Ruthless People is a 1986 American black comedy film written by Dale Launer, directed by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker, and starring Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, Judge Reinhold, Anita Morris, and Helen Slater, with Bill Pullman in a supporting role in his film debut.
David Zucker was initially slated to direct, but instead found himself in a starring role.
David Zucker did direct, so could not have instead found himself doing something else.  The statement is definitely incorrect.
( z1 slate :ARG1 ( z2 person :name ( z3 name :op "David" :op "Zucker" ) ) :ARG2 ( z4 direct :ARG0 z2 ) :time ( z5 initial ) :ARG1-of ( z6 instead-of :ARG2 ( z7 find :ARG0 z2 :ARG1 ( z8 role :ARG2-of ( z9 star :ARG1 z2 ) ) ) ) )