Jim Abrahams

James Steven Abrahams (May 10, 1944 – November 26, 2024) was an American film director and writer, best known as a member of Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker.

Life and career

James Steven Abrahams was born on May 10, 1944, to a Jewish family<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> in Shorewood, Wisconsin, the son of Louise M. (née Ogens), an educational researcher, and Norman S. Abrahams, a lawyer.<ref name=Koseluk>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=jrso1>Template:Cite news</ref> He attended Shorewood High School.<ref name=jrso1/> He had a home in Eagle River, Wisconsin, where he spent summers from the time he was a child.<ref>Up-North Escape – All Ways Forward Retrieved 2018-11-01.</ref>

He is 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. Template:Citation needed

Abrahams and his wife, Nancy (née Cocuzzo) co-founded The Charlie Foundation To Help Cure Pediatric Epilepsy.<ref name=CURE>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was an advocate of the ketogenic diet as a treatment for epilepsy.

Abrahams had three children. His daughter, Jamie Abrahams, is also a comedy writer.

Death

He died from leukemia at his home in Santa Monica, California, on November 26, 2024, at the age of 80.<ref name=Koseluk/><ref name=tmz>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He had the disease for twenty years before his death and at one point was in remission until it returned.<ref name=tmz/>

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Director	Writer	Executive Producer	Notes
1977	The Kentucky Fried Movie	Template:No	Template:Yes	Template:No
1980	Airplane!	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Co-directed with David and Jerry Zucker
1984	Top Secret!	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
1986	Ruthless People	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:No
1988	Big Business	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:No
	The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!	Template:No	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
1990	Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:No
1991	Hot Shots!	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No
1993	Hot Shots! Part Deux	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No
1994	An Introduction to the Ketogenic Diet	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:No	Documentary short
1998	Mafia!	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No
2006	Scary Movie 4	Template:No	Template:Yes	Template:No

Executive producer only

• Cry-Baby (1990)
• The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991)
• Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult (1994)

Acting roles

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

Year	Title	Director	Writer	Creator	Executive Producer	Notes
1976	Big John, Little John	Template:No	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:No	Episode "Abracadabra"
1997	...First Do No Harm	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:Yes	TV movie
1982	Police Squad!	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Wrote and directed episode "A Substantial Gift (The Broken Promise)" with David & Jerry Zucker
2018	Voice of the Epilepsies	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:Yes	Documentary film

Other credits

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1972	The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson	Performer	Part as Kentucky Fried Theatre in one episode
1974	The Midnight Special
2019	Late Night Berlin	Creative producer	Episode "Folge 42"

External links

• [https://www.imdb.com/{{#if: 0000720

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• Biography, The New York Times (from AllMovie)
• Charlie's Story; accessed November 25, 2014.
• {{#if:Jim Abrahams|Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at Discogs|{{#if:Template:Wikidata|Template:Wikidata Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at DiscogsTemplate:EditAtWikidata|Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at Discogs}}}}

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