Leslie Nielsen
0 FOLLOWERS • 94 CREDITS • FEB 11, 1926 - NOV 28, 2010 • 84
Biography
Leslie William Nielsen, OC (February 11, 1926 – November 28, 2010) was a Canadian and naturalized American actor and comedian. Nielsen appeared in over one hundred films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying over 220 characters. Born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Nielsen enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and worked as a disc jockey before receiving a scholarship to Neighborhood Playhouse. Making his television debut in 1948, he quickly expanded to over 50 television appearances two years later. Nielsen made his film debut in 1956, and began collecting roles in dramas, westerns, and romance films. Nielsen's performances in the films Forbidden Planet (1956) and The Poseidon Adventure (1972) received positive reviews as a serious actor, though he is primarily known for his comedic roles.
Although Nielsen's acting career crossed a variety of genres in both television and films, his deadpan delivery in Airplane! (1980) marked a turning point in his career, one that would make him, in the words of film critic Roger Ebert, "the Olivier of spoofs." Nielsen enjoyed further success with The Naked Gun film series (1988 – 1994), based on a short-lived television series Police Squad! in which he starred earlier. His portrayal of serious characters seemingly oblivious to (and complicit in) their absurd surroundings gave him a reputation as a comedian. In the final years of his career, Nielsen appeared in multiple spoof and parody films, many of which were met poorly by critics, but performed well in box office and home media releases. Nielsen married four times and had two daughters from his second marriage. He was recognized with a variety of awards throughout his career, and was inducted into the Canada and Hollywood Walks of Fame.
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Known For
Murder, She Wrote
WWE Raw
Gunsmoke
Saturday Night Live
Cannon
Hawaii Five-O
General Electric Theater
The Fugitive
The F.B.I.
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
The Wonderful World of Disney
The Love Boat
Suspense
Family Guy
Route 66
The Wild Wild West
Bonanza
Kung Fu
Daniel Boone
Ironside
The Rookies
Columbo
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
Night Gallery
S.W.A.T.
The Ray Bradbury Theater
The Wonderful World of Disney
M*A*S*H
The Manhunter
227
Playhouse 90
Highway to Heaven
The Golden Girls
Kojak
Father Dowling Mysteries
Cimarron Strip
What Really Happened To the Class Of '65?
Who's the Boss?
Flesh 'n' Blood
Bracken's World
Evening Shade
Bearcats!
Goodyear Television Playhouse
The Defenders
The Name of the Game
The Web
Studio One
Danger
Starlight Theatre
Convoy
Lights Out
Sarge
Your First Impression
The Chisholms
Sure As Fate
Out There
Rawhide
Day by Day
O.J.: Made in America
Airplane II: The Sequel
Halloween
Safety Patrol!
Family Guy Presents: Blue Harvest
All I Want for Christmas
Harlow
The Vagabond King
Kraft Suspense Theatre
The Opposite Sex
Scary Movie 4
Harvey
Scary Movie 3
Backstairs at the White House
Superhero Movie
The Virginian
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors
Airplane!
Repossessed
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Robert Montgomery Presents
Cocoon
The Bold Ones: The Protectors
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Mr. Magoo
Dr. Kildare
Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult
Dracula: Dead and Loving It
Prime Times
The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
Spy Hard
Lipshitz Saves the World
Wrongfully Accused
Production Credits
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