Robert Hays still can’t believe Airplane! took off like this.
Some movies become classics. Airplane! became part of pop culture language.
Forty-five years later, audiences still quote the film daily. New generations continue discovering it for the first time, while longtime fans somehow laugh just as hard during their hundredth viewing. That type of staying power rarely happens in comedy, especially for a film built on rapid-fire jokes, absurd visual gags, and nonstop chaos.
Yet somehow, Airplane! still works exactly the way it did in 1980.
That legacy is now taking flight again through Airplane! Live, a touring theatrical event featuring stars Robert Hays and Julie Hagerty. Fans get to watch the movie on the big screen before hearing live behind-the-scenes stories, audience Q&A sessions, and personal memories from the people who helped create one of the greatest comedies ever made.
During my conversation with Hays, the legendary actor reflected on the unbelievable success of Airplane!, the sequel that never happened, Leslie Nielsen’s infamous on-set prank device, voicing Iron Man before the MCU existed, and why he still feels grateful audiences continue embracing his work after all these years.
Robert Hays Knew the Airplane! Script Was Different Immediately
Before Airplane! became a comedy landmark; it was simply a screenplay sitting in Robert Hays’ lap during a flight to Minneapolis.
That reading experience changed everything.
“There was something on every single page that made me laugh out loud,” Hays said. “Every single page.”
Hays recalled a flight attendant asking to borrow the script after noticing how much he laughed while reading it. At first, she politely smiled while turning the pages. Eventually, she completely lost composure.
Her knees started flying around. Her perfectly styled hair fell apart. She could barely contain herself, laughing in the middle of the airplane.
That moment convinced Hays the movie could become something special.
Still, nobody fully understood what was coming.
Made for only $3.5 million, Airplane! quickly exploded into a worldwide sensation. Studio employees reportedly packed screening rooms just to watch daily footage from production because they could not stop laughing.
“It broke records at every box office,” Hays recalled. “Not just across the U.S. but around the world.”
The Secret Ingredient Was the Love Story
While Airplane! became famous for lines like “Don’t call me Shirley,” Hays believes the emotional connection between Ted Striker and Elaine Dickinson helped elevate the movie beyond a collection of jokes.
That chemistry became essential.
Hays and Julie Hagerty both made their feature film debuts in Airplane!, and according to Hays, the filmmakers instantly recognized Hagerty had something special the moment they met her during auditions.
“She is so fun to work with,” Hays said. “She’s just delightful.”
Ironically, directors Jim Abrahams and the Zucker brothers eventually realized they accidentally built a legitimate romance into the middle of their spoof movie.
“They said, ‘God, there’s a love story here,’” Hays recalled. “Julie and I looked at each other and said, ‘Yeah, of course there is.’”
That emotional grounding gave audiences characters worth caring about underneath all the insanity. It is part of why the film still feels surprisingly sincere despite the nonstop absurdity.
Leslie Nielsen Nearly Broke Robert Hays During Filming
One reason Airplane! remains so effective is because every actor treated the material seriously.
Nobody winked at the camera.
Nobody played the comedy broadly.
Actors like Leslie Nielsen, Peter Graves, Lloyd Bridges, and Robert Stack delivered every ridiculous line with complete sincerity. That grounded approach became the movie’s secret weapon.
Still, Leslie Nielsen apparently made staying serious nearly impossible between takes.
Hays shared one of the funniest behind-the-scenes stories from filming involving Nielsen’s legendary handheld fart machine, a prank device that later became infamous throughout Hollywood.
During the iconic “Surely you can’t be serious” sequence, Nielsen repeatedly squeezed the hidden gadget whenever the camera focused on Hays.
“That was the hardest day of filming the entire film for me,” Hays admitted.
The story perfectly captures the chaotic energy surrounding production, even while the cast remained laser-focused whenever cameras rolled.
Robert Hays Regrets Saying No to Airplane 3
One of the biggest surprises from our conversation involved the sequel fans never got to see.
According to Hays, studios absolutely wanted Airplane 3 to happen.
However, he turned it down.
At the time, Hollywood viewed sequels very differently from today. Hays remembered paparazzi constantly asking whether he would ever become a “real actor” outside of Airplane!. Eventually, those comments started getting to him.
When producers approached him about returning for a third movie, Hays rejected the offer despite the massive payday attached.
“I said, ‘No, I’m going to be a real actor,’” Hays revealed.
Without Hays returning as Ted Striker, the project reportedly collapsed.
“And I was always really sorry about that,” he admitted. “I fell for what those idiots were saying.”
Even now, there is a genuine honesty in the way Hays reflects on that decision.
Still, he also understands why the original filmmakers never wanted to endlessly repeat the joke. The first movie captured lightning in a bottle.
For Many ’90s Kids, Robert Hays Was the First Iron Man
While Airplane! remains Hays’ most iconic role, younger audiences often know him from entirely different projects.
For many millennials, Hays was actually their very first Tony Stark.
Long before Robert Downey Jr. launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Hays voiced Iron Man in Marvel’s animated series during the 1990s. During our conversation, I told him that version of Tony Stark became my introduction to the character growing up.
Hays seemed genuinely touched hearing how much the role meant to fans.
He also reflected warmly on his career overall, including beloved projects like Homeward Bound, Starman, and numerous television appearances.
“It’s really fun to have people enjoy something that you did,” Hays said.
That gratitude still feels very real when speaking with him.
Robert Hays Still Loves the Magic of Movies
Beyond the laughs and nostalgia, one of the most refreshing parts of talking with Hays was hearing how deeply he still respects the craft of acting.
He spoke passionately about preparation, theater discipline, training, and constantly improving as a performer. Hays even studied fencing under legendary instructor Ralph Faulkner, who worked on classic Hollywood swashbucklers starring Errol Flynn.
For Hays, acting always required equal parts preparation, luck, and timing.
“The harder I work at it, the luckier I seem to get,” he said while reflecting on his career journey.
That work ethic helped build a career spanning comedy, family films, television, animation, and stage productions.
Most importantly, audiences still remember the joy those performances brought them.
How To See Airplane! Live
Airplane! Live features Robert Hays and Julie Hagerty appearing together for special theatrical screenings of the comedy classic. After the film, audiences can enjoy live conversations, behind-the-scenes stories, audience Q&A sessions, and meet-and-greet opportunities with the stars.
Hays says the experience feels like stepping back into 1980 all over again because audiences still react exactly the same way.
“The laughter is back like when it first came out,” Hays said. “Fresh and new.”
Additional tour dates, ticket information, and event details are available at AirplaneLiveTour.com.
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Sean Tajipour
Sean Tajipour is the Founder and Editor of Nerdtropolis and the host of the Moviegoers Society and Reel Insights Podcast. He is also a member of the Critics Choice Association. You can follow on Twitter and Instagram @Seantaj.
