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James S. Abrahams (born May 10, 1944) is an American film director and writer, best known as a member of Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker.
Jim Abrahams | |
|---|---|
 Abrahams in 2015 | |
| Born | James S. Abrahams May 10, 1944 |
| Occupation(s) | film director film producer screenwriter |
| Years active | 1976–2019 |
| Spouse | Nancy Cocuzzo |
Life and career
editAbrahams was born to a Jewish family[1] in Shorewood, Wisconsin, the son of Louise M. (née Ogens), an educational researcher, and Norman S. Abrahams, a lawyer.[2] He attended Shorewood High School.[2] He has a home in Eagle River, Wisconsin where he has spent summers since he was a child.[3]
He may be best known for the spoof movies that he co-wrote and produced with brothers Jerry Zucker and David Zucker, such as Airplane! (for which he was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay) and The Naked Gun series. The team of Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker (also referred to as "ZAZ") really began when the three men grew up together in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He directed movies on his own, such as Big Business, and further honed his skills in parody with Hot Shots! and its 1993 sequel, Hot Shots! Part Deux. [citation needed]
Abrahams and his wife, Nancy (née Cocuzzo) co-founded The Charlie Foundation To Help Cure Pediatric Epilepsy.
Abrahams has three children. His daughter, Jamie Abrahams is also a comedy writer.[1] [2]
Filmography
editFilms
edit| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Executive Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | The Kentucky Fried Movie | No | Yes | No | |
| 1980 | Airplane! | Yes | Yes | Yes | Co-directed with David & Jerry Zucker |
| 1984 | Top Secret! | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1986 | Ruthless People | Yes | No | No | |
| 1988 | The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Big Business | Yes | No | No | ||
| 1990 | Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael | Yes | No | No | |
| 1991 | Hot Shots! | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 1993 | Hot Shots! Part Deux | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 1994 | An Introduction to the Ketogenic Diet | Yes | No | No | Documentary short |
| 1998 | Mafia! | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2006 | Scary Movie 4 | No | Yes | No |
Executive producer only
edit- Cry-Baby (1990)
- The Naked Gun 2+1⁄2: The Smell of Fear (1991)
- Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult (1994)
Acting roles
edit| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | The Kentucky Fried Movie | Technician #1 / Announcer |
| 1980 | Airplane! | Religious Zealot #6 |
| 1984 | Top Secret! | German Soldier in Prop Room |
| 1988 | Coming to America | Face on Cutting Room Floor |
| 1991 | Oscar | Postman |
| 2019 | Fat: A Documentary | Self - Filmmaker & Founder, Charlie Foundation |
Television
editSeries
edit| Year | Title | Creator | Producer | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Big John, Little John | No | No | Yes | writer of episode "Abracadabra" with David & Jerry Zucker |
| 1982 | Police Squad! | Yes | Executive | Yes | Director and writer of episode "A Substantial Gift (The Broken Promise)" with David & Jerry Zucker |
Other work
edit| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | ...First Do No Harm | Yes | Executive | TV movie |
| 2018 | Voice of the Epilepsies | No | Executive | Documentary |
| 2019 | Late Night Berlin | No | Creative | Episode "Folge 42" |
Acting roles
edit| Year | Title | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Performer | Part as Kentucky Fried Theatre in one episode |
| 1974 | The Midnight Special |
References
edit- ^ Desser, David; Friedman, Lester D. (2004). American Jewish Filmmakers. University of Illinois Press. p. 166. ISBN 9780252071539.
- ^ a b Jan Uebelherr (December 28, 2012). "Louise Abrahams Yaffe: 'Airplane' co-creator's mother set her own course: Yaffe was advocate for the aging, occasional actress". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
- ^ Up-North Escape – All Ways Forward Retrieved 2018-11-01.
External links
edit- Jim Abrahams at IMDb
- biodata, The New York Times; accessed April 23, 2014.
- Charlie's Story; accessed November 25, 2014.
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