Jerry Zucker (film director)

This article is about the film director. For the brothers Jerry and Orrin Zucker, see It’s JerryTime!.

Jerry Zucker
Born	March 11, 1950 (1950-03-11) (age 61) Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Occupation	Film director, Film producer, Screenwriter
Spouse	Janet Zucker (2 children)

Jerry Zucker (born March 11, 1950) is an American movie director known for his role in directing comedy spoof films, and the hit film Ghost.

Zucker was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Charlotte (d. 2007) and Burton Zucker, who was a real estate developer.^[1] He graduated from Shorewood High School.^[2]

Zucker's early career work started with Jim Abrahams and brother David Zucker at the Kentucky Fried Theatre on Pico Blvd in West Los Angeles where they honed their comedic skills doing skits in front of a live audience. From there the three went on and together co-directed Airplane! in 1980 and then went on to do Top Secret! in 1984, and Ruthless People in 1986. In 1990, he lent his directorial skills to the dramatic genre with Ghost, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. Recent directorial efforts of Zucker's include the 2001 film Rat Race (which re-teamed him with Ghost star Whoopi Goldberg).

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. Along with Jim Abrahams, the Zuckers constitute the "ZAZ" team of directors.

Filmography

Year	Film	Director	Producer	Writer
1977	The Kentucky Fried Movie			Y
1980	Airplane!	Y		Y
1984	Top Secret!	Y		Y
1986	Ruthless People	Y
1988	Naked Gun			Y
1990	Ghost	Y
1991	Naked Gun 2½			Y
1994	Naked Gun 33⅓			Y
1995	First Knight	Y	Y
2001	Rat Race	Y	Y
2010	Fair Game		Y
2011	Friends with Benefits		Y

References

1. ^ David Zucker Biography (1947-)
2. ^ "25 years and still laughing: 'Airplane!' maintains its cruising altitude with a non-stop zany attitude", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, June 11, 2005. Accessed September 17, 2007. "The event is in honor of the volunteer service and philanthropy of Louise Abrahams Yaffe and her son Jim Abrahams, who wrote and directed "Airplane!" with fellow Shorewood High School and University of Wisconsin–Madison graduates David and Jerry Zucker."

External links

• Jerry Zucker at the Internet Movie Database

Persondata
Name	Zucker, Jerry
Alternative names
Short description	American film director
Date of birth	March 11, 1950
Place of birth	Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Date of death
Place of death