Jerry G. Zucker is an American film director known for his role in directing comedy spoof films, and the hit film Ghost.
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).
Zucker's films have been ranked among the greatest comedies of all time: Airplane was ranked at the top of Entertainment Weekly's list of best comedy films and AFI listed it as #10, ahead of all of Charlie Chaplin's comedies; Top Secret made Entertainment Weekly's Top 100 list.
Jerry is Vice-Chair of the The Science & Entertainment Exchange, a program of the National Academy of Sciences that provides entertainment industry professionals with access to top scientists and engineers to help bring the reality of cutting-edge science to creative and engaging storylines.
The Exchange assists the entertainment industry in harnessing science as a creative means. By connecting industry professionals with scientists and engineers, The Exchange can help bring the reality of engaging science to the creative arts.