In this very first episode of Naked Comedy!, David Zucker and Ellie Shoja sit down with Robert Hays, the star of Airplane!, for a hilarious and revealing conversation about one of the most iconic comedy films ever made.

Robert shares how he was cast as Ted Striker, what it was like reading the Airplane! script for the first time — fittingly, on an actual plane — and how the role transformed his career overnight. David Zucker offers behind-the-scenes stories about casting, directing deadpan comedy, and why the key to Airplane!’s humor was never “acting funny,” but playing the absurdity completely straight.

The conversation covers deleted scenes, audition stories, working with Julie Hagerty, Peter Graves, Leslie Nielsen, Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack, and the unforgettable challenge of keeping a straight face wh ...