Leslie Nielsen

canadian actor and comedian ( 1926–2010 )

Leslie William Nielsen ( February 11, 1926 – November 28, 2010 ) was a canadian actor and comedian. [ 5 ] With a career spanning 60 years, he appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters. [ 6 ] Nielsen was born in Regina, Saskatchewan. After high school, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1943 [ 2 ] and served until the end of World War II. [ 3 ] Upon his discharge, Nielsen worked as a disk jockey before receiving a scholarship to study dramaturgy at the Neighborhood Playhouse. He made his acting debut in 1950, appearing in 46 be television receiver programs a year. Nielsen made his film debut in 1956, with supporting roles in respective drama and western and love affair films produced between the 1950s and the 1970s.

Reading: Leslie Nielsen

Although his celebrated performances in the films Forbidden Planet and The Poseidon Adventure gave him standing as a unplayful actor, Nielsen late gained enduring realization for his deadpan comedy roles during the 1980s, after being project for the Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker drollery film Airplane!. [ 7 ] In his comedy roles, Nielsen specialized in portraying characters forgetful to and complicit in their absurd surroundings. [ 8 ] Nielsen ‘s performance in Airplane! marked his turning point, which made him “ the Olivier of parody ” according to movie critic Roger Ebert, [ 9 ] and leading to far achiever in the writing style with The Naked Gun film series, based on the earlier ephemeral television series Police Squad!, in which Nielsen besides starred. Nielsen received a assortment of awards and was inducted into Canada ‘s Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Walk of Fame .

early life [edit ]

Nielsen was born on 11 February 1926 in Regina, Saskatchewan. [ 10 ] His beget, Mabel Elizabeth ( née Davies ), was an immigrant from Wales, and his father, Ingvard Eversen Nielsen ( 1900–1975 ), was a danish -born constable in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. [ 11 ] [ 12 ] [ 13 ] Nielsen was born the second of three boys. His elder brother, Erik Nielsen ( 1924–2008 ), was a long-time canadian Member of Parliament, cabinet minister, and Deputy Prime Minister of Canada from 1984 to 1986. [ 14 ]
His Brother’s Wife) inspired him to become an actor. Nielsen ‘s half-uncle Jean Hersholt ( pictured here in the 1936 film ) inspired him to become an actor. Nielsen ‘s half-uncle Jean Hersholt was an actor known for his portrayal of Dr. Christian in a radio series of that name, and the subsequent television receiver series and films. [ 15 ] [ 16 ] In a 1994 Boston Globe article, Nielsen explained, “ I did learn very early that when I would mention my uncle, people would look at me as if I were the biggest liar in the earth. then I would take them home and show them 8-by-10 glossies, and things changed quite drastically. therefore I began to think that possibly this act business was not a bad mind, much as I was very shy about it and surely without courage regarding it. My uncle died not besides hanker after I was in a status to know him. I regret that I had not a chance to know him better. ” [ 15 ] Nielsen lived for several years in Fort Norman ( now Tulita ) in the Northwest Territories, where his beget was with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. [ 15 ] [ 17 ] His father was an abusive serviceman who beat his wife and sons, and Leslie longed to escape. Following gradation from Victoria High School ( belated renamed Victoria School of the Arts ) in Edmonton, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force at historic period 17 in 1943, [ 1 ] [ 2 ] though he was legally deaf ( he wore hearing aids most of his life ). [ 18 ] [ 19 ] There he trained as an aeriform artilleryman during World War II. however, he was besides young to be in full trained or sent overseas. [ 20 ] Upon the war ‘s end, Nielsen was discharged and worked concisely as a phonograph record jockey [ 3 ] [ 4 ] at a Calgary, Alberta, radio station, before enrolling at the Lorne Greene Academy of Radio Arts in Toronto. [ 15 ] [ 21 ] While studying in Toronto, Nielsen received a scholarship to the Neighborhood Playhouse. He noted, “ I could n’t refuse, but I must say when you come from the farming of the coke goose, the elk, and wool to New York, you ‘re bringing every short ton of yokel and country bumpkin that you packed. angstrom long as I did n’t open my mouth, I felt a sealed security. But I always thought I was going to be unmask : ‘OK, pack your stuff. ‘ ‘Well, what ‘s the matter ? ‘ ‘We ‘ve discovered you have no endowment ; we ‘re shipping you back to Canada. ‘ ” [ 15 ] He moved to New York City for his eruditeness, [ 10 ] studying field and music at the Neighborhood Playhouse, while performing in summer store dramaturgy. [ 22 ] Afterward, he attended the Actors Studio, [ 23 ] until his first base television receiver appearance in 1950 on an episode of Studio One, alongside Charlton Heston, [ 24 ] for which he was paid $ 75 ( equivalent to $ 810 in 2020 ). [ 15 ]

career [edit ]

early career [edit ]

“ It was a strange era, the tail end of the aureate age. A prison term when the Tiffany ‘s of filmmakers was burying its head in the sand and trying to pretend that this new medium ( television ) was not happening. ”

Nielsen reflecting on the era when he started acting. [ 24 ]
Nielsen ‘s career began in dramatic roles on television receiver during “ Television ‘s Golden Age “, [ 25 ] appearing in 46 live programs in 1950 alone. [ 26 ] He said there “ was very little gold, we only got $ 75 or $ 100 per show. ” [ 26 ] He narrated documentaries and commercials and most of his early solve as a dramatic actor was uneventful. [ 27 ] Hal Erickson of Allmovie noted that “ much of Nielsen ‘s early work was insignificant ; he was merely a big leading homo in an diligence overstocked with fine-looking leading men. ” [ 27 ] In 1956, he made his feature-film debut in the Michael Curtiz -directed melodious film The Vagabond King. [ 28 ] In the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Nielsen remembered Curtiz as “ a sadist, a charm sadist, but a sadist ”. [ 24 ] Nielsen called this movie “ The Vagabond Turkey “. [ 29 ] Though the film was not a success, producer Nicholas Nayfack offered him an audition for the science-fiction movie Forbidden Planet, resulting in Nielsen ‘s taking a long contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ( MGM ). [ 24 ] [ 30 ]
Forbidden Planet (1956). Nielsen: “Supposedly a science-fiction version of The Tempest, it was all about the Star Trek. I just had to wear a tight uniform and make eyes at Anne Francis. I was pretty thin back then.”[31] Nielsen, along with co-star Anne Francis, in his second base film, ( 1956 ). Nielsen : “ purportedly a science-fiction version of Shakespeare ‘s, it was all about the id, or something like that. Who knows ? The Trekkies nowadays regard it as the precursor of. I just had to wear a tight uniform and make eyes at Anne Francis. I was reasonably thin back then. ” Forbidden Planet became an clamant success, [ 32 ] and roles in early MGM films such as Ransom! ( 1956 ), The Opposite Sex ( 1956 ) and Hot Summer Night ( 1957 ) followed. [ 33 ] In 1957 he won the lead character reverse Debbie Reynolds in the amatory comedy Tammy and the Bachelor, which, as a Chicago Tribune critic wrote in 1998, made people consider Nielsen a dramatic actor and big romantic head. [ 34 ] however, dissatisfied with the films he was offered, calling the studios “ a Tiffany, which had forgotten how to make silver ”, Nielsen left MGM after auditioning for Messala in the 1959 Ben-Hur. Stephen Boyd got the function. [ 35 ] [ 36 ] After leaving the studios, Nielsen landed the lead character in the Disney miniseries The Swamp Fox, as american Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion. [ 37 ] In a 1988 consultation, he reflected on the series, saying, “ That was a bang-up experience, because the Disney people did n’t do their shows like everyone else, knocking out an sequence a workweek. … We only had to do an episode a calendar month, and the budgets were highly high for television at that time. We had location shooting preferably than bum studio apartment backdrops, and very authentic costumes. ” [ 38 ] Eight episodes were produced and aired between 1959 and 1961. [ 37 ]
His television appearances include Justice, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Wagon Train, Gunsmoke, The Virginian, and The Wild Wild West. In 1961, he was the jumper cable in a Los Angeles police drama called The New Breed. He guest-starred in a 1964 sequence of Daniel Boone with Fess Parker in a minor but credit character. In 1968, he had a major function in the pilot program for the police series Hawaii Five-O, and appeared in one of the seventh-season episodes. In 1969, he had the contribute role as a police policeman in The Bold Ones: The Protectors. In 1972, Nielsen appeared as the ship ‘s captain in The Poseidon Adventure. He besides starred in the William Girdler ‘s 1977 action film, Project: Kill. His final dramatic function before chiefly comedy roles was the 1979 canadian calamity film City on Fire, in which he played a corrupt mayor. In 1980, he guest-starred as Sinclair on the CBS miniseries The Chisholms .

Airplane! and The Naked Gun [edit ]

Nielsen ‘s supporting character of Dr. Rumack in Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker ‘s 1980 ‘s Airplane! was a turning period in his career. The movie, a spoof of catastrophe films such as Zero Hour! and Airport, was based on building a comedy around actors known for dramatic roles. early stars included Robert Stack, Peter Graves, and Lloyd Bridges. Nielsen ‘s deadpan pitch contrasted with the absurdity surrounding him. When asked, “ surely you ca n’t be unplayful ? “, he responded with a brusque, “ I am good. And do n’t call me Shirley. ” In several interviews, he reflected on the wrinkle : “ I thought it was amusing, but it never occurred to me that it was going to become a trademark. It ‘s such a surprise … the thing comes out, people say, ‘What did he say ? ! ‘ ” [ 39 ] Nielsen said he was “ please and honoured that [ he ] had a probability to deliver that note. ” [ 40 ] As of 2010, the comedic rally was at phone number 79 on the American Film Institute ‘s AFI ‘s 100 Years … 100 Movie Quotes. [ 41 ] The American Film Institute included the film in its list of the top-10 comedy films of all clock in 2008, [ 42 ] and a 2007 review in the United Kingdom judged it the second-greatest comedy film of all time. [ 43 ] In 2012, Empire voted it number one in the 50 Funniest Comedies Ever poll. [ 44 ] Critics praised the film, which besides proved a long-run success with audiences. [ 45 ] In 2010, Airplane! was selected for conservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. [ 46 ] [ 47 ]
Airplane! Leslie Nielsen ( right ) in the character that established him as a comedic actor : Dr. Rumack in the 1980 movie The directors cast Nielsen for his ability to play like “ a fish in water ”, saying “ You could have cast fishy people and done it with everybody blink, goofing off, and pathetic … we wanted people to be oblivious to the drollery. ” [ 42 ] For Nielsen, Airplane! marked a stir from dramatic roles to deadpan drollery. When it was suggested his role in Airplane! was against character, Nielsen protested that he had “ constantly been cast against type before ”, and that drollery was what he always wanted to do. [ 48 ] The lapp directors cast Nielsen in a alike dash, in their television receiver series Police Squad!. The serial introduced Nielsen as Frank Drebin, the stereotyped patrol military officer modelled after unplayful characters in earlier police series. Police Squad’ mho opening succession was based on the 1950s testify M Squad, which starred Lee Marvin, and opened with footage of a patrol car roving through a dark urban setting with a big band playing a jazz song in the background. The Hank Simms voice-over and the express ‘s constitution into acts with an epilogue was court to Quinn Martin police dramas including The Fugitive, The Streets of San Francisco, Barnaby Jones, The F.B.I., and Cannon. Nielsen portrayed a serious character whose one-liners appeared accidental adjacent to the pratfalls and sight gags that were happening around him. Although the show lasted alone six episodes, Nielsen received an Emmy Award [ 49 ] nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. [ 50 ] Six years after cancellation of Police Squad!, the film The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! returned Nielsen to his role as Frank Drebin. It involved a pitiless drug king trying hypnosis to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II. Nielsen did many of his own stunts : “ You have an idea of how you ‘re going to do something, and it ‘s your imagination … unless you do it, it actually does n’t stand a prospect. ” [ 39 ] This movie grossed over $ 78 million and was good received by critics. [ 51 ] [ 52 ] Ebert ‘s 3+1⁄2–star inspection ( out of four ) noted, “ You laugh, and then you laugh at yourself for laughing. ” [ 53 ] The Naked Gun spawned two sequels : The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear ( 1991 ) and Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult ( 1994 ). The Naked Gun 2½ grossed more than the original, with $ 86.9 million, while 33⅓ grossed $ 51.1 million. [ 54 ] [ 55 ] Nielsen remained open to a fourth Naked Gun film, although he doubted that it would be produced — “ I do n’t think so ”, he said in 2005. “ If there has n’t been one by now, I doubt it. I think it would be fantastic. ” [ 56 ]

late comedies [edit ]

After Airplane! and The Naked Gun, Nielsen portrayed similarly styled roles in a number of early films. These by and large emulated the style of The Naked Gun with varying success and frequently targeted particular films ; many were panned by critics and most perform ill. Repossessed ( 1990 ) and 2001: A Space Travesty ( 2001 ) were parodies of The Exorcist and 2001: A Space Odyssey, respectively. Both try absurd comedy, but were ill received. [ 58 ] [ 59 ] even a go function in a Mel Brooks comedian repugnance, Dracula: Dead and Loving It, failed to generate much box-office agitation, although it did gain a take after in a subsequently release to video. Both 1996 ‘s Spy Hard and 1998 ‘s Wrongfully Accused, a parody of James Bond films and The Fugitive, were popular on video, but not well received by critics. [ 60 ] [ 61 ] His attack at children ‘s comedies met extra criticism. Surf Ninjas ( 1993 ) and Mr. Magoo ( 1997 ) had scathing reviews. several critics were disappointed that Nielsen ‘s role in Surf Ninjas was only “ an extend cameo ” and Chris Hicks recommended that viewers “ avoid any comedy that features Leslie Nielsen outside of the Naked Gun series. ” [ 62 ] [ 63 ] Jeff Miller of the Houston Chronicle panned Mr. Magoo, a live-action remake of the 1950s cartoon, by saying, “ I ‘m supposed to suggest how the film might be better, but I ca n’t think of anything to say other than to make the film again. ” [ 64 ] Nielsen ‘s beginning major achiever since The Naked Gun came in a encouraging function in Scary Movie 3 ( 2003 ). His appearance as President Harris led to a second appearance in its sequel, Scary Movie 4 ( 2006 ). This was the first fourth dimension Nielsen had reprised a character since Frank Drebin. In one setting, Nielsen appeared about bare, and one critic referred to the scene as putting “ the ‘scary ‘ in Scary Movie 4. ” [ 65 ]

Video, stage, and fame productions [edit ]

Nielsen besides produced instructional golf videos, which were not presented in a unplayful style, beginning with 1993 ‘s Bad Golf Made Easier. The video combined comedy with golf techniques. The serial spawned two extra sequels, Bad Golf My Way ( 1994 ) and Stupid Little Golf Video ( 1997 ). Nielsen besides co-wrote a fictional autobiography titled The Naked Truth. The book portrayed Nielsen as a popular actor with a long history of prestigious films. In his 80s, Nielsen performed serious roles on filmdom and stage ( such as his one-man dramaturgy usher Darrow, in which he played Clarence Darrow ), angstrom well as providing voice-overs and appearances for commercials ( including spots for a recognition coupling in Arizona, where he owned a secondary residence ), cartoons such as Zeroman, where he had the contribute role/voice, children ‘s shows, such as Pumper Pups, which he narrated, and comedic film roles. The sibling kinship with his elder brother, the Honourable Erik Nielsen, a former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, served as the premise of an HBO mockumentary entitled The Canadian Conspiracy in which Leslie Nielsen appeared, along with other outstanding Canadian-born media personalities. He was a fame contestant on CBS ‘s Gameshow Marathon, where he played The Price Is Right, Let’s Make a Deal, Beat the Clock, and Press Your Luck for charity. [ 26 ]

Final dissemble years [edit ]

Beginning in February 2007, Nielsen began playing a little function as a doctor of the church in the humorous yet educational television show Doctor*Ology. The show chronicles real-life checkup techniques and engineering on the Discovery Channel. Nielsen said : “ There are any number of things that you think about when you ponder if you had n’t been an actor, what would you be, and I ‘ve constantly said I ‘d like to be an astronaut or a repair. I have such admiration for doctors. I good do n’t know how you go about to thank them enough for coming up with the world ‘s most noteworthy newly discoveries. ” [ 40 ] In 2007, Nielsen starred in the play Music Within. In 2008, he portrayed a version of Uncle Ben for Superhero Movie, a spoof of superhero films. He then appeared in the 2008 parody An American Carol, which David Zucker directed, produced, and co-wrote. He appeared in the 2009 parody Stan Helsing. Nielsen portrayed the doctor in the spanish horror comedy Spanish Movie, [ 66 ] a spoof drollery like Scary Movie, but making fun of popular spanish films. [ 67 ] nielsen appeared in more than 100 films and 1,500 television episodes, portraying more than 220 characters. [ 68 ] [ 69 ]

personal life [edit ]

I ‘m afraid if I do n’t keep moving, they ‘re going to catch me … I am 81 years old and I want to see what ‘s around the corner, and I do n’t see any reason in the world not to keep work. But I am starting to prize my down time a great deal because I am realizing there might be other things to do that I am overlooking .

—Nielsen reflecting on his career in 2007 [ 40 ]
Nielsen married four times : to nightclub singer Monica Boyar ( 1950–1956 ), Alisande Ullman ( 1958–1973 ), Brooks Oliver ( 1981–1983 ), and Barbaree Earl ( 2001–2010 ). [ 70 ] He had two daughters from his second marriage, Maura and Thea Nielsen. [ 70 ] Nielsen much played golf. [ 71 ] He joked, “ I have no goals or ambition. I do, however, wish to work adequate to maintain whatever fame condition I have therefore that they will continue to invite me to golf tournaments. ” [ 71 ] His interest in the sport led him to comedic instructional films. Nielsen was a virtual joker, and known for pranking people with a portable hand-controlled fart machine. [ 72 ] [ 73 ] [ 74 ] [ 75 ] His epitaph reads “ Let ‘er rip ”, a final citation to his front-runner virtual joke. In his late years, Nielsen and his wife Barbaree resided between homes in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Paradise Valley, Arizona. Nielsen was legally deaf and wore hearing aids for most of his animation. [ 19 ] Because of this, he supported the Better Hearing Institute. [ 76 ] Later in life, Nielsen had knee osteoarthritis. He participated in an educational video from The Arthritis Research Centre of Canada ( ARC ), demonstrating the physical examination of a patient with knee osteoarthritis. [ 77 ]

Illness and death [edit ]

Leslie Nielsen ‘s gravestone bearing his epitaph, a final address to his favorite hardheaded jest, a fart machine. In November 2010, Nielsen was admitted to Holy Cross Hospital, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with pneumonia. On 28 November, Doug Nielsen, Nielsen ‘s nephew, told the CJOB radio station that 84-year-old Nielsen had died in his sleep from pneumonia around 5:30 promethium EST surrounded by family and friends. [ 78 ] [ 79 ] [ 80 ] [ 81 ] His body was interred in Fort Lauderdale ‘s evergreen Cemetery. As a final bit of humor, Nielsen chose “ Let ‘er rip ” as his epitaph .

Achievements [edit ]

Among his awards, in 1995 Nielsen received UCLA ‘s Jack Benny Award. [ 50 ] In 1988, he became the 1,884th personality to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6541 Hollywood Blvd. [ 82 ] In 2001 he was inducted into Canada ‘s Walk of Fame. [ 83 ] The follow year he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, although he was besides a naturalize US citizen. [ 84 ] With his american citizenship, he maintained his canadian inheritance : “ There ‘s no way you can be a canadian and think you can lose it … Canadians are a goodly group. They are very aware of care and helping. ” [ 84 ] On 19 May 2005, during the centennial gala of his give birth province, Saskatchewan, Leslie Nielsen was introduced to HM Queen Elizabeth II. [ 85 ] In 1997, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars was dedicated to him. [ 86 ]

On 20 February 2002, Nielsen was named an honorary citizen of West Virginia and an Ambassador of Mountain State Goodwill. Nielsen visited the state many times to speak and visit friends. [ 87 ] In 2003, in honor of Nielsen, Grant MacEwan College named its school of communications after him. [ 88 ] besides in 2003, the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists awarded him the ACTRA Award of Excellence. [ 88 ]