Jerry Zucker

Production

Jerry Zucker

Born 1950-03-11 · Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Jerry Zucker (born March 11, 1950) is an American director, known for 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. He graduated from Shorewood High School. 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.

Acting credits

Behind the camera

Airplane! poster
7.3

An ex-fighter pilot forced to take over the controls of an airliner when the flight crew succumbs to food poisoning.

Airplane!

1980

Airplane! poster
7.3

An ex-fighter pilot forced to take over the controls of an airliner when the flight crew succumbs to food poisoning.

Airplane!

1980

Ghost poster
7.2

After a young man is murdered, his spirit stays behind to warn his lover of impending danger, with the help of a reluctant psychic.

Ghost

1990

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! poster
7.3

When the bumbling Lieutenant Frank Drebin investigates events following the shooting of his partner, he stumbles upon an attempt to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II.

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!

1988

Friends with Benefits poster
6.6

Dylan is done with relationships. Jamie decides to stop buying into the Hollywood clichés of true love. When the two become friends they decide to try something new and take advantage of their mutual attraction - but without any emotional attachment.

Friends with Benefits

2011

My Best Friend's Wedding poster
6.6

When she receives word that her longtime platonic pal Michael O'Neal is getting married to debutante Kimberly Wallace, food critic Julianne Potter realizes her true feelings for Michael -- and sets out to sabotage the wedding.

My Best Friend's Wedding

1997

Rat Race poster
6.3

In an ensemble film about easy money, greed, manipulation and bad driving, a Las Vegas casino tycoon entertains his wealthiest high rollers -- a group that will bet on anything -- by pitting six ordinary people against each other in a wild dash for $2 million jammed into a locker hundreds of miles away. The tycoon and his wealthy friends monitor each racer's every move to keep track of their favorites. The only rule in this race is that there are no rules.

Rat Race

2001

Rat Race poster
6.3

In an ensemble film about easy money, greed, manipulation and bad driving, a Las Vegas casino tycoon entertains his wealthiest high rollers -- a group that will bet on anything -- by pitting six ordinary people against each other in a wild dash for $2 million jammed into a locker hundreds of miles away. The tycoon and his wealthy friends monitor each racer's every move to keep track of their favorites. The only rule in this race is that there are no rules.

Rat Race

2001

Top Secret! poster
7.1

Popular and dashing American singer Nick Rivers travels to East Germany to perform in a music festival. When he loses his heart to the gorgeous Hillary Flammond, he finds himself caught up in an underground resistance movement. Rivers joins forces with Agent Cedric and Flammond to attempt the rescue of her father, Dr. Paul, from the Germans, who have captured the scientist in hopes of coercing him into building a new naval mine.

Top Secret!

1984

Top Secret! poster
7.1

Popular and dashing American singer Nick Rivers travels to East Germany to perform in a music festival. When he loses his heart to the gorgeous Hillary Flammond, he finds himself caught up in an underground resistance movement. Rivers joins forces with Agent Cedric and Flammond to attempt the rescue of her father, Dr. Paul, from the Germans, who have captured the scientist in hopes of coercing him into building a new naval mine.

Top Secret!

1984

First Knight poster
6.1

The timeless tale of King Arthur and the legend of Camelot are retold in this passionate period drama. Arthur is reluctant to hand the crown to Lancelot, and Guinevere is torn between her loyalty to her husband and her growing love for his rival. But Lancelot must balance his loyalty to the throne with the rewards of true love.

First Knight

1995

First Knight poster
6.1

The timeless tale of King Arthur and the legend of Camelot are retold in this passionate period drama. Arthur is reluctant to hand the crown to Lancelot, and Guinevere is torn between her loyalty to her husband and her growing love for his rival. But Lancelot must balance his loyalty to the throne with the rewards of true love.

First Knight

1995

Fair Game poster
6.5

A devoted wife and mother leads a secret life as a CIA agent until her husband’s article exposes a scandal, putting her identity and loved ones at risk. As her world crumbles, she must navigate the fallout of her double life.

Fair Game

2010

A Walk in the Clouds poster
7.4

World War II vet Paul Sutton falls for a pregnant and unwed woman who persuades him -- during their first encounter -- to pose as her husband so she can face her family.

A Walk in the Clouds

1995

Ruthless People poster
6.6

Sam Stone hates his wife Barbara so much that he wants her dead. He's ecstatic when she's taken by a duo of kidnappers who want $500,000 ransom in exchange for her life. Fully intending to ignore every one of the kidnappers' demands in the hopes that they do him a favor and murder her for him, the two confused kidnappers have to figure out how they're going get their money, and what they're going to do with the overbearing Barbara.

Ruthless People

1986

The Kentucky Fried Movie poster
6.2

A series of loosely connected skits that spoof news programs, commercials, porno films, kung-fu films, disaster films, blaxploitation films, spy films, mafia films, and the fear that somebody is watching you on the other side of the TV.

The Kentucky Fried Movie

1977

My Life poster
6.7

It seems that Bob Jones has everything a man could want, namely a fulfilling job and a beautiful, pregnant wife, Gail. But Bob's life is turned upside-down when he is diagnosed with cancer and given four months to live -- not even enough time to see his first child's birth. To cleanse himself of demons in his remaining days, Bob makes a video diary, hoping to pass along some wisdom to his future child. Along the way, he discovers a lot about himself.

My Life

1993

Unconditional Love poster
6.0

After her husband leaves her, a woman travels to London for the funeral of the pop star, Victor Fox, she's adored all her life. There, she meets the lover of the dead pop star, and convinces him to come back to Chicago with her to figure out who killed the singer.

Unconditional Love

2002

No artwork available
NR

The true story of William and Ellen Craft, who escaped enslavement in Georgia by disguising themselves as a white slave owner and his slave.

1000 Miles