This interview originally appeared on Zócalo Public Square.
Jim Abrahams is one-third—along with David Zucker and Jerry Zucker—of the legendary writing-directing-producing trio that gave us some of our most beloved and goofy movies. Before a screening at the Million Dollar Theatre of their 1980 comedy Airplane!—Mayor Eric Garcetti’s pick for Zócalo and KCRW’s “My Favorite Movie” series—he talked in the Zócalo green room about coveting a cameo by Ben-Hur, the sweetness of Charlie Sheen, and his weakness for Love Actually.
Q: What’s your favorite condiment?
A: Well, that’s a no-brainer. Pickle relish. It’s always been a favorite. I’m sort of a connoisseur.
Q: What was the celebrity cameo that got away?
A: Charlton Heston. Actually, we’d always go to him. He was very nice and polite, but never interested.
Q: What salad dressing best describes you?
A: Blue cheese…it’s lumpy.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about the exclamation point?
A: In regards to Airplane!—because there’s an exclamation point in the title? It made us chuckle to put it next to a bland word.
Q: What was the first album you bought?
A: West Side Story—no, it was The King and I.
Q: What was the last movie you saw that totally cracked you up?
A: I enjoyed Bridesmaids a lot.
Q: What word or phrase do you use most often?
A: Bullshit.
Q: What was the best part about working with Charlie Sheen?
A: The truth is he’s really a sweet guy and a tremendous professional. He’s one of these guys who walks onto a set and always goes up to the grips and the sound guy to say hi. He behaved like a regular person—there’s no star stuff to him.
Q: How did you get into trouble as a kid?
A: I’d wake up in the morning! When we started our careers, we were going to incorporate—form a corporation—and we didn’t know what to call it. The Zuckers said we should call it “Abrahams boy.” Because when we were kids, their parents would say to them, “Watch out for the Abrahams boy!”
Q: What movie (other than any of your own) have you seen the most?
A: I can’t pass by The Godfather if it’s on TV. I have to watch. And I have to watch Love Actually if I come across it.
