Zack Norman, the actor finest recognised for actively playing Danny DeVito’s sidekick in “Romancing the Stone,” died Sunday in Burbank, Calif., of all-natural brings about.
He was 83.
Norman’s daughter, Lori Zuker Briller, paid tribute to her father in a Facebook article.
“Wherever you drifted off to, I know every little thing just got livelier,” she wrote. “You had been the most enigmatic particular person wherever you went. The most effective father, partner, grandfather and close friend, you introduced so numerous laughs and so much enrichment to all of our life.”
Born Howard Jerrold Zuker in Boston, Mass., Norman was a renaissance male, acquiring been a musician, comedian, actor, producer and artwork collector around the training course of a 6-decade-lengthy occupation.
After showing in off-Broadway performs throughout the 1960s, and then forging a effective vocation as a touring stand-up comedian, he segued into films — primarily individuals of director Henry Jaglom, this kind of as “Tracks” (1977), “Sitting Ducks” (1980) and “Babyfever.”
Most famously, he performed antiques supplier Cousin Ira in Robert Zemeckis’ “Romancing the Stone,” with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, and Harry in 1990’s “Cadillac Man,” with Robin Williams and Fran Drescher.
A number of many years later on, Norman visitor starred a few instances on Drescher’s preferred sit-com “The Nanny.” He also appeared on episodes of “The A-Team” and “Baywatch.”
As a producer and financier, Norman worked on “Hearts and Minds,” the 1974 film that won the Oscar for Most effective Documentary Attribute, which was a particular highlight of his lengthy and various resume.
“My most very pleased motion picture was 1975’s Academy Award [winner] for the Very best Documentary identified as ‘Hearts and Minds’, which is genuinely extremely, quite, really significant and section of the motive that the Vietnam War was stopped,” he explained to the “Not Serious Art” podcast in January 2023. “What a everyday living.”
In the 1970s, Norman also made a enthusiasm for art. His collection incorporates will work by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol and Keith Haring.
Norman is survived by his spouse, Nancy sister Jane daughters Lori and Tracy sons Stephen and Michael and grandchildren Sascha, Addison, Benjamin, Henry, Liliana, Jonathan, Justin, Jayden, Jackie, Gabrielle, Rachel, Susie, Joseph and Seth.
