Zack Norman was an actor, comedian, and producer who played an antiquities smuggler in “Romancing the Stone.”
- Died: April 28, 2024 (Who else died on April 28?)
- Details of death: Died at a hospital in Burbank, California of natural causes at the age of 83.
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Zack Norman’s legacy
Norman got his start as a stand-up comedian, appearing in such nightclubs as London’s Playboy Club and the Copacabana in New York City. He performed his comedy act on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” in 1969. While he did stand-up, Norman was also starring in stage plays, as well as producing them. He began producing films, going by the name Howard Zuker when he was working behind the camera.
Norman’s early movies included “Love with the Proper Stranger” and “Sitting Ducks.” A prominent role came in 1984’s “Romancing the Stone,” in which he played Ira, an antiquities smuggler who worked alongside his brother Ralph, played by Danny DeVito. Ira’s love for crocodiles spawned a catchphrase, said whenever he saw one: “Look at those snappers!”
Not long after “Romancing the Stone,” Norman began working on a film that notoriously took decades to be released. With Neil Cohen, he co-wrote, co-directed, and co-produced “Chief Zabu,” in which Norman also starred alongside Allen Garfield (1939–2020). The movie, about a New York real estate developer with political ambitions who seeks to take over a Polynesian country, was shelved after poor previews. But it made its way into pop culture stardom via a frequently run ad in Variety, which read “Zack Norman as Sammy in ‘Chief Zabu.’” The line became an in-joke on the movie satire show “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” often repeated by the show’s characters. “Chief Zabu” was finally recut and released in 2016, 30 years after production began.
Norman also appeared in such movies as “Cadillac Man,” “Babyfever,” and Hollywood Dreams.” He had guest spots on TV shows like “The A-Team,” “Baywatch,” and “The Nanny.” In addition to his Hollywood career, Norman was a noted art collector. In 2017, he sold a piece by Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988) for $110.5 million, setting a record at the time.
Norman on “Chief Zabu”
“When we were making it, we understood that we had one audience, middle-aged guys who understood the world we were making fun of. So it’s a great surprise to see young audiences getting it now.” — from a 2017 interview for the New York Times
Tributes to Zack Norman
Full obituary: The Hollywood Reporter
