| Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker | |
|---|---|
| Born | David Zucker: October 16, 1947 Jim Abrahams: May 10, 1944 Jerry Zucker: March 11, 1950 |
| Other names | Kentucky Fried Theatre |
| Occupation | Directors Actors |
| Years active | 1977-present |
| Awards | WGA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay 1980 Airplane! |
Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker (also known as ZAZ ) are an American comedy filmmaking trio consisting of Jim Abrahams (born May 10, 1944) and brothers David (born October 16, 1947) and Jerry Zucker (born March 11, 1950) who specializes in slapstick comedy films during the 1980s and the early 1990s. They knew each other during their childhood years; growing up in Shorewood, Wisconsin and attended Shorewood High School, which is sometimes referenced in their work. While attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the trio formed a theater group called "Kentucky Fried Theater". This led to their sketch film, The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977), which was written by the group and directed by John Landis.
This was followed in 1980 by their breakout hit, Airplane!, which remains a revered comedic milestone. Subsequent film collaborations including Top Secret!, Ruthless People and The Naked Gun. All of their projects relied heavily on parodies, visual gags and breaking of the fourth wall, and established a strong cult following. The notable stylistic exception is Ruthless People, a more traditional farce that was directed by the trio, but unlike their other productions, not written by them.
Prominent ZAZ players include Leslie Nielsen, Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack, Rowan Atkinson, Whoopi Goldberg, Charlie Sheen, and Anna Faris. The trio's status as a three-person team of co-directors is highly unusual, although some of their later projects were directed by David Zucker working solo, and with Jerry Zucker and Abrahams credited only as producers and/or writers. Each member of the group has also had individual success:
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||