Airplane! 1980

Airplane! (1980) has 3 Black credited characters out of 65.

3of65

The Van Lathan Ratio · 5%

5% of the credited cast.

Directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker · 88 min

On The Rewatchables

Sep 23, 2025 Bill Simmons and Bill Hader

Credited cast

Every credited role on TMDB, in billing order. Uncredited roles are left out. marks actors who publicly identify as Black. How actors are tagged.

#	Actor	Character	Black
1	Robert Hays	Ted Striker
2	Julie Hagerty	Elaine Dickinson
3	Leslie Nielsen	Dr. Rumack
4	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	Roger Murdock	●Counted as Black
5	Lloyd Bridges	Steve McCroskey
6	Peter Graves	Capt. Clarence Oveur
7	Robert Stack	Captain Rex Kramer
8	Lorna Patterson	Randy
9	Jill Whelan	Lisa Davis
10	Ann Nelson	Hanging Lady
11	Jim Abrahams	Religious Zealot #6
12	Jonathan Banks	Gunderson
13	Stephen Stucker	Johnny Henshaw-Jacobs
14	Frank Ashmore	Victor Basta
15	Craig Berenson	Paul Carey
16	Barbara Billingsley	Jive Lady
17	Lee Bryant	Mrs. Hammen
18	Joyce Bulifant	Mrs. Davis
19	Mae E. Campbell	Security Lady
20	Ethel Merman	Lieutenant Hurwitz
21	Jimmie Walker	Windshield Wiper Man	●Counted as Black
22	Nora Meerbaum	Cocaine Lady
23	Kenneth Tobey	Air Controller Neubauer
24	James Hong	Japanese General
25	Michelle Stacy	Young Girl with Coffee
26	David Leisure	First Krishna
27	Al White	Second Jive Dude	●Counted as Black
28	Nicholas Pryor	Mr. Hammen
29	Cyril O'Reilly	Soldier
30	Ted Chapman	Airport Steward
31	Jesse Emmett	Man from India
32	Norman Alexander Gibbs	First Jive Dude
33	Amy Gibson	Soldier's Girl
34	Marcy Goldman	Mrs. Geline
35	Bob Gorman	Striped Controller
36	Rossie Harris	Joey
37	Maurice Hill	Reporter #3
38	David Hollander	Young Boy with Coffee
39	Howard Honig	Jack
40	Gregory Itzin	Religious Zealot #1
41	Howard Jarvis	Man in Taxi
42	Michael Laurence	Newscaster
43	Zachary Lewis	Religious Zealot #3
44	Barbara Mallory	Religious Zealot #2
45	Maureen McGovern	Nun
46	Mary Mercier	Shirley
47	Len Mooy	Reporter #1
48	Laura Nix	Mrs. Hurwitz
49	John O'Leary	Reporter #2
50	Bill Porter	Hospital Contortionist
51	Conrad E. Palmisano	Religious Zealot #4
52	Mallory Sandler	L.A. Ticket Agent
53	Robert Starr	Religious Zealot #5
54	Barbara Stuart	Mrs. Kramer
55	Lee Terri	Mrs. Oveur
56	William Tregoe	Jack Kirkpatrick
57	Hatsuo Uda	Japanese Newscaster
58	Herb Voland	Air Controller Macias
59	John David Wilder	Second Krishna
60	Windy	Horse
61	Jason Wingreen	Dr. Brody
62	Louise Yaffe	Mrs. Jaffe
63	Charlotte Zucker	Make-up Lady
64	David Zucker	Ground Crewman #2
65	Jerry Zucker	Ground Crewman #1