Zack Norman (born Howard Jerrold Zuker; May 27, 1940) is an American
actor, producer, writer, comedian, musician, film financier, painter,
art collector and real estate developer. Born in Boston and raised in
nearby Revere, Massachusetts, he is best known for his role as Ira in
20th Century Fox's Romancing the Stone (1984) and as Kaz Naiman in
Paramount Classics' Festival in Cannes (2001). He has also co-starred
in films such as Ragtime (1981), Cadillac Man (1990) and Chief Zabu
(2016), which he also co-wrote, co-produced and co-directed. His
latest starring role was in E.N.T.E.R. (2018), which won Best Comedy
in October at the first Cutting Room International Short Film Festival
in NYC. He made his television debut in 1953 at the age of twelve on
the Community Auditions talent show on WBZ-TV Boston, as a drummer
with his band, Howie Zuker and His Music Makers. Since then, he has
guest-starred in such popular series as The A-Team (1985) and Baywatch
(1993), had a recurring role on The Nanny (1993â€"1995) and was
featured in several TV movies including At Home with the Webbers
(1993). As Howard Zuker, he has produced, presented and/or financed
more than forty motion pictures, including Hearts and Minds (1974),
which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.Norman began
performing as a stand-up comedian in strip joints and nightclubs while
producing his first Off-Broadway play, the New York premiere of John
Arden's Live Like Pigs, which opened on June 7, 1965. In 1966 he left
for Europe to work the U.S. Army Base Circuit operating out of
Frankfurt, Germany, playing army clubs throughout Western Europe. On
June 7, 1967, Norman opened at the Playboy Club in London, England,
where Variety wrote he was "hysterical... one of the funniest guys
ever to cross these shores". Soon he was headlining in every Playboy
Club on their 18-venue circuit, as well as appearing in hotels and
nightclubs such as The Flamingo in Las Vegas and New York's Copacabana
with The Temptations. Norman made his debut on The Tonight Show
Starring Johnny Carson on April 28, 1969. As a stage actor, he starred
in more than 20 plays. His performance in the title role of Bertolt
Brecht's The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui at the Stamford Center for
the Arts in Stamford, Connecticut (1980) was critically acclaimed.In
May 1969, Norman traveled to the Cannes International Film Festival in
France to put deals together for movie projects. As Howard Zuker, he
had developed a film fund financed by a group of Boston real estate
investors based on tax ramifications related to the real estate
business, i.e. amortization and depreciation, which could be
translated into tax incentives for motion picture investment. Norman
applied these to his fund, formed Gemini Pictures International, with
himself as President. The company's first release was the Italian-made
Which Way Do You Dig? (also known as Dark of the Day; And The Bombs
Keep Falling and I Cannoni Tuonano Ancora), in which he also
co-starred alongside Spaghetti Western actor Robert Woods. Over the
course of his career, Norman would go on to act in, produce, and
finance scores of movies, raising in excess of $100,000,000 for motion
picture production, most notably with French producer Henry Lange,
with whom he made over a dozen filmsâ€" including the 1971 vampire
lesbian cult hit, Daughters of Darkness â€" and with Hollywood legend
Bert Schneider: Hearts And Minds (Warner Bros., 1974), The Gentleman
Tramp (1976) and Paramount's 1977 Tracks, which in addition was
produced by, co-starred Norman and was directed by Henry Jaglom, who
would become Norman's most frequent moviemaking partner. As producer,
presenter, financier and actor, Norman has collaborated with Jaglom
for the last 40 years on such films as Sitting Ducks (1980),Venice,
Venice (1992),Babyfever (1994),Hollywood Dreams (2005), Irene in Time
(2009),Queen of the Lot (2010) and Festival in Cannes (2001), for
which Norman received favorable reviews.
actor, producer, writer, comedian, musician, film financier, painter,
art collector and real estate developer. Born in Boston and raised in
nearby Revere, Massachusetts, he is best known for his role as Ira in
20th Century Fox's Romancing the Stone (1984) and as Kaz Naiman in
Paramount Classics' Festival in Cannes (2001). He has also co-starred
in films such as Ragtime (1981), Cadillac Man (1990) and Chief Zabu
(2016), which he also co-wrote, co-produced and co-directed. His
latest starring role was in E.N.T.E.R. (2018), which won Best Comedy
in October at the first Cutting Room International Short Film Festival
in NYC. He made his television debut in 1953 at the age of twelve on
the Community Auditions talent show on WBZ-TV Boston, as a drummer
with his band, Howie Zuker and His Music Makers. Since then, he has
guest-starred in such popular series as The A-Team (1985) and Baywatch
(1993), had a recurring role on The Nanny (1993â€"1995) and was
featured in several TV movies including At Home with the Webbers
(1993). As Howard Zuker, he has produced, presented and/or financed
more than forty motion pictures, including Hearts and Minds (1974),
which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.Norman began
performing as a stand-up comedian in strip joints and nightclubs while
producing his first Off-Broadway play, the New York premiere of John
Arden's Live Like Pigs, which opened on June 7, 1965. In 1966 he left
for Europe to work the U.S. Army Base Circuit operating out of
Frankfurt, Germany, playing army clubs throughout Western Europe. On
June 7, 1967, Norman opened at the Playboy Club in London, England,
where Variety wrote he was "hysterical... one of the funniest guys
ever to cross these shores". Soon he was headlining in every Playboy
Club on their 18-venue circuit, as well as appearing in hotels and
nightclubs such as The Flamingo in Las Vegas and New York's Copacabana
with The Temptations. Norman made his debut on The Tonight Show
Starring Johnny Carson on April 28, 1969. As a stage actor, he starred
in more than 20 plays. His performance in the title role of Bertolt
Brecht's The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui at the Stamford Center for
the Arts in Stamford, Connecticut (1980) was critically acclaimed.In
May 1969, Norman traveled to the Cannes International Film Festival in
France to put deals together for movie projects. As Howard Zuker, he
had developed a film fund financed by a group of Boston real estate
investors based on tax ramifications related to the real estate
business, i.e. amortization and depreciation, which could be
translated into tax incentives for motion picture investment. Norman
applied these to his fund, formed Gemini Pictures International, with
himself as President. The company's first release was the Italian-made
Which Way Do You Dig? (also known as Dark of the Day; And The Bombs
Keep Falling and I Cannoni Tuonano Ancora), in which he also
co-starred alongside Spaghetti Western actor Robert Woods. Over the
course of his career, Norman would go on to act in, produce, and
finance scores of movies, raising in excess of $100,000,000 for motion
picture production, most notably with French producer Henry Lange,
with whom he made over a dozen filmsâ€" including the 1971 vampire
lesbian cult hit, Daughters of Darkness â€" and with Hollywood legend
Bert Schneider: Hearts And Minds (Warner Bros., 1974), The Gentleman
Tramp (1976) and Paramount's 1977 Tracks, which in addition was
produced by, co-starred Norman and was directed by Henry Jaglom, who
would become Norman's most frequent moviemaking partner. As producer,
presenter, financier and actor, Norman has collaborated with Jaglom
for the last 40 years on such films as Sitting Ducks (1980),Venice,
Venice (1992),Babyfever (1994),Hollywood Dreams (2005), Irene in Time
(2009),Queen of the Lot (2010) and Festival in Cannes (2001), for
which Norman received favorable reviews.
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