Tim Kazurinsky

Timothy James Kazurinsky was born on March 3, 1950, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, to an American-born father of Polish descent and an Australian mother who had come to the United States as a war bride. He spent the majority of his childhood in Australia, attending Birrong Boys High School, before returning to the United States at age 16. He completed his secondary education at Greater Johnstown High School, graduating in 1967.

After working as a reporter for the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat and later as a copywriter for a department store in St. Louis, Missouri, Kazurinsky relocated to Chicago, where he joined the advertising department at Leo Burnett Worldwide. Seeking to improve his confidence when presenting pitches, he enrolled in an improv class at The Second City and became a member of its mainstage troupe in 1978, training under Del Close. His work there drew the attention of John Belushi, who recommended him to Saturday Night Live executive producer Dick Ebersol. Ebersol hired Kazurinsky as both a writer and cast member in 1981.

Over the course of his tenure on SNL, Kazurinsky performed alongside cast members including Eddie Murphy, Joe Piscopo, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Mary Gross. He developed a range of recurring characters, among them Dr. Jack Badofsky, a supposed science editor for Weekend Update who delivered pun-based disease names; Father Timothy Owens, an Irish priest; Worthington Clotman, a network censor modeled on real-life censor Bill Clotworthy; and Havnagootiim Vishnuuerheer, a Hindu enlightened master. He also played Mr. Landlord opposite Eddie Murphy's Mr. Robinson, and appeared as the male half of a dorky couple called The Iguana. His celebrity impressions included Mahatma Gandhi, Billie Jean King, Adolf Hitler, Ozzy Osbourne, Moe Howard, Douglas MacArthur, Deng Xiaoping, Franklin Roosevelt, and Forrest Gregg, among others. In 1984, Kazurinsky was part of the SNL writing team nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program. He departed the show that same year alongside Joe Piscopo. At the 2025 Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special, Adam Sandler referenced Kazurinsky's four-season tenure in the lyrics of his song "50 Years-SNL."

Kazurinsky's film work began with a small role as a photographer in the 1980 Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour film Somewhere in Time. At Belushi's urging, he played Pa Greavy in the 1981 comedy Neighbors, starring Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. He is perhaps most widely recognized for portraying Officer Carl Sweetchuck in Police Academy 2, 3, and 4, a character whose storyline repeatedly intersected with gang leader Zed McGlunk, played by Bobcat Goldthwait. Shortly after leaving SNL, Kazurinsky co-wrote the screenplay for About Last Night, based on David Mamet's one-act play Sexual Perversity in Chicago, directed by Edward Zwick and starring Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, and Jim Belushi. A remake of the film was released in 2014 starring Kevin Hart. In 2001, Kazurinsky wrote the screenplay for Strange Relations, featuring Paul Reiser, George Wendt, Julie Walters, and Olympia Dukakis, which earned nominations from both the Writers Guild of America and BAFTA. He also appeared in the 2011 Zombie Army Productions film The Moleman of Belmont Avenue, which featured Robert Englund.

His television work has spanned several decades. In the 1990s, he guest starred on Married... with Children, Early Edition, and Police Academy: The Series. In the 2000s, he wrote for and appeared in Curb Your Enthusiasm, What About Joan?, Still Standing, and According to Jim. In 2017, he played the recurring role of Judge Emerson on NBC's Chicago Justice and appeared as Father Timothy in the Netflix series Easy.

On stage, Kazurinsky has performed Felix in The Odd Couple opposite George Wendt's Oscar, Wilbur Turnblad in Hairspray, and Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night's Dream. His Chicago theatre work earned him two Joseph Jefferson Award nominations. In February 2014, he joined the first National Tour of Wicked as The Wizard, replacing John Davidson, and remained with the production until the tour closed in March 2015. Two months later, in May 2015, Kazurinsky made his Broadway debut in a limited run of David Javerbaum's An Act of God at Studio 54, appearing alongside Jim Parsons and Christopher Fitzgerald in a production directed by Joe Mantello that ran through August 2015. Following his Broadway debut, he reunited with George Wendt for the September 2015 world premiere of Bruce Graham's Funnyman at Chicago's Northlight Theatre, directed by BJ Jones. In December 2016, he appeared as Frosch the jailer in Music Theatre Works' production of Johann Strauss II's Die Fledermaus.

In February 2015, Kazurinsky was among a small number of people who filmed Prince's impromptu performance of "Let's Go Crazy" at the SNL 40th anniversary after party. The footage circulated widely following Prince's death in 2016. Kazurinsky lives outside Chicago with his wife, Broadway actress Marcia Watkins, known for her work in On Your Toes and A Chorus Line. The couple has a daughter, Zoe, and a son, Pete.