Writer-director also worked on Naked Gun, Hot Shots and Scream 4

Jim Abrahams, who co-created spoofs such as Airplane! and The Naked Gun, has died at the age of 80.

His son Joseph told trade website The Hollywood Reporter, that the writer died of natural causes at his home in Santa Monica.

He worked alongside Jerry and David Zucker – brothers whom he had known since childhood – as co-writer of The Naked Gun and Airplane! which he also co-directed.

The team, sometimes known as ZAZ, started as a stage sketch troupe which spawned the  1977 comedy film The Kentucky Fried Movie, directed by John Landis. 

They then made Airplane! in 1980, their first collaboration with Leslie Nielsen. who would go on to star a detective Frank Drebin in their TV series Police Squad! and the spin-off Naked Gun movies. The trio also made the Bette Midler movie  Ruthless People.

Abrahams also directed movies on his own, including Big Business, and the two Hot Shots! parodies with  Charlie Sheen and Lloyd Bridges.

His last credit was as a co-writer on 2006’s Scary Movie 4, directed by David Zucker.

One of Abrahams’ children, Charlie, had a severe form of epilepsy, which led him to co-found The Charlie Foundation to Help Cure Pediatric Epilepsy with his wife Nancy.

Robert Hays, who starred as Ted Striker in Airplane paid tribute on social media, posting: ‘My friend Jim Abrahams passed away today. What a delight he was, in every way. We met on Airplane! 45 years ago. Jerry, David and Jim were the geniuses who captured lightning in a bottle. Good bless him and Nancy and the kids.’

And Bridesmaids and Ghostbusters director Paul Feig posted: ‘Wow, this is sad. What a huge influence he was to those of us in comedy. He made silly when Hollywood didn’t think it would work and made huge hits. Those of us in the comedy world owe Jim a lot. RIP Mr. Abrahams.’

Published: 27 Nov 2024