'Romancing the Stone' Star Dead at 83: Daughter of Zack Norman Confirms His Passing

The actor also starred in 'Cadillac Man' and the TV series 'The Nanny' opposite and Fran Drescher.

By Allison Schonter

Zack Norman, the actor and producer who starred opposite Danny DeVito in Romancing the Stone, has died. Norman died of natural causes at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California on Sunday, April 28, his family confirmed, per The Hollywood Reporter. He was 83.

"Wherever you drifted off to, I know everything just got livelier. You were the most enigmatic person wherever you went. The best father husband, grandfather and friend, you brought so many laughs and so much enrichment to all of our lives," Norman's daughter, Lori Zuker Briller, wrote in tribute to her father on Facebook. "There are no words to ever explain how much we will miss you. Go do your thing. Cheers to you always! I love you forever."

zack-norman.jpg
(Photo: Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)

Born Howard Jerrold Zuker in Boston on May 27, 1940, Norman began his entertainment career by performing stand-up comedy in the '60s, making his television debut on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1969. After landing a small role in Milos Forman's Ragtime in 1981, Norman went on to star as Cousin Ira in Robert Zemeckis' legendary film Romancing The Stone, appearing opposite DeVito, Michael Douglas, and Kathleen Turner. His character memorably declared, "Look at those snappers!" when he saw crocodiles.

Norman went on to star in Robert Downey Sr.'s 1986 comedy America, with his other film credits including James Toback's Fingers (1978), Chief Zabu (1988), and several of filmmaker Jaglom's films, such as Festival in Cannes (2001), Hollywood Dreams (2006), and Ovation (2015). He also starred in the 1990 film Cadillac Man opposite Robin Williams, Tim Robbins, and Fran Drescher. He reunited with Drescher in the '90s for The Nanny, recurring as her character's Uncle Jack in three episodes. His other TV credits include The Flash, Baywatch and The A-Team.

Related:

Outside of acting, Norman was also a well-known producer. He produced and finances Hearts and Minds, the 1974 film that took home the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. He also produced John Arden's Live Like Pigs, a long-running drama that opened off-Broadway in 1965. He was also an art collector who owned paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Norman is survived by his wife, Nancy; sister Jane; daughters Lori and Tracy; sons Stephen and Michael; and 14 grandchildren.

Trending Now: