
Jim Abrahams
Writing
Born 1944-05-10 · Shorewood, Wisconsin, USA
Jim Abrahams (May 10, 1944 – November 26, 2024) was an American movie director and writer. Abrahams was born in Shorewood, Wisconsin, to a Jewish family, and attended Shorewood High School. He was 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. Abrahams later produced 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.
Known for

Airplane!
1980 · Movie

Coming to America
1988 · Movie

Top Secret!
1984 · Movie

Oscar
1991 · Movie

The Kentucky Fried Movie
1977 · Movie

Kareem: Minority of One
2015 · Movie

Cocaine Blues
1983 · Movie

FAT: A Documentary
2019 · Movie

Hearts of Hot Shots! Part Deux—A Filmmaker's Apology
1993 · Movie