Tim Kazurinsky On The Re-Release Of “Scrooge & Marley,” His Years On “Saturday Night Live,” Upcoming Projects & More

On digital for the first time, and available in a 10th anniversary DVD, classic LGBTQ+ holiday comedy Scrooge & Marley is now out via Dark Star Pictures. A joyful adaptation of Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella A Christmas Carol, the yuletide treat stars David Pevsner, Tim Kazurinsky, Rusty Schwimmer, Bruce Vilanch, Megan Cavanagh, Ronnie Kroell and David Moretti. Recounted from a gay sensibility, this reimagining of the classic story delves into the background of Ben Scrooge, the rich skinflint who hates the holidays, distrusts love and makes life miserable for everyone in the gay community over which he presides from his base, a music cabaret named Screws. On Christmas Eve Scrooge (played by David Pevsner) is visited by the ghost of his late business partner, Jacob Marley (played by Tim Kazurinsky), who wants to free him from his same bitter fate that awaits in purgatory. Scrooge is next visited by three ghosts — past, present and future — who ultimately endeavor to lead Scrooge back to love.

The aforementioned Tim Kazurinsky worked as a reporter and copywriter before enrolling in an improv class at The Second City in Chicago. His hard work led to him becoming a member of the Second City mainstage troupe in 1978, which led to Kazurinsky catching the attention of Saturday Night Live luminary John Belushi, who recommended Kazurinsky 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, while Belushi made sure that Kazurinsky was cast in the Belushi/Aykroyd comedic film Neighbors.

While Saturday Night Live is the career highlight for many performers, it was only the start of things — professionally speaking — for Tim Kazurinsky. Shortly after leaving SNL, Kazurinsky co-wrote About Last Night…, which 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 later portrayed Officer Carl Sweetchuck in three of the Police Academy films, which led him to guest-starring in many classic comedy shows (e.g. Married… with Children, Curb Your Enthusiasm). Also of note, his screenplay for Strange Relations, a film starring Paul Reiser, George Wendt, Julie Walters and Olympia Dukakis, was nominated for prestiguous honors from both the Writers Guild of America and BAFTA.

On October 19, 2022, I had the pleasure of interviewing Tim Kazurinsky via Zoom, as embedded below. Beyond Scrooge & Marley, we discussed his years on SNL, how he views the Police Academy series, and what he has coming up work-wise. More on Kazurinsky can be found by clicking here, here and here.

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Tags: Christmas, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Dark Star Pictures, LGBTQ, Police Academy, Saturday Night Live, Second City, Tim Kazurinsky

About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."