Standing near the entrance of Sala Grande on the Lido Saturday night, Jeff Zucker could almost pass for a typical Venice Film Festival attendee — almost.
Dressed for the occasion of a red carpet world premiere in a dark suit and tie, he shakes a few hands while hanging with a large crowd that’s gathered to wait for a group photo that happens only after movie star Robert Pattinson has finished greeting adoring fans along the barricade. Amid the delay, Zucker takes out his iPhone and proceeds to snap a few photos of the glamorous scene, including one of indie pop star Phoebe Bridgers, who is making her major acting debut in Lance Oppenheim‘s Primetime for A24.
Moments later something happens that shows just how atypical this attendee is: Venice Film Festival leadership, including artistic director Alberto Barbera, move in to approach and offer congratulations on his feature film debut and thank him for coming out to support the A24 release. Zucker is more than just a man about to sit for a movie on the festival’s most crowded night so far of the 83rd edition. He’s got a role in Oppenheim’s Primetime playing himself during his high-profile tenure running NBC Entertainment.
As one of the most powerful and prolific entertainment executives — he rose through the ranks on Today, served as president of NBC Entertainment before taking over as CEO of NBCUniversal, and then ran CNN Worldwide for nearly a decade — Zucker easily could’ve passed on the acting gig and slipped the filmmakers a list of names to audition instead. (He joked to Variety that “Jacob Elordi probably wasn’t available, right?)
But he decided to have a little fun and jump in front of cameras for the film, which finds Pattinson starring as To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen during a pivotal year in the Dateline show’s run. Zucker’s scene comes as he offers Hansen and his producer, played by Merritt Wever, a chance to hit the sought-after primetime lineup, in a spot opposite ABC’s Lost. “I don’t really like your show,” Zucker says in his cameo. “But America loves it.” (He also appears via voiceover in a phone call later in the film.)
Zucker also couldn’t pass up the opportunity to come and support his big screen effort. “Life is crazy,” he told The Hollywood Reporter on the red carpet. “This is very surreal, but a lot of fun.”
Asked why he said yes, Zucker came quick with a short answer. “Because I hadn’t done anything like this and somebody asked so I said yes.” He noted how he’s appeared in a few TV shows over the years — he played himself on both My Name is Earl and Kirstie Alley’s Fat Actress — but a movie offered something new. “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” he added.
Zucker currently serves as the CEO of the RedBird IMI and an operating partner at RedBird Capital Partners. One of the companies under the RedBird umbrella is Media Res, which had a hand in making Danny Boyle’s Ink alongside Studio Canal. Ink served as the opening night film of this year’s festival. “So it was a very big year for me and the Venice Film Festival,” Zucker explained.
He wasn’t able to make it for both opening night at the Primetime premiere so he chose the latter even though he’s already seen Oppenheim’s film. “It’s terrific,” said Zucker, who was seen during the film’s 8-minute standing ovation recording the scene again on his cell phone and soaking it all in.
Asked whether he would ever take another acting gig in the future, Zucker quipped, “I’ll have to speak to my agent. But I have to get an agent first.”
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