Leslie Nielsen, the actor most famed for the likes of Airplane! and The Naked Gun, has passed away aged 84, due to complications from pneumonia. Born and raised in rural northwest Canada (his father was a mountie), Nielsen studied radio arts in Toronto, becoming a radio announcer and DJ (he also served briefly in the Canadian Air Force), before a scholarship saw him heading to the US to learn acting at the New York Neighborhood Playhouse.
As a young actor, he wasn’t known as a comedian, instead taking serious roles, first in bit part on TV and film, which led to leading roles. Most famously during his early career, he played the hero in the classic sci-fi flick Forbidden Planet, and he was equally serious as the captain in The Poseidon Adventure.
After many TV guest stints, his career got a completely new and unexpected lease of life when Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams came calling. As he was known as a fairly solemn character, they wanted him to play that up as a doctor in the spoof film Airplane!, deadpanning ridiculous dialogue. Nielsen’s role was a sensation. Even now people are still quoting lines such as, Surely you cant be serious. I am serious. And dont call me Shirley. Nielsen took the role largely because he was fed up with playing grandfathers, rather than because he had any clue that it would send his career into the stratosphere.
Airplane! completely changed Nielsen’s life, and although he was already white-haired and in his mid-50s, he suddenly found himself in demand as a comedy actor. He went on to make the TV series Police Squad, from the team behind Airplane. While that failed, the character he played, Lt. Frank Drebin, eventually found huge success on the big screen in The Naked Gun movies. Leslie then appeared in numerous other spoof flicks, such as Dracula: Dead And Loving It and Spy Hard, although few managed to match his earlier success. He continued to act, mostly making cameo appearances, nearly up to his death.
The actor had been being treated for a Staph infection in hospital when he contracted pneumonia, and sadly passed away.
Leslie Nielsen – February 11th, 1926-November 28th, 2010 – RIP