | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Zucker on November 4, 2006 | |
| Born | Jerry Gordon Zucker (1950-03-11)March 11, 1950 (age 75) |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, producer, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Mother | Charlotte Zucker |
| Family | David Zucker (brother) |
Jerry Gordon Zucker (born March 11, 1950) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. With his brotherDavid andJim Abrahams, he is part the filmmaking trioZucker, Abrahams and Zucker.
He is best known for his role in writing and directing comedy spoof films likeAirplane! (1980) andTop Secret! (1984), and for co-creating the television seriesPolice Squad!, which was later adapted intoThe Naked Gun film series.
He is also the director of theAcademy Award-winning supernatural drama filmGhost (1990), the first box-office topper of the 1990s.[1]
Zucker was born to a Jewish family[2] inMilwaukee,Wisconsin, the son ofCharlotte A. (Lefstein) (d. 2007) and Burton C. Zucker, who was areal estate developer.[3][4] He graduated fromShorewood High School.[5] His paternal grandfather was Leonard Zucker who emigrated fromRussia to theUnited States and became a naturalized citizen.
Zucker's early career work started withJim Abrahams and brotherDavid Zucker. The trio performed inMadison, Wisconsin as a sketch and comedy troupe called "Kentucky Fried Theater.” They later adapted several of these sketches into a comedy anthology film,The Kentucky Fried Movie, directed byJohn Landis and released in 1977.
From there the three went on and together co-directedAirplane! in 1980 and then went on to doTop Secret! in 1984, andRuthless People in 1986. Along with Jim Abrahams, the Zuckers constitute the "ZAZ" team of directors.
In 1987, both Jerry andDavid Zucker through Zucker Brothers Productions had signed an agreement withParamount Pictures for a two-year non-exclusive production agreement and development deal with the studio. The brothers had anticipated cranking out four comedies forParamount Pictures during the life of the pact; the first film was afeature film version of the early 1980s television showPolice Squad!, which was originally cancelled after six episodes on the air.[6]
In 1990, he lent his directorial skills to the dramatic genre withGhost, which was nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Picture and wonWhoopi Goldberg her only Oscar. Zucker's most recent directorial effort is the 2001 filmRat Race.
Zucker's films have been ranked among the greatest comedies of all time:Airplane! was ranked at the top ofEntertainment Weekly's list of best comedy films and AFI listed it as #10;Top Secret! madeEntertainment Weekly's Top 100 list.[7]
Like his brother David Zucker, Jerry often cast his mother, Charlotte (who died in 2007), and his sister, Susan Breslau, in small roles in his films.
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | The Kentucky Fried Movie | No | Yes | No | |
| 1980 | Airplane! | Yes | Yes | Executive | Co-director withJim Abrahams &David Zucker |
| 1984 | Top Secret! | Yes | Yes | Executive | |
| 1986 | Ruthless People | Yes | No | No | |
| 1988 | The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! | No | Yes | Executive | |
| 1990 | Ghost | Yes | No | No | |
| 1991 | The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear | No | Characters | Executive | |
| 1994 | Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult | No | Characters | Executive | |
| 1995 | First Knight | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 2001 | Rat Race | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 2025 | The Naked Gun | No | Characters | No |
Producer only
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Brain Donors | Dennis Dugan | Executive producer |
| 1993 | My Life | Bruce Joel Rubin | |
| 1995 | A Walk in the Clouds | Alfonso Arau | |
| 1997 | My Best Friend's Wedding | P. J. Hogan | |
| 2002 | Unconditional Love | ||
| 2010 | Fair Game | Doug Liman | |
| 2011 | Friends with Benefits | Will Gluck | |
| 2012 | Mental | P. J. Hogan |
Acting roles
| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | The Kentucky Fried Movie | Technician #3 / Man / Beaver / Hands | |
| 1980 | Airplane! | Ground Crewman #1 | |
| 1984 | Top Secret! | East German Soldier | |
| 1995 | Your Studio and You | Himself | Short film |
| 2014 | Asthma | Gus' Father |
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Big John, Little John | No | Yes | No | writer of episode "Abracadabra" |
| 1982 | Police Squad! | Yes | Yes | Executive | director and writer of episode "A Substantial Gift (The Broken Promise)" |
| 1987 | Our Planet Tonight | No | No | Executive | TV movie |
| 2013 | Dear Dumb Diary | No | No | Executive | |
| 2019 | Late Night Berlin | No | No | Creative | Episode "Folge 42" |
Acting roles
| Year | Title | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Performer | Part asKentucky Fried Theater in one episode |
| 1974 | The Midnight Special |
