Stephen Stucker (July 2, 1947 â€" April 13, 1986) was an American
actor, known for portrayals of bizarre, larger-than-life characters,
notably the manic control-room worker Johnny in the early 1980s
Airplane! movies and the crossdressing, rubber-penis-waving
stenographer in the courtroom sequence of 1977's The Kentucky Fried
Movie.Stucker was born in Des Moines, Iowa. His family moved to Shaker
Heights, Ohio, where he distinguished himself in school as a pianist
and class clown. He graduated from high school in 1965.Stucker made
his screen debut co-starring in the 1975 comedic sexploitation film
Carnal Madness as Bruce Wilson, a gay fashion designer who escapes
from an insane asylum with two fellow inmates, fleeing to an all-girls
school. He went on to perform in the 1977 earthquake-in-Los-Angeles
comedy Cracking Up, alongside Fred Willard, Michael McKean, and Harry
Shearer.Stucker was a scene-stealing member of the cast of the
Madison, Wisconsin Kentucky Fried Theater sketch comedy troupe founded
by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker. In 1977 he appeared
in the John Landis film The Kentucky Fried Movie, based on the
troupe's sketches. This led to his supporting role in the
Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker comedy Airplane!, which he reprised in Airplane
II: The Sequel. For the initial film, the writers gave Stucker the
straight lines for his scenes and let him write his character's
off-the-wall responses.
actor, known for portrayals of bizarre, larger-than-life characters,
notably the manic control-room worker Johnny in the early 1980s
Airplane! movies and the crossdressing, rubber-penis-waving
stenographer in the courtroom sequence of 1977's The Kentucky Fried
Movie.Stucker was born in Des Moines, Iowa. His family moved to Shaker
Heights, Ohio, where he distinguished himself in school as a pianist
and class clown. He graduated from high school in 1965.Stucker made
his screen debut co-starring in the 1975 comedic sexploitation film
Carnal Madness as Bruce Wilson, a gay fashion designer who escapes
from an insane asylum with two fellow inmates, fleeing to an all-girls
school. He went on to perform in the 1977 earthquake-in-Los-Angeles
comedy Cracking Up, alongside Fred Willard, Michael McKean, and Harry
Shearer.Stucker was a scene-stealing member of the cast of the
Madison, Wisconsin Kentucky Fried Theater sketch comedy troupe founded
by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker. In 1977 he appeared
in the John Landis film The Kentucky Fried Movie, based on the
troupe's sketches. This led to his supporting role in the
Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker comedy Airplane!, which he reprised in Airplane
II: The Sequel. For the initial film, the writers gave Stucker the
straight lines for his scenes and let him write his character's
off-the-wall responses.
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