BELOVED actor Zack Norman, who starred in films like Romancing The Stone, has died.
The veteran Hollywood figure who also appeared in The Nanny, The A-Team, and Baywatch was 83.
Zack died on Sunday, April 28, his son-in-law confirmed to Deadline.
He died of natural causes at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, his family announced.
He leaves behind an indelible stamp on Hollywood, having starred in classic TV shows, films, and stage plays.
Perhaps most famously, the stand-up comic, actor, and producer played a crocodile-loving antiquities smuggler in Romancing the Stone.
In Robert Zemeckis’ 1984 action flick starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, he played a smuggler cousin with Danny DeVito.
“Look at those snappers,” Zack’s character would say in admiration whenever he sees a croc.
He is survived by his wife, Nancy, sister Jane and children Lori, Tracy, Stephen and Michael, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
He was also a grandfather of fifteen.
Fans flooded social media, penning heartwarming tributes to the fallen star.
“Ah man, 83 is a solid run,” one fan wrote on X. “Romancing the Stone’ is such a classic. RIP Zack.”
“RIP Zack Norman. He made it onto the Carson show in 1969, produced and financed films, appeared in several Henry Jaglom features and admired crocodiles as Danny DeVito’s partner in crime in Romancing the Stone,” another shared.
A third simply wrote, “Rest in peace.”
INCREDIBLE RESUME
Born Howard Zuker on May 27, 1940, Zack received an MBA from Harvard Business School.
However, he found his footing in the entertainment world as a stand-up comedian in the 1960s.
He worked the New York City circuit, performing at clubs like the Flamingo and Copacabana with the Temptations.
He made his TV debut in 1969 doing stand-up on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
Zack made around six films in the 1970s before making it big in the 1980s with films like Romancing The Stone.
He also financed the 1975 documentary Hearts and Minds, which won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.
Zack collaborated frequently with director Henry Jaglom, working together on more than ten films including Sitting Ducks (1980) and Festival in Cannes (2001).
He also appeared on the big screen in James Toback’s Fingers (1978), Milos Forman’s Ragtime (1981), Robert Downey Sr.’s America (1986) and Roger Donaldson’s Cadillac Man (1990).
The actor was a guest star on TV shows including The Flash, Baywatch, The A-Team and The Nanny.
He had a recurring role her character’s Uncle Jack in three episodes from 1993 to 1995.
He appeared in the two-part Judgement Day episodes of The A-Team in 1985.
During his long career, the actor also appeared in more than 20 stage plays and produced a number of films, most of those being under his real name.
Funeral arrangements are not known at this time.
