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As an actor, Jeff Zucker makes for a good TV executive. So when he was approached by “Primetime” filmmaker Lance Oppenheim to play “Jeff Zucker” in the new A24 movie, the real Jeff Zucker couldn’t resist.
“Primetime”
stars Robert Pattinson as former “Dateline NBC” reporter Chris Hansen, whose segment on the newsmagazine executed sting operations designed to catch child predators. Soon, “To Catch a Predator” was a phenomenon — but it also led to controversy, which the film tackles.
In the film, then-NBCUniversal TV Group CEO Jeff Zucker is seen congratulating Hansen on his success. “I don’t really like your show,” Zucker says in the cameo, as seen in the “Primetime” trailer. “But America loves it. So I need to move you, ‘To Catch a Predator’ — 9 p.m. Primetime!”
Yep, he actually says the movie’s title — almost guaranteeing that he wouldn’t end up on the cutting room floor. And he didn’t. Variety recently caught up with Zucker — who will be attending the “Primetime” premiere at the Venice Film Festival this weekend — to get the details on how he wound up playing Jeff Zucker in a major motion picture.
What are you doing, Jeff? How did this happen? Who reached out?
I did not know anything about the project, and it turns out that Lance Oppenheim, the director, went to college with my son. He was a year ahead of Andrew at Harvard, and they were friendly there. They were talking about this film that Lance was directing, and he said, “Hey, I’m doing this film, and who should I get to play your father?” And my son Andrew said, “Well, why don’t you ask my father to do it?” Lance said, “Would he do it?” And Andrew said, “I don’t know. Ask him!” So Andrew connected us, and Lance explained what he was doing. I said, “OK, I’ll do it,” just as a lark.
Did you read the script first?
He sent me the pages of my scene, and he was clear with me that obviously this was, as they say, “inspired by true events.” The scene in which I play myself never happened. It’s obviously a fictional scene. He sent me those pages and they were fine, they portrayed me as a ratings-driven network entertainment executive — pretty far from the truth, right?
Sounds more like they nailed it.
In other words, exactly. So, they sent me the pages, I was fine with them. And about a year ago, I went down to New Orleans, and shot the scene with Robert Pattinson for a full day.
You said you agreed to do this as a lark, but what was going through your head when you said yes?
Listen, I think I try not to take myself too seriously. It was a fun ask, and I haven’t been given that many opportunities to do a scene in a film opposite Robert Pattinson, so I figured, why not? Let’s have fun. And that’s what it was. I don’t know if you recall, back in the day when I was running NBC Entertainment, I did the show “Fat Actress.” Remember that, with Kirstie Alley?
I remember the show, but I don’t remember you doing that.
I did “Fat Actress” with Kirstie Alley. In fact, I was in a bathtub with Kirstie Alley, and I did “My Name Is Earl,” which I think you remember as well. So I acted in those shows. In “Fat Actress,” I played myself as well. So I had done a couple TV appearances. I had never done a film, and I thought, why not? Let’s have fun. And that’s really how it all came about. And here we are!
So you already had your SAG card then. Had you kept it up? Had you been paying for it?
That’s a really good question. The answer is yes. I had my SAG card from way back when, and I’ve paid my annual dues for probably 25 or 26 years now.
So you’re still voting for SAG Awards every year?
Well, I didn’t say that, but I pay my annual dues!
“Primetime” takes place in 2006, so you’re playing yourself 20 years younger. Let’s talk about that. Did they age you down?
That’s funny. That’s a good point. I don’t think we ever really thought about how old the character was at the time. As you probably know, they reconstructed my NBC Entertainment office, and I have to say they did a pretty good job. They did it with pictures from that time, and they dressed me in a suit from that era. A big boxy, broad-shoulder tan suit. I think they also saw that from pictures. It was kind of funny to walk back in time like that. I don’t think we ever really thought about the fact that I was playing somebody 20 years younger because I don’t think that anybody ever really cared what the age of that character was per se.
Perhaps it’s a compliment that maybe you just haven’t aged.
There you go. I think we’ll go with that.
From the few bits that I’ve seen in the trailer, I was most impressed with the scheduling board.
That is the amazing thing. That scheduling board was really true to form. They really nailed it, and they definitely got that right. As I said, the scene never happened in real life, but the scheduling board is absolutely real.
Down to all the competitive network schedules!
The names of the shows at the time. Exactly.
Even the obscure ones. I’ve got to hand it to them. It seems like they really wanted to get this right.
Yeah, they took that from pictures of the time, which is kind of funny. I guess I kind of remember taking photos in front of that board, probably for Variety, but who knows!
The movie takes place in 2006, and there is no shortage of stories that we were writing about you back then.
I’m sure. And by the way, I wasn’t running NBC Entertainment per se in 2006. It reported to me. As you recall, I ran NBC Entertainment from 2001 to 2005, and then I came back to New York to run the entire television group. So entertainment still reported to me, but I wasn’t actually running day-to day entertainment at the time.
They’re taking some liberties, like you mentioned.
That’s why I said, the scene never happened, but you know, “inspired by true events” is certainly fair enough.
Did you give any notes? What were your notes to the production in terms of, “I would have done it this way.”
That’s a good question. They were very receptive. They allowed me to improvise a little bit at the scheduling board. We tried it a couple different ways. It was just a fun experience. Obviously, a serious topic. I don’t want to diminish in any way the importance of the topic here, and this is obviously a serious topic within the movie.
Chris Hansen has been very vocal so far, even though he hasn’t seen the film yet, but he seems to have some real concerns about it. What do you make of that? What do you think he’s ultimately going to think when he sees it?
Look, I think that Chris will appreciate the way Robert Pattinson plays him, and I think he’ll know that this is not meant to be a factual documentation of what happened at that time, but certainly is representative of that era and the show. I think Chris will recognize that he was doing a lot of important work back then with these investigations.
So what’s the reaction that you’ve gotten from colleagues, past and present, when they discover you did this?
I have a new moniker now. Everybody calls me “Primetime,” right? I actually was shocked at the number of people that saw the trailer and reached out. It’s been incredibly amusing to see the reaction. It’s been fun, and I think people are getting a real kick out of it. Honestly, I’m in the film for, I don’t know if that scene lasts 75 or 90 seconds. But because of the key line where I’m giving the title of the film, I’m in the trailer. So it generated a lot of attention that I hadn’t expected.
Since you’re going to Venice, will you be campaigning for the film?
I will not. I will be a guest and enjoying the experience. I’ve never been to the Venice Film Festival. I didn’t ever really expect to go, and so when this came up, I said, how can I say no?
Meanwhile, don’t forget the other acting that you did through the years. There were quite a few taped bits you did for the NBC upfronts.
That is absolutely true. Yes, we can’t forget “Fear Factor.”
I’m thinking of the time that you went shirtless in a bit with the “Friends” cast as the show’s “Ugly Naked Guy.”
That’s right, I remember that one too!
Listen, that one is seared in my brain.
I’m sorry about that.
So if you hadn’t agreed to play yourself, who would you have recommended to producers to play “Jeff Zucker”?
Oh, that is a really good question. I assume Jacob Elordi probably wasn’t available, right?
Yeah, I think it would have been either him or you. There were really no other options. So what’s your next role after this?
Don’t worry. I’m not standing by my phone waiting for the next the next offer. I have it all in perspective.
I mean, eventually there’ll be an “Apprentice” movie, right?
By the way, I’m kind of surprised there hasn’t been, right?
Maybe it’s too close to the bone, too soon, given everything going on.
I don’t know. I’m not going to comment on that one!
This interview has been edited and condensed.
