Tim Kazurinsky | |
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| Born | Timothy James Kazurinsky March 3, 1950 Johnstown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1978–present |
| Spouse | Marcia Lynn Watkins |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | www |
Timothy James Kazurinsky (born March 3, 1950) is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter best known as a cast member and writer on Saturday Night Live and for his role as Carl Sweetchuck in the Police Academy films.
Kazurinsky was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. His father, who was American-born, was of Polish descent, and his mother was an Australian war bride. [1] [2] He spent most of his childhood in Australia, where he attended Birrong Boys High School. When he was 16, he moved to America by himself. He completed his education, graduating from Greater Johnstown High School in 1967. [3]
Kazurinsky worked as a reporter for the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat , then as a copywriter for a St. Louis, Missouri, department store. He moved to Chicago and began working for Leo Burnett Worldwide in its advertising department. Seeking to gain confidence presenting ad pitches, Kazurinsky enrolled in an improv class at The Second City, where he became a member of the mainstage troupe in 1978, refining his improvisation and acting chops under the tutelage of Del Close. Eventually, Kazurinsky caught the attention of Saturday Night Live luminary John Belushi who recommended him to the show's then-executive producer, Dick Ebersol. Ebersol was impressed with Kazurinsky and hired him as a writer and cast member in 1981.
During his three seasons on SNL, Kazurinsky was known for playing numerous characters as well as doing celebrity impersonations. Fellow cast members included Eddie Murphy, Joe Piscopo, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Mary Gross. Kazurinsky was part of the show's 1984 writing team nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program. There were reports that he often clashed with Dick Ebersol regarding the show's creative direction. In 1984, Kazurinsky left SNL along with Piscopo.
Kazurinsky had a small part as a photographer in the 1980 Christopher Reeve/Jane Seymour film Somewhere in Time . At the insistence of his friend John Belushi, he played Pa Greavy in the 1981 Belushi/Aykroyd comedy Neighbors . Shortly after departing Saturday Night Live, Kazurinsky co-wrote About Last Night... based on David Mamet's one act play, Sexual Perversity in Chicago. The film starred Rob Lowe, Demi Moore and Jim Belushi and was directed by Edward Zwick. A remake of About Last Night was released in 2014 starring comedian Kevin Hart. Kazurinsky famously portrayed Officer Carl Sweetchuck in Police Academy 2 , 3 and 4 , whose character frequently runs into gang leader (later turned officer) Zed McGlunk, played by Bobcat Goldthwaite.
In the 1990s, Kazurinsky guest starred in Married... with Children , Early Edition and Police Academy: The Series . In the 2000s, Kazurinsky wrote for and guest starred in comedy series such as Curb Your Enthusiasm , What About Joan? , Still Standing and According to Jim . In 2001, he wrote the screenplay for Strange Relations, a film starring Paul Reiser, George Wendt, Julie Walters, and Olympia Dukakis. The screenplay was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award as well as a BAFTA. Kazurinsky played a supporting role in the 2011 Zombie Army Productions film, The Moleman of Belmont Avenue , which also featured Robert Englund.
As a stage actor, Kazurinsky appeared as Felix in The Odd Couple (opposite George Wendt's Oscar), Wilbur Turnblad in Hairspray , and Peter Quince in William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream . Kazurinsky's work in Chicago theatre has been recognized by two Joseph Jefferson Award nominations. In February 2014, Kazurinsky joined the first National Tour of the hit musical Wicked in the role of The Wizard, replacing John Davidson. [6] Kazurinsky finished his run on in March 2015 when the First National Tour closed. In May 2015, Kazurinsky made his Broadway debut alongside Jim Parsons and Christopher Fitzgerald in a limited run of David Javerbaum's new comedy, An Act Of God, directed by Joe Mantello between May and August 2015 at Studio 54. [7]
Kazurinsky and George Wendt reunited for the September 2015 world premiere of Bruce Graham's comedy Funnyman at Chicago's Northlight Theatre. The production was directed by BJ Jones. [8] In December 2016, Kazurinsky appeared as Frosch the jailer in Music Theatre Works' production of Johann Strauss II' operetta Die Fledermaus .
Kazurinsky was one of a few people to film Prince's now-legendary impromptu performance of "Let's Go Crazy" at the SNL40 after party in February 2015. The video went viral following Prince's death in 2016 and was shared by numerous media outlets. [9]
In 2017, Kazurinsky played the recurring role of Judge Emerson on NBC's Chicago Justice , and appeared as Father Timothy in Netflix's original series, Easy .
Kazurinsky lives outside Chicago with his wife, Broadway actress Marcia Watkins [10] ( On Your Toes , A Chorus Line ). [11] Kazurinsky has a daughter, Zoe, and a son, Pete. [12]
Written with Denise DeClue:
Solo work:
Daniel Edward Aykroyd is a Canadian and American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer.
Joseph Charles John Piscopo is an American actor, comedian, and conservative radio talk show host. He was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984, where he played a variety of recurring characters. His film roles include Danny Vermin in Johnny Dangerously (1984), Moe Dickstein in Wise Guys (1986), Doug Bigelow in Dead Heat (1988), and Kelly Stone in Sidekicks (1992).
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Charles Adams Claverie, known by stage names Charlie Hamburger, Charlie Kennedy, and Charles Rocket, was an American actor, comedian, musician, and television news reporter. He was a cast member on Saturday Night Live, played the villain Nicholas Andre in the film Dumb and Dumber, and played Dave Dennison in Disney's Hocus Pocus.
Saturday Night Live (SNL) is an American late-night live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The show's premiere was hosted by George Carlin on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title NBC's Saturday Night. The show's comedy sketches, which often parody contemporary American culture and politics, are performed by a large and varying cast of repertory and newer cast members. Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest, who usually delivers the opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast, with featured performances by a musical guest. An episode normally begins with a cold open sketch that is usually based on political events and ends with someone breaking character and proclaiming, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!", properly beginning the show.
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Mary Gross is an American voice actress, comedian, and actress known for her four-year stint on Saturday Night Live from 1981 to 1985 and her recurring role as Sabrina's favorite teacher, Mrs. Quick in Sabrina, the Teenage Witch from 1997 to 2000. Her credits also include minor roles on Animaniacs, Boston Legal, That's So Raven, and Six Feet Under.
The twenty-third season of Saturday Night Live, an American sketch comedy series, originally aired in the United States on NBC between September 27, 1997, and May 9, 1998.
The tenth season of Saturday Night Live, an American sketch comedy series, originally aired in the United States on NBC between October 6, 1984, and April 13, 1985. This was the only season to feature renowned comedians Billy Crystal, Martin Short, and Christopher Guest as cast members, and became known as the "All-Star" cast season. Only 17 episodes were produced due to a writers' strike and budget constraints. This was the final season of the Ebersol-run era.
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The eighth season of Saturday Night Live, an American sketch comedy series, originally aired in the United States on NBC between September 25, 1982, and May 14, 1983.
The seventh season of Saturday Night Live, an American sketch comedy series, originally aired in the United States on NBC between October 3, 1981, and May 22, 1982. It was the first full season produced by Dick Ebersol.
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The following is a list of recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced between October 8, 1983, and May 12, 1984, the ninth season of SNL.
"Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special" is a three-and-a-half-hour prime-time special that aired on February 15, 2015, on NBC, celebrating Saturday Night Live's 40th year on the air, having premiered on October 11, 1975, under the original title NBC's Saturday Night. It is produced by Broadway Video. This special generated 23.1 million viewers, becoming NBC's most-watched prime-time, non-sports, entertainment telecast since the Friends series finale in 2004. It is the third such anniversary special to be broadcast, with celebratory episodes also held during the 15th and 25th seasons.
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