Leslie Nielsen
Encyclopedia
Leslie William Nielsen, OC
(11 February 1926 28 November 2010) was a Canadian and naturalized American
actor and comedian. Nielsen appeared in more than one hundred films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying more than 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 drama
s, westerns, and romance films from the 1950s to the 1970s. Nielsen's performances in the films Forbidden Planet
and The Poseidon Adventure 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!
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
, based on an earlier short-lived television series Police Squad!
in which he starred. 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.
. His mother, Mabel Elizabeth (née Davies), was a Welsh immigrant from Fulham
, London, and his father, Ingvard Eversen Nielsen, was a Danish-born Constable in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
.
Nielsen had two brothers; his older brother, Erik Nielsen
(1924–2008), was Deputy Prime Minister of Canada
during the 1980s. Ingvard was a troubled man who beat his wife and sons, and Leslie longed to escape. As soon as he graduated from high school at 17, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, even though he was legally deaf (he wore hearing aids most of his life).
His half-uncle, Jean Hersholt
, was an actor best known for his portrayal of Dr. Christian
in the long-running radio series of the same name and the subsequent television series and films. 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 world. Then I would take them home and show them 8-by-10 glossies, and things changed quite drastically. So I began to think that maybe this acting business was not a bad idea, much as I was very shy about it and certainly without courage regarding it. My uncle died not too long after I was in a position to know him. I regret that I had not a chance to know him better."
Nielsen spent several years living in Fort Norman
(now Tulita), Northwest Territories
where his father was stationed with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
. At the age of 17, following his graduation from Victoria Composite High School in Edmonton
, Nielsen enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force
and was trained as an aerial gunner during the latter part of World War II (but was too young to be fully trained or sent overseas). He worked briefly as a disc jockey at a Calgary, Alberta radio station, before enrolling at the Lorne Greene
Academy of Radio Arts, Toronto. While studying in Toronto, Nielsen received a scholarship to the Neighborhood Playhouse
. He noted, "I couldn't refuse, but I must say when you come from the land of the snow goose, the moose and wool to New York, you're bringing every ton of hayseed and country bumpkin that you packed. As long as I didn't open my mouth, I felt a certain security. But I always thought I was going to be unmasked: 'OK, pack your stuff.' 'Well, what's the matter?' 'We've discovered you have no talent; we're shipping you back to Canada.'" He moved to New York City for his scholarship, studying theater and music at the Neighborhood Playhouse, while performing in summer stock theatre
. Afterward, he attended the Actors Studio
, until making his first television appearance in 1948 on an episode of Studio One
, alongside Charlton Heston
, for which he was paid US$75.
", appearing in almost 50 live programs in 1950 alone. Nielsen reported that for his salary that there " was very little gold, we only got $75 or $100 per show." His distinct voice narrated several documentaries and commercials but, with a handful of exceptions, his early work as a dramatic actor was uneventful. Hal Erickson of Allmovie noted, "...much of Nielsen's early work was undistinguished; he was merely a handsome leading man in an industry overstocked with handsome leading men." In 1956 he made his feature film debut in the Michael Curtiz
-directed musical film The Vagabond King
. In the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
, Nielsen pointed out that he remembers Curtiz as "a sadist, a charming sadist, but a sadist". Nielsen would go on to call this film "The Vagabond Turkey". Though the film was not a box office success, Nielsen caught the eye of producer Nicholas Nayfack
who offered him an audition for a role in the science fiction film Forbidden Planet
, resulting in Nielsen being signed to a long-term contract by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
(MGM).
Forbidden Planet became an instant success, and roles in other MGM films such as Ransom!
(1956), The Opposite Sex
(1956) and Hot Summer Night
(1957) followed. In 1957 he won the lead role opposite Debbie Reynolds
in the romantic comedy
Tammy and the Bachelor
, which, as a Chicago Tribune
critic wrote in 1998, made people consider Nielsen as both a dramatic actor and a handsome romantic lead. However, dissatisfied with the quality of the films he was offered, calling the studios " a Tiffany, which had forgotten how to make silver", Nielsen left MGM, but not before auditioning for the role of Messala in the 1959 historical piece Ben-Hur
. Stephen Boyd
was eventually given the role. After leaving the studios, Nielsen landed the lead role in the Disney miniseries The Swamp Fox
, as American Revolutionary War
hero Francis Marion
. In a 1988 interview he reflected on the series, stating, "That was a great experience, because the Disney people didn't do their shows like everyone else, knocking out an episode a week. We only had to do an episode a month, and the budgets were extremely high for TV at that time. We had location shooting rather than cheap studio backdrops, and very authentic costumes." Eight episodes were produced and aired between 1959 and 1961.
His television appearances include parts in Justice
, Alfred Hitchcock Presents
, The Virginian
, and The Wild Wild West
. In 1961, he was the lead in a taut Los Angeles police drama called The New Breed
. In 1968, he had a major role in the pilot film for the popular police series Hawaii Five-O
, and later appeared in one of the seventh season episodes. In 1969, he had the leading role as a police officer in The Bold Ones: The Protectors
.
In 1972, Nielsen appeared as the ship's captain in the all-star disaster epic The Poseidon Adventure. He also starred in the William Girdler
-directed 1977 action film Project: Kill. His last role before portraying mainly comedy roles was the Canadian disaster film City on Fire
in which he played a corrupt mayor. In 1980, he guest starred as Sinclair on the CBS miniseries
The Chisholms
.
was a major watershed in his career. The ethos of the movie, a parody of dramatic disaster films such as Zero Hour!
and Airport, is largely based on building a comedy around actors who were then known exclusively for their dramatic roles (other stars included Robert Stack
, Peter Graves
, and Lloyd Bridges
). Nielsen was the movie's linchpin, his deadpan delivery contrasting with the continual absurdity surrounding him. When asked, "Surely you can't be serious?", he responds with a curt, "I am serious. And don't call me Shirley." In several interviews he later reflected on the significance of the comedic line: "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?!'" Nielsen also stated that he was "...pleased and honoured that [he] had a chance to deliver that line." The comedic exchange was at #79 on the American Film Institute
's list of Top 100 movie quotes
. The American Film Institute also included the film in its list of the top ten comedy films of all time.
Critics praised the film, which also proved to be a success with audiences. The film's directors, Jim Abrahams
, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker
, chose Nielsen for the role based on his ability to play "a fish in water", stating that "You could have cast funny people and done it with everybody winking, goofing off, and silly...we wanted people to be oblivious to the comedy." For Nielsen, Airplane! marked a shift from dramatic roles to a new focus on deadpan comedy
. When it was suggested that his role in Airplane! was against type
, Nielsen protested that he had "always been cast against type before," and that comedy was what he always really wanted to do.
The directors, interested in the success of the new comedy, decided to bring a similar style of comedy to television, casting Nielsen in the lead role in their new series, Police Squad!
. The series introduced Nielsen as Frank Drebin, the stereotypical police officer modeled after serious characters in earlier police TV series.
Police Squads opening sequence was based on the 1950s cop show M Squad
, (which starred Lee Marvin
), which opened with footage of a police car
roving through an after-dark urban setting with a big band playing a jazz theme song in the background. The voice-over and the show's organization into "acts" with an epilogue was homage to Quinn Martin
police dramas including The Fugitive
, The Streets of San Francisco
, Barnaby Jones
, The F.B.I., and Cannon
. Much like in Airplane!, Nielsen portrayed a serious character whose one-liners appeared accidental next to the pratfalls and sight gags around him. Although the show was quickly canceled, lasting only six episodes after being juggled between time slots, Nielsen received an Emmy Award
nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
.
Non-comedic roles included Prom Night (1980) and Creepshow
(1982), both horror films. His last dramatic role was as Allen Green, a violent john killed in self-defense by Barbra Streisand
's prostitute character, Claudia Draper, in Martin Ritt
's courtroom drama Nuts
(1987).
Six years after the cancellation of Police Squad!, its directors decided to make a feature length version for theaters. Titled The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!. The film returned Nielsen to his role as Frank Drebin. It involved a comical scheme of a ruthless drug kingpin using hypnosis in an attempt to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II
. Drebin, like the doctor in Airplane!, seemed unaware of the absurdity around him even when unintentionally contributing toward it. Nielsen later said in an interview that he had done many of his own stunts, "You have an idea of how you're going to do something, and it's your vision... unless you do it, it really doesn't stand a chance." This movie grossed over $78 million at the box office and was well-received by critics. Ebert's 3½–star review (out of four) noted, "You laugh, and then you laugh at yourself for laughing."
The Naked Gun
spawned two sequels: The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear
(1991) and Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult (1994). Naked Gun 2½ grossed more than the original, with $86,930,400, while Naked Gun 33⅓ grossed $51,132,600 in receipts. Nielsen remained open to the prospects of acting in a fourth Naked Gun film, although he doubted that it would ever be produced—"I don't think so," he said in 2005. "If there hasn't been one by now, I doubt it. I think it would be wonderful."
Nielsen briefly appeared on the World Wrestling Federation program in the summer of 1994 on Monday Night RAW; capitalizing on his Frank Drebin character, Nielsen (and George Kennedy) were hired as "super-sleuths" to unravel the mystery of The Undertaker who had disappeared at January's Royal Rumble
event. At SummerSlam 1994
, in a Naked Gun parody, they were hot on the case (in fact, they were literally standing on a case). Although they did not actually find The Undertaker, the case had been closed (the literal case had been shut) and thus, they solved the mystery.
series with varying degrees of critical and commercial success: many were panned by critics and most performed poorly. In 1986, Nielsen played against recent type as a dramatic (and unsympathetic) character in the comedy, Soul Man
. In 1990, Nielsen also appeared as a Frank Drebin-style character in a series of advertisements in the United Kingdom for Red Rock Cider
.
Although The Naked Gun series parodied police dramas in general, Nielsen's later parody films focused on specific targets. Critics panned Repossessed
(1990) and 2001: A Space Travesty
(2001), parodies of The Exorcist
and 2001: A Space Odyssey
, respectively. Both films attempted the absurdist comedy Nielsen is recognized for, but were poorly received. Even a leading role in a Mel Brooks
comic horror parody, Dracula: Dead and Loving It
, failed to generate much box office excitement, although it did gain somewhat of a following on its later release to video. Both 1996's Spy Hard
and 1998's Wrongfully Accused
, a parody of James Bond films
and The Fugitive
, respectively, received more popularity on home video but were not well-received by critics.
His attempt at children's comedies met with additional criticism. Surf Ninjas
(1993) and Mr. Magoo
(1997) faced scathing reviews. Several critics were disappointed that Nielsen's role in Surf Ninjas was only "an extended cameo" and film critic Chris Hicks recommended that viewers "...avoid any comedy that features Leslie Nielsen outside of the Naked Gun series." 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 can't think of anything to say other than to make the film again."
Nielsen's first major slapstick success since The Naked Gun
came in a supporting role in Scary Movie 3
(2003). His appearance as President Harris proved popular enough for a second appearance in its sequel, Scary Movie 4
(2006). This became the first time Nielsen reprised a character since his appearances as Frank Drebin. In one scene, Nielsen appeared almost fully nude
, and one critic referred to the scene as putting "the 'scary' in Scary Movie 4."
Nielsen also hosted a series of instructional golf videos beginning with 1993's Bad Golf Made Easier
. The videos were not serious, instead combining absurdist comedy with golf techniques. The series were popular enough to spawn two additional sequels, Bad Golf My Way
(1994) and Stupid Little Golf Video
(1997). Nielsen also co-wrote a fictional autobiography titled The Naked Truth. The book portrayed Nielsen as a popular actor with a long history of prestigious films.
Even in his eighties, Nielsen continued to have an active career. He performed serious roles on screen and stage (such as his one-man theatre show Darrow, in which he played Clarence Darrow
), as well as providing voice-overs and on-camera appearances for commercials; cartoons like Zeroman
where he had the leading role/voice; children's shows, such as Pumper Pups, which he narrated, in addition to comedic film roles. The sibling relationship 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 prominent Canadian-born media personalities. He was a celebrity 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.
Beginning in February 2007, Nielsen began playing a small role as a doctor in the humorous yet educational television show Doctor*Ology. The show chronicles real-life medical techniques and technology, and airs on the Discovery Channel
. In an interview, Nielsen admitted his admiration for the doctors on the show: "There are any number of things that you think about when you ponder if you hadn't been an actor, what would you be, and I've always said I'd like to be an astronaut or a doctor. I have such admiration for doctors. I just don't know how you go around to thank them enough for coming up with the world's most remarkable new discoveries."
In 2007, Nielsen starred in the drama 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 film 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, a spoof comedy like Scary Movie
, but making fun of popular Spanish films.
Nielsen appeared in over 100 films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying over 220 characters.
(1950–1956), Alisande Ullman (1958–1973), Brooks Oliver (1981–1983) and Barbaree Earl (2001–2010; his death). Nielsen had two daughters from his second marriage, Maura and Thea Nielsen.
Nielsen was a fan of golf
, and he often played it in his free time. Nielsen joked about his view on golf, "I have no goals or ambition. I do, however, wish to work enough to maintain whatever celebrity status I have so that they will continue to invite me to golf tournaments." Nielsen's interest in the sport led him to star in several comedic instructional films.
Nielsen stated in several interviews that he had a few medical problems such as hearing impairment
. He was legally deaf and wore hearing aids for most of his life. Because of this impairment, he publicly supported the Better Hearing Institute.
. On 28 November, Doug Nielsen, Nielsen's nephew, announced to the CJOB radio station that Nielsen had died in his sleep, due to complications from pneumonia, around 5:30 pm EST, surrounded by family and friends. He was interred in Fort Lauderdale's Evergreen Cemetery. As a final bit of humor, Nielsen chose "Let 'er Rip" as his epitaph.
's Jack Benny Award for his comedic roles. In 1988, he became the 1,884th personality to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
at 6541 Hollywood Blvd. In 2001 he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame
. The following year he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
, although he was also a naturalized U.S. citizen. With his American status, he maintained his Canadian heritage: "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 caring and helping." On 19 May 2005, during the centennial gala of his birth province, Saskatchewan
, Leslie Nielsen was introduced to HM Queen Elizabeth II
.
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. In 2003, in honor of Nielsen, Grant MacEwan College
named its school of communications after him. Also in 2003, the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
awarded him the ACTRA Award of Excellence.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(11 February 1926 28 November 2010) was a Canadian and naturalized American
Citizenship in the United States
Citizenship in the United States is a status given to individuals that entails specific rights, duties, privileges, and benefits between the United States and the individual...
actor and comedian. Nielsen appeared in more than one hundred films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying more than 220 characters. Born in Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Nielsen enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
and worked as a disc jockey before receiving a scholarship to Neighborhood Playhouse
Neighborhood Playhouse
The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre is an actor training school at 340 East 54th Street in New York City, generally associated with the Meisner technique of Sanford Meisner.-History:...
. 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 drama
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
s, westerns, and romance films from the 1950s to the 1970s. Nielsen's performances in the films Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet is a 1956 science fiction film directed by Fred M. Wilcox, with a screenplay by Cyril Hume. It stars Leslie Nielsen, Walter Pidgeon, and Anne Francis. The characters and its setting have been compared to those in William Shakespeare's The Tempest, and its plot contains certain...
and The Poseidon Adventure 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!
Airplane!
Airplane! is a 1980 American satirical comedy film directed and written by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker and released by Paramount Pictures...
marked a turning point in his career, one that would make him, in the words of film critic Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
, "the Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
of spoofs." Nielsen enjoyed further success with The Naked Gun film series
The Naked Gun
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! is a 1988 American comedy film that is the first in a The Naked Gun series of films starring Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy, and O. J. Simpson...
, based on an earlier short-lived television series Police Squad!
Police Squad!
Police Squad! is a television comedy series first broadcast in 1982, created by Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker and starring Leslie Nielsen. A spoof of police procedurals, the series was packed with ZAZ's usual sight gags, wordplay and non sequiturs...
in which he starred. 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
Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame , located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of successful Canadians...
and Hollywood
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
Walks of Fame.
Early life
Nielsen was born on 11 February 1926 in Regina, SaskatchewanRegina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
. His mother, Mabel Elizabeth (née Davies), was a Welsh immigrant from Fulham
Fulham
Fulham is an area of southwest London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, SW6 located south west of Charing Cross. It lies on the left bank of the Thames, between Putney and Chelsea. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
, London, and his father, Ingvard Eversen Nielsen, was a Danish-born Constable in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
.
Nielsen had two brothers; his older brother, Erik Nielsen
Erik Nielsen
Erik Hersholt Nielsen, PC, DFC, QC was a Canadian politician, and longtime Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament for Yukon....
(1924–2008), was Deputy Prime Minister of Canada
Deputy Prime Minister of Canada
The Deputy Prime Minister of Canada is an honorary position in the cabinet, conferred at the discretion of the prime minister. There is currently, , no deputy prime minister....
during the 1980s. Ingvard was a troubled man who beat his wife and sons, and Leslie longed to escape. As soon as he graduated from high school at 17, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, even though he was legally deaf (he wore hearing aids most of his life).
His half-uncle, Jean Hersholt
Jean Hersholt
Jean Pierre Hersholt was a Danish-born actor who lived in the United States, where he was a leading film and radio talent, best known for his 17 years starring on radio in Dr. Christian and for playing Shirley Temple's grandfather in Heidi...
, was an actor best known for his portrayal of Dr. Christian
Dr. Christian
Dr. Christian was a long-running radio series with Jean Hersholt in the title role. It aired on CBS from 1937 to 1954.After Hersholt portrayed the character Dr. John Luke, based on Dr. Allan Roy Dafoe, the obstetrician who delivered and cared for the Dionne Quintuplets, in the 20th Century Fox...
in the long-running radio series of the same name and the subsequent television series and films. In a 1994 Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
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 world. Then I would take them home and show them 8-by-10 glossies, and things changed quite drastically. So I began to think that maybe this acting business was not a bad idea, much as I was very shy about it and certainly without courage regarding it. My uncle died not too long after I was in a position to know him. I regret that I had not a chance to know him better."
Nielsen spent several years living in Fort Norman
Tulita
Tulita, which in Dene language means "where the rivers or waters meet," is a hamlet in the Sahtu Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It was formerly known as Fort Norman, until 1 January 1996...
(now Tulita), Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
where his father was stationed with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
. At the age of 17, following his graduation from Victoria Composite High School in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Nielsen enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
and was trained as an aerial gunner during the latter part of World War II (but was too young to be fully trained or sent overseas). He worked briefly as a disc jockey at a Calgary, Alberta radio station, before enrolling at the Lorne Greene
Lorne Greene
Lorne Greene , was the stage name of Lyon Himan Green, OC, a Canadian actor.His television roles include Ben Cartwright on the western Bonanza, and Commander Adama in the science fiction movie and subsequent TV Series Battlestar Galactica...
Academy of Radio Arts, Toronto. While studying in Toronto, Nielsen received a scholarship to the Neighborhood Playhouse
Neighborhood Playhouse
The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre is an actor training school at 340 East 54th Street in New York City, generally associated with the Meisner technique of Sanford Meisner.-History:...
. He noted, "I couldn't refuse, but I must say when you come from the land of the snow goose, the moose and wool to New York, you're bringing every ton of hayseed and country bumpkin that you packed. As long as I didn't open my mouth, I felt a certain security. But I always thought I was going to be unmasked: 'OK, pack your stuff.' 'Well, what's the matter?' 'We've discovered you have no talent; we're shipping you back to Canada.'" He moved to New York City for his scholarship, studying theater and music at the Neighborhood Playhouse, while performing in summer stock theatre
Summer stock theatre
Summer stock theatre is any theatre that presents stage productions only in the summer within the United States. The name combines both the seasonal time of year with the tradition of staging shows by a resident company, reusing stock scenery and costumes...
. Afterward, he attended the Actors Studio
Actors Studio
The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street in the Clinton neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded October 5, 1947, by Elia Kazan, Cheryl Crawford, Robert Lewis and Anna Sokolow who provided...
, until making his first television appearance in 1948 on an episode of Studio One
Studio One (TV series)
Studio One is a long-running American radio–television anthology series, created in 1947 by the 26-year-old Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC.-Radio:...
, alongside Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston was an American actor of film, theatre and television. Heston is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes...
, for which he was paid US$75.
Early career
Nielsen's career began in dramatic roles on television during what is known as "Television's Golden AgeGolden Age of Television
The Golden Age of Television in the United States began sometime in the late 1940s and extended to the late 1950s or early 1960s.-Evolutions of drama on television:...
", appearing in almost 50 live programs in 1950 alone. Nielsen reported that for his salary that there " was very little gold, we only got $75 or $100 per show." His distinct voice narrated several documentaries and commercials but, with a handful of exceptions, his early work as a dramatic actor was uneventful. Hal Erickson of Allmovie noted, "...much of Nielsen's early work was undistinguished; he was merely a handsome leading man in an industry overstocked with handsome leading men." In 1956 he made his feature film debut in the Michael Curtiz
Michael Curtiz
Michael Curtiz was an Academy award winning Hungarian-American film director. He had early creditsas Mihály Kertész and Michael Kertész...
-directed musical film The Vagabond King
The Vagabond King (1956 film)
The Vagabond King is a 1956 musical film remake of the 1925 operetta The Vagabond King by Rudolf Friml. It starred Kathryn Grayson and Oreste Kirkop , with early roles for Rita Moreno and Leslie Nielsen. Sir Cedric Hardwicke played a notable supporting role. It was Walter Hampden's last movie....
. In the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
, Nielsen pointed out that he remembers Curtiz as "a sadist, a charming sadist, but a sadist". Nielsen would go on to call this film "The Vagabond Turkey". Though the film was not a box office success, Nielsen caught the eye of producer Nicholas Nayfack
Nicholas Nayfack
Nicholas Nayfack was an American movie producer whose notable works include Forbidden Planet and The Invisible Boy. He was the nephew of MGM studio chief Nicholas Schenck and United Artists studio boss Joseph M. Schenck. He married actress Lynne Carver in 1937...
who offered him an audition for a role in the science fiction film Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet is a 1956 science fiction film directed by Fred M. Wilcox, with a screenplay by Cyril Hume. It stars Leslie Nielsen, Walter Pidgeon, and Anne Francis. The characters and its setting have been compared to those in William Shakespeare's The Tempest, and its plot contains certain...
, resulting in Nielsen being signed to a long-term contract by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
(MGM).
Ransom!
Ransom! is a 1956 crime drama examining the reactions of parents, police, and the public to a kidnapping. Written by Richard Maibaum and Cyril Hume, the film was based on a popular episode of "The United States Steel Hour" titled "Fearful Decision," which aired in 1954...
(1956), The Opposite Sex
The Opposite Sex
The Opposite Sex is a 1956 musical film.It is a remake of the 1939 classic comedy The Women. Both films are based on Claire Boothe Luce's original play...
(1956) and Hot Summer Night
Hot Summer Night (1957 film)
Hot Summer Night is a 1957 MGM crime film starring Leslie Nielsen, Colleen Miller, and Edward Andrews. While on his honeymoon, a reporter goes to dangerous lengths to interview a notorious bank robber.-Cast:*Leslie Nielsen as William Joel Partain...
(1957) followed. In 1957 he won the lead role opposite Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds is an American actress, singer, and dancer.She was initially signed at age 16 by Warner Bros., but her career got off to a slow start. When her contract was not renewed, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave her a small, but significant part in the film Three Little Words , then signed her to...
in the romantic comedy
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy can refer to* Romantic Comedy , a 1979 play written by Bernard Slade* Romantic Comedy , a 1983 film adapted from the play and starring Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen...
Tammy and the Bachelor
Tammy and the Bachelor
Tammy and the Bachelor is a 1957 romantic comedy film and is the first of the four Tammy films. It stars Debbie Reynolds as Tambrey "Tammy" Tyree, Walter Brennan as Grandpa Dinwitty and Leslie Nielsen as Peter Brent...
, which, as a Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
critic wrote in 1998, made people consider Nielsen as both a dramatic actor and a handsome romantic lead. However, dissatisfied with the quality of the films he was offered, calling the studios " a Tiffany, which had forgotten how to make silver", Nielsen left MGM, but not before auditioning for the role of Messala in the 1959 historical piece Ben-Hur
Ben-Hur (1959 film)
Ben-Hur is a 1959 American epic film directed by William Wyler and starring Charlton Heston in the title role, the third film adaptation of Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The screenplay was written by Karl Tunberg, Gore Vidal, and Christopher Fry. The score was composed by...
. Stephen Boyd
Stephen Boyd
Stephen Boyd was an Irish actor, from Glengormley, Northern Ireland, who appeared in around 60 films, most notably in the role of Messala in Ben-Hur.-Biography:...
was eventually given the role. After leaving the studios, Nielsen landed the lead role in the Disney miniseries The Swamp Fox
The Swamp Fox (TV series)
The Swamp Fox is a television series produced by Walt Disney and starring Leslie Nielsen as American Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion.The theme song * was sung by Nielsen as well. One of the Swamp Fox's adversaries was Colonel Banastre Tarleton, played by John Sutton...
, as American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
hero Francis Marion
Francis Marion
Francis Marion was a military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. Acting with Continental Army and South Carolina militia commissions, he was a persistent adversary of the British in their occupation of South Carolina in 1780 and 1781, even after the Continental Army was driven...
. In a 1988 interview he reflected on the series, stating, "That was a great experience, because the Disney people didn't do their shows like everyone else, knocking out an episode a week. We only had to do an episode a month, and the budgets were extremely high for TV at that time. We had location shooting rather than cheap studio backdrops, and very authentic costumes." Eight episodes were produced and aired between 1959 and 1961.
His television appearances include parts in Justice
Justice (1954 TV series)
Justice is an NBC half-hour drama television series about attorneys of the Legal Aid Society of New York, which aired from April 8, 1954 to March 25, 1956. In the 1954-1955 season, Justice starred Dane Clark as Richard Adams and Gary Merrill as Jason Tyler. In the 1955-1956 season, William Prince...
, Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
, The Virginian
The Virginian (TV series)
The Virginian is an American Western television series starring James Drury and Doug McClure, which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes. Filmed in color, The Virginian became television's first 90-minute western series...
, and The Wild Wild West
The Wild Wild West
The Wild Wild West is an American television series that ran on CBS for four seasons from September 17, 1965 to April 4, 1969....
. In 1961, he was the lead in a taut Los Angeles police drama called The New Breed
The New Breed (TV series)
The New Breed is an American crime drama series that aired on ABC from October 3, 1961 to June 5, 1962, with thirty-six episodes.-Synopsis:...
. In 1968, he had a major role in the pilot film for the popular police series Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,...
, and later appeared in one of the seventh season episodes. In 1969, he had the leading role as a police officer in The Bold Ones: The Protectors
The Bold Ones: The Protectors
The Bold Ones: The Protectors is an American crime drama series that aired on NBC from 1969 to 1970; it lasted for seven episodes ....
.
In 1972, Nielsen appeared as the ship's captain in the all-star disaster epic The Poseidon Adventure. He also starred in the William Girdler
William Girdler
William Girdler was an American filmmaker. In a span of seven years, from 1972 to 1978, he directed nine feature films in such genres as horror and action...
-directed 1977 action film Project: Kill. His last role before portraying mainly comedy roles was the Canadian disaster film City on Fire
City on Fire (1979 film)
City on Fire is a 1979 disaster film directed by Alvin Rakoff and featuring an “all-star cast,” as was the custom for that time. The film’s plot revolves around a disgruntled employee who sets fire to an oil refinery, setting off a blaze which engulfs an entire city. Various people try to either...
in which he played a corrupt mayor. In 1980, he guest starred as Sinclair on the CBS miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
The Chisholms
The Chisholms
The Chisholms is a CBS western miniseries starring Robert Preston, which aired thirteen episodes from March 29, 1979, to April 19, 1979, and from January 19, 1980, to March 15, 1980. The 1979 episodes showed the family moving from Virginia to Wyoming...
.
Airplane! and The Naked Gun
Nielsen's supporting role in 1980's Airplane!Airplane!
Airplane! is a 1980 American satirical comedy film directed and written by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker and released by Paramount Pictures...
was a major watershed in his career. The ethos of the movie, a parody of dramatic disaster films such as Zero Hour!
Zero Hour!
Zero Hour! is a 1957 movie whose screenplay was written by Arthur Hailey, starring Dana Andrews, Linda Darnell, and Sterling Hayden, and released by Paramount Pictures. Zero Hour! was an adaptation of Hailey's 1956 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation play Flight into Danger...
and Airport, is largely based on building a comedy around actors who were then known exclusively for their dramatic roles (other stars included Robert Stack
Robert Stack
Robert Stack was an American actor. In addition to acting in more than 40 films, he was the star of the 1959-1963 ABC television series The Untouchables and later served as the host of Unsolved Mysteries.-Early life:...
, Peter Graves
Peter Graves
Peter Graves may refer to:* Peter Graves , American actor* Peter Graves, 8th Baron Graves , English actor and peer* Peter Graves , English cricketer...
, and Lloyd Bridges
Lloyd Bridges
Lloyd Vernet Bridges, Jr. was an American actor who starred in a number of television series and appeared in more than 150 feature films. Bridges is best known for his role of Mike Nelson in Sea Hunt, the most-popular syndicated American TV series in 1958...
). Nielsen was the movie's linchpin, his deadpan delivery contrasting with the continual absurdity surrounding him. When asked, "Surely you can't be serious?", he responds with a curt, "I am serious. And don't call me Shirley." In several interviews he later reflected on the significance of the comedic line: "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?!'" Nielsen also stated that he was "...pleased and honoured that [he] had a chance to deliver that line." The comedic exchange was at #79 on the American Film Institute
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
's list of Top 100 movie quotes
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes
Part of the AFI 100 Years... series, AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes is a list of the top 100 movie quotations in American cinema. The American Film Institute revealed the list on June 21, 2005, in a three-hour television program on CBS...
. The American Film Institute also included the film in its list of the top ten comedy films of all time.
Jim Abrahams
Jim Abrahams is an American movie director and writer.Abrahams was born in Shorewood, Wisconsin, to a Jewish family, and attended Shorewood High School...
, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker
Jerry Zucker (film director)
Jerry Zucker is an American movie director known for his role in directing comedy spoof films, and the hit film Ghost....
, chose Nielsen for the role based on his ability to play "a fish in water", stating that "You could have cast funny people and done it with everybody winking, goofing off, and silly...we wanted people to be oblivious to the comedy." For Nielsen, Airplane! marked a shift from dramatic roles to a new focus on deadpan comedy
Deadpan
Deadpan is a form of comic delivery in which humor is presented without a change in emotion or body language, usually speaking in a casual, monotone, solemn, blunt, disgusted or matter-of-fact voice and expressing an unflappably calm, archly insincere or artificially grave demeanor...
. When it was suggested that his role in Airplane! was against type
Typecasting (acting)
In TV, film, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character; one or more particular roles; or, characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ethnic groups...
, Nielsen protested that he had "always been cast against type before," and that comedy was what he always really wanted to do.
The directors, interested in the success of the new comedy, decided to bring a similar style of comedy to television, casting Nielsen in the lead role in their new series, Police Squad!
Police Squad!
Police Squad! is a television comedy series first broadcast in 1982, created by Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker and starring Leslie Nielsen. A spoof of police procedurals, the series was packed with ZAZ's usual sight gags, wordplay and non sequiturs...
. The series introduced Nielsen as Frank Drebin, the stereotypical police officer modeled after serious characters in earlier police TV series.
Police Squads opening sequence was based on the 1950s cop show M Squad
M Squad
M Squad is an American police drama television series that ran from 1957 to 1960 on NBC. Its format would later inspire the creation of spoof TV show Police Squad! Its sponsor was the Pall Mall cigarette brand; Lee Marvin, the program's star, appeared in its commercials during the...
, (which starred Lee Marvin
Lee Marvin
Lee Marvin was an American film actor. Known for his gravelly voice, white hair and 6' 2" stature, Marvin at first did supporting roles, mostly villains, soldiers and other hardboiled characters, but after winning an Academy Award for Best Actor for his dual roles in Cat Ballou , he landed more...
), which opened with footage of a police car
Police car
A police car is a ground vehicle used by police, to assist with their duties in patrolling and responding to incidents. Typical uses of a police car include transportation for officers to reach the scene of an incident quickly, to transport criminal suspects, or to patrol an area, while providing a...
roving through an after-dark urban setting with a big band playing a jazz theme song in the background. The voice-over and the show's organization into "acts" with an epilogue was homage to Quinn Martin
Quinn Martin
Quinn Martin was one of the most successful American television producers. He had at least one television series running in prime time for 21 straight years , an industry record.-Early life:...
police dramas including The Fugitive
The Fugitive (TV series)
The Fugitive is an American drama series produced by QM Productions and United Artists Television that aired on ABC from 1963 to 1967. David Janssen stars as Richard Kimble, a doctor from the fictional town of Stafford, Indiana, who is falsely convicted of his wife's murder and given the death...
, The Streets of San Francisco
The Streets of San Francisco
The Streets of San Francisco is a 1970s television police drama filmed on location in San Francisco, California, and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros...
, Barnaby Jones
Barnaby Jones
Barnaby Jones is a television detective series starring Buddy Ebsen and Lee Meriwether as father- and daughter-in-law who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles. A spin-off from Cannon, the show ran on CBS from January 28, 1973 to April 3, 1980, beginning as a midseason replacement...
, The F.B.I., and Cannon
Cannon (TV series)
Cannon is a CBS detective television series produced by Quinn Martin which aired from March 26, 1971 to March 3, 1976.The primary protagonist was the title character, Frank Cannon, played by William Conrad....
. Much like in Airplane!, Nielsen portrayed a serious character whose one-liners appeared accidental next to the pratfalls and sight gags around him. Although the show was quickly canceled, lasting only six episodes after being juggled between time slots, Nielsen received an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor - Comedy Series
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series is an Emmy presented to the best performance by a lead actor in a television comedy series.-Winners and nominees:...
.
Non-comedic roles included Prom Night (1980) and Creepshow
Creepshow
Creepshow is a 1982 American horror anthology film directed by George A. Romero and written by Stephen King. The film's ensemble cast included Ted Danson, Leslie Nielsen, Hal Holbrook, E.G...
(1982), both horror films. His last dramatic role was as Allen Green, a violent john killed in self-defense by Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
's prostitute character, Claudia Draper, in Martin Ritt
Martin Ritt
Martin Ritt was an American director, actor, and playwright who worked in both film and theater. He was born in New York City.-Early career and influences:...
's courtroom drama Nuts
Nuts (film)
Nuts is a 1987 American drama film directed by Martin Ritt and starring Barbra Streisand and Richard Dreyfuss. The screenplay by Tom Topor, Darryl Ponicsan, and Alvin Sargent is based on Topor's 1979 play of the same title...
(1987).
Six years after the cancellation of Police Squad!, its directors decided to make a feature length version for theaters. Titled The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!. The film returned Nielsen to his role as Frank Drebin. It involved a comical scheme of a ruthless drug kingpin using hypnosis in an attempt to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
. Drebin, like the doctor in Airplane!, seemed unaware of the absurdity around him even when unintentionally contributing toward it. Nielsen later said in an interview that he had done many of his own stunts, "You have an idea of how you're going to do something, and it's your vision... unless you do it, it really doesn't stand a chance." This movie grossed over $78 million at the box office and was well-received by critics. Ebert's 3½–star review (out of four) noted, "You laugh, and then you laugh at yourself for laughing."
The Naked Gun
The Naked Gun
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! is a 1988 American comedy film that is the first in a The Naked Gun series of films starring Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy, and O. J. Simpson...
spawned two sequels: The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear
The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear
The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear is a 1991 comedy film starring Leslie Nielsen as the comically bumbling Police Lt. Frank Drebin of Police Squad!. Priscilla Presley plays the role of Jane, with O.J. Simpson as Nordberg and George Kennedy as police captain Ed Hocken...
(1991) and Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult (1994). Naked Gun 2½ grossed more than the original, with $86,930,400, while Naked Gun 33⅓ grossed $51,132,600 in receipts. Nielsen remained open to the prospects of acting in a fourth Naked Gun film, although he doubted that it would ever be produced—"I don't think so," he said in 2005. "If there hasn't been one by now, I doubt it. I think it would be wonderful."
Nielsen briefly appeared on the World Wrestling Federation program in the summer of 1994 on Monday Night RAW; capitalizing on his Frank Drebin character, Nielsen (and George Kennedy) were hired as "super-sleuths" to unravel the mystery of The Undertaker who had disappeared at January's Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (1994)
Royal Rumble was the seventh annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 22, 1994 at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The main event was the Royal Rumble match, a battle royal in which...
event. At SummerSlam 1994
SummerSlam (1994)
SummerSlam was the seventh annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on August 29, 1994 at the newly-opened United Center in Chicago, Illinois, which had opened eleven days earlier.The pay-per-view had two main events...
, in a Naked Gun parody, they were hot on the case (in fact, they were literally standing on a case). Although they did not actually find The Undertaker, the case had been closed (the literal case had been shut) and thus, they solved the mystery.
Later comedies
Nielsen attempted a variety of similar roles with none achieving the prominence of Frank Drebin. These films mostly emulated the style of The Naked GunThe Naked Gun
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! is a 1988 American comedy film that is the first in a The Naked Gun series of films starring Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy, and O. J. Simpson...
series with varying degrees of critical and commercial success: many were panned by critics and most performed poorly. In 1986, Nielsen played against recent type as a dramatic (and unsympathetic) character in the comedy, Soul Man
Soul Man (film)
Soul Man is a comedy film made in 1986 about a man who undergoes racial transformation with pills to qualify for a Black only scholarship at Harvard Law School. It stars C. Thomas Howell, Rae Dawn Chong, Arye Gross, James Earl Jones, Leslie Nielsen, James B...
. In 1990, Nielsen also appeared as a Frank Drebin-style character in a series of advertisements in the United Kingdom for Red Rock Cider
Red Rock Cider
Red Rock Cider was an alcoholic beverage produced by Taunton Cider and sold in the UK, during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Unusually, it is remembered most fondly for its advertisements, which had the strapline "It's not red, and there's no rocks in it"....
.
Although The Naked Gun series parodied police dramas in general, Nielsen's later parody films focused on specific targets. Critics panned Repossessed
Repossessed
Repossessed is a 1990 comedy film that spoofs the 1973 horror film The Exorcist. It was written and directed by Bob Logan. The film features the original star of The Exorcist, Linda Blair, as well as Leslie Nielsen and Anthony Starke...
(1990) and 2001: A Space Travesty
2001: A Space Travesty
2001: A Space Travesty is a 2000 American spoof comedy film starring actor Leslie Nielsen. The film has a few sequences parodying elements of 2001: A Space Odyssey, but is not focused on parodying Odyssey.-Plot:...
(2001), parodies of The Exorcist
The Exorcist (film)
The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
and 2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey (film)
2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, and co-written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, partially inspired by Clarke's short story The Sentinel...
, respectively. Both films attempted the absurdist comedy Nielsen is recognized for, but were poorly received. Even a leading role in a Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
comic horror parody, Dracula: Dead and Loving It
Dracula: Dead and Loving It
Dracula: Dead and Loving It is a 1995 comedy film starring Leslie Nielsen, directed by Mel Brooks. It is a parody of the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, and of some of the films it inspired....
, failed to generate much box office excitement, although it did gain somewhat of a following on its later release to video. Both 1996's Spy Hard
Spy Hard
Spy Hard is a 1996 American spy comedy film starring Leslie Nielsen and Nicollette Sheridan, parodying James Bond films and other action films. The introduction to the song is sung by comedy artist "Weird Al" Yankovic-Plot:...
and 1998's Wrongfully Accused
Wrongfully Accused
Wrongfully Accused is a 1998 comedy film starring Leslie Nielsen as a man who has been framed for murder and desperately attempts to expose the true culprits. The film was written, produced, and directed by Pat Proft and is a parody of the 1993 film The Fugitive.-Plot:World-famous violinist Ryan...
, a parody of James Bond films
James Bond (film series)
The James Bond film series is a British series of motion pictures based on the fictional character of MI6 agent James Bond , who originally appeared in a series of books by Ian Fleming. Earlier films were based on Fleming's novels and short stories, followed later by films with original storylines...
and The Fugitive
The Fugitive (1993 film)
The Fugitive is a 1993 American thriller film based on the television series of the same name. The film was directed by Andrew Davis and stars Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. The film was one of the few movies associated with a television series to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best...
, respectively, received more popularity on home video but were not well-received by critics.
His attempt at children's comedies met with additional criticism. Surf Ninjas
Surf Ninjas
Surf Ninjas is a 1993 American comedic family film involving martial arts, directed by Neal Israel and written by Dan Gordon. The film stars Ernie Reyes Jr., Rob Schneider, Nicolas Cowan, and Leslie Nielsen...
(1993) and Mr. Magoo
Mr. Magoo (film)
Mr. Magoo is a 1997 live-action comedy film based on the original cartoon of the same name. The film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures, and originally released to movie theaters in 1997. It starred Leslie Nielsen as the title character. It was produced by Ben Myron and was the first English...
(1997) faced scathing reviews. Several critics were disappointed that Nielsen's role in Surf Ninjas was only "an extended cameo" and film critic Chris Hicks recommended that viewers "...avoid any comedy that features Leslie Nielsen outside of the Naked Gun series." Jeff Miller of the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
panned Mr. Magoo, a live action remake of the 1950s cartoon
Mr. Magoo
Quincy Magoo is a cartoon character created at the UPA animation studio in 1949. Voiced by Jim Backus, Quincy Magoo is a wealthy, short-statured retiree who gets into a series of sticky situations as a result of his nearsightedness, compounded by his stubborn refusal to admit the problem...
, by saying, "I'm supposed to suggest how the film might be better but I can't think of anything to say other than to make the film again."
Nielsen's first major slapstick success since The Naked Gun
The Naked Gun
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! is a 1988 American comedy film that is the first in a The Naked Gun series of films starring Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy, and O. J. Simpson...
came in a supporting role in Scary Movie 3
Scary Movie 3
Scary Movie 3 is a 2003 American science fiction comedy film, which parodies the horror, sci-fi, and mystery genres, directed by David Zucker. It is the third film of the Scary Movie franchise, as well as the first to have no involvement from the Wayans family...
(2003). His appearance as President Harris proved popular enough for a second appearance in its sequel, Scary Movie 4
Scary Movie 4
Scary Movie 4 is the fourth film of the Scary Movie franchise, directed by David Zucker, written by Jim Abrahams, Craig Mazin and Pat Proft, and produced by Craig Mazin and Robert K. Weiss. It is distributed by The Weinstein Company via its Dimension Films unit in the U.S. and Television, and...
(2006). This became the first time Nielsen reprised a character since his appearances as Frank Drebin. In one scene, Nielsen appeared almost fully nude
Nudity
Nudity is the state of wearing no clothing. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic. The amount of clothing worn depends on functional considerations and social considerations...
, and one critic referred to the scene as putting "the 'scary' in Scary Movie 4."
Nielsen also hosted a series of instructional golf videos beginning with 1993's Bad Golf Made Easier
Bad Golf Made Easier
Bad Golf Made Easier is a 53-minute video by Leslie Nielsen. It is a parody of golf and other golf videos and books. It demonstrates many humorous bad golf swings, and a slogan found in it is: "I don't play golf to feel bad; I play bad golf to feel good!" In the video, many people hit the dirt out...
. The videos were not serious, instead combining absurdist comedy with golf techniques. The series were popular enough to spawn two additional sequels, Bad Golf My Way
Bad Golf My Way
Bad Golf My Way is a short movie by actor Leslie Nielsen. It is the sequel to his first golf video Bad Golf Made Easier....
(1994) and Stupid Little Golf Video
Stupid Little Golf Video
Stupid Little Golf Video is the third and last of the how-to-golf-badly trilogy...
(1997). Nielsen also co-wrote a fictional autobiography titled The Naked Truth. The book portrayed Nielsen as a popular actor with a long history of prestigious films.
Final years
Clarence Darrow
Clarence Seward Darrow was an American lawyer and leading member of the American Civil Liberties Union, best known for defending teenage thrill killers Leopold and Loeb in their trial for murdering 14-year-old Robert "Bobby" Franks and defending John T...
), as well as providing voice-overs and on-camera appearances for commercials; cartoons like Zeroman
Zeroman
Zeroman was a Canadian animated television series that aired on the Canadian cartoon network Teletoon and on Télétoon . It tells the adventures of incompetent sixty-six-year-old postman Les Mutton who also happens to be the superhero known as Zeroman...
where he had the leading role/voice; children's shows, such as Pumper Pups, which he narrated, in addition to comedic film roles. The sibling relationship with his elder brother, the Honourable
The Honourable
The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
Erik Nielsen
Erik Nielsen
Erik Hersholt Nielsen, PC, DFC, QC was a Canadian politician, and longtime Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament for Yukon....
, a former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
, served as the premise of an HBO mockumentary
Mockumentary
A mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
entitled The Canadian Conspiracy
The Canadian Conspiracy
The Canadian Conspiracy is a 1985 HBO/CBC mockumentary, co-written and directed by Robert Boyd, about the way the Canadian government is subverting the United States by taking over its entertainment industry...
in which Leslie Nielsen appeared, along with other prominent Canadian-born media personalities. He was a celebrity contestant on CBS's Gameshow Marathon, where he played The Price is Right
The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right is a television game show franchise originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, and created by Bob Stewart, and is currently produced and owned by FremantleMedia. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also includes merchandise such as video games, printed...
, Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal is a television game show which originated in the United States and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The show is based around deals offered to members of the audience by the host. The traders usually have to weigh the possibility of an offer being...
, Beat the Clock
Beat the Clock
Beat the Clock is a Goodson-Todman game show which has aired on American television in several versions since 1950.The original show, hosted by Bud Collyer, ran on CBS from 1950–1958 and ABC from 1958–1961. The show was revived in syndication as The New Beat the Clock from 1969–1974, with Jack Narz...
, and Press Your Luck
Press Your Luck
Press Your Luck is an American television daytime game show created by Bill Carruthers and Jan McCormack. It premiered on September 19, 1983 on CBS and ended on September 26, 1986. In the show, contestants collected "spins" by answering trivia questions and then used the spins on an 18-space game...
for charity.
Beginning in February 2007, Nielsen began playing a small role as a doctor in the humorous yet educational television show Doctor*Ology. The show chronicles real-life medical techniques and technology, and airs on the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
. In an interview, Nielsen admitted his admiration for the doctors on the show: "There are any number of things that you think about when you ponder if you hadn't been an actor, what would you be, and I've always said I'd like to be an astronaut or a doctor. I have such admiration for doctors. I just don't know how you go around to thank them enough for coming up with the world's most remarkable new discoveries."
In 2007, Nielsen starred in the drama Music Within
Music Within
Music Within is a 2007 drama film starring Ron Livingston, Melissa George and Michael Sheen.-Plot synopsis:The true story of Richard Pimentel, a brilliant public speaker with a troubled past. As a young man, Pimentel realized he had a remarkable gift for public speaking. Pimentel's idol is College...
. In 2008, he portrayed a version of Uncle Ben for Superhero Movie
Superhero Movie
Superhero Movie is a 2008 American spoof film written and directed by Craig Mazin, produced by David Zucker and Robert K. Weiss, and starring Drake Bell, Sara Paxton, Christopher McDonald, and Leslie Nielsen...
, a spoof of superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
films. He then appeared in the 2008 parody film An American Carol
An American Carol
An American Carol is a 2008 American comedy film directed by David Zucker and starring Kevin Farley. In some other countries the film is known as Big Fat Important Movie...
, which David Zucker directed, produced, and co-wrote. He appeared in the 2009 parody Stan Helsing
Stan Helsing
Stan Helsing is a 2009 parody film, known in some parts of Asia as Scary Movie 5. Not unlike past movies, such as Scary Movie, it directs parodies at horror films...
. Nielsen portrayed the Doctor in the Spanish horror comedy Spanish Movie, a spoof comedy like Scary Movie
Scary Movie
Scary Movie is a 2000 comedy-parody film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans, as part of Warner Bros. Entertainment. It is an American dark comedy which heavily parodies the horror, slasher, and mystery genres...
, but making fun of popular Spanish films.
Nielsen appeared in over 100 films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying over 220 characters.
Personal life
Nielsen married four times: Monica BoyarMonica Boyar
Monica Boyar is a Dominican nightclub club singer who was popular in the 1940s and 1950s.-Musical Influence:Boyar became a United States citizen after residing in the country from the age of six. She is a dedicated student of the folk music of all countries.She was called the satin Latin song...
(1950–1956), Alisande Ullman (1958–1973), Brooks Oliver (1981–1983) and Barbaree Earl (2001–2010; his death). Nielsen had two daughters from his second marriage, Maura and Thea Nielsen.
Nielsen was a fan of golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, and he often played it in his free time. Nielsen joked about his view on golf, "I have no goals or ambition. I do, however, wish to work enough to maintain whatever celebrity status I have so that they will continue to invite me to golf tournaments." Nielsen's interest in the sport led him to star in several comedic instructional films.
Nielsen stated in several interviews that he had a few medical problems such as hearing impairment
Hearing impairment
-Definition:Deafness is the inability for the ear to interpret certain or all frequencies of sound.-Environmental Situations:Deafness can be caused by environmental situations such as noise, trauma, or other ear defections...
. He was legally deaf and wore hearing aids for most of his life. Because of this impairment, he publicly supported the Better Hearing Institute.
Death
In November 2010, Nielsen was admitted to a Fort Lauderdale, Florida hospital for treatment of pneumoniaPneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
. On 28 November, Doug Nielsen, Nielsen's nephew, announced to the CJOB radio station that Nielsen had died in his sleep, due to complications from pneumonia, around 5:30 pm EST, surrounded by family and friends. He was interred in Fort Lauderdale's Evergreen Cemetery. As a final bit of humor, Nielsen chose "Let 'er Rip" as his epitaph.
Achievements
Among his numerous awards, in 1995 Leslie Nielsen received UCLAUniversity of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
's Jack Benny Award for his comedic roles. In 1988, he became the 1,884th personality to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 6541 Hollywood Blvd. In 2001 he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame , located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of successful Canadians...
. The following year he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, although he was also a naturalized U.S. citizen. With his American status, he maintained his Canadian heritage: "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 caring and helping." On 19 May 2005, during the centennial gala of his birth province, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Leslie Nielsen was introduced to HM Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
.
On 20 February 2002, Nielsen was named an honorary citizen of West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
and an "Ambassador of Mountain State Goodwill". Nielsen visited the state many times to speak and visit friends. In 2003, in honor of Nielsen, Grant MacEwan College
Grant MacEwan College
Grant MacEwan University is a post-secondary educational institution located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1971 as "Grant MacEwan Community College,” the institution got its start by offering primarily one and two-year certificate and diploma programs. In 1988 it received approval to...
named its school of communications after him. Also in 2003, the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
ACTRA
The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists is a Canadian labour union representing performers in English-language media. It has 22,000 members working in film, television, radio, and all other recorded media....
awarded him the ACTRA Award of Excellence.
Films
| Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | The Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg (1955 film) The Battle of Gettysburg is a 1955 American documentary film about the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards.... |
Narrator | |
| 1956 | Ransom! Ransom! Ransom! is a 1956 crime drama examining the reactions of parents, police, and the public to a kidnapping. Written by Richard Maibaum and Cyril Hume, the film was based on a popular episode of "The United States Steel Hour" titled "Fearful Decision," which aired in 1954... |
Charlie Telfer | Film debut, as an actor |
| Forbidden Planet Forbidden Planet Forbidden Planet is a 1956 science fiction film directed by Fred M. Wilcox, with a screenplay by Cyril Hume. It stars Leslie Nielsen, Walter Pidgeon, and Anne Francis. The characters and its setting have been compared to those in William Shakespeare's The Tempest, and its plot contains certain... |
Commander John J. Adams | ||
| The Vagabond King The Vagabond King (1956 film) The Vagabond King is a 1956 musical film remake of the 1925 operetta The Vagabond King by Rudolf Friml. It starred Kathryn Grayson and Oreste Kirkop , with early roles for Rita Moreno and Leslie Nielsen. Sir Cedric Hardwicke played a notable supporting role. It was Walter Hampden's last movie.... |
Thibault | ||
| The Opposite Sex The Opposite Sex The Opposite Sex is a 1956 musical film.It is a remake of the 1939 classic comedy The Women. Both films are based on Claire Boothe Luce's original play... |
Steve Hilliard | ||
| 1957 | Hot Summer Night Hot Summer Night (1957 film) Hot Summer Night is a 1957 MGM crime film starring Leslie Nielsen, Colleen Miller, and Edward Andrews. While on his honeymoon, a reporter goes to dangerous lengths to interview a notorious bank robber.-Cast:*Leslie Nielsen as William Joel Partain... |
William Joel Partain | |
| Tammy and the Bachelor Tammy and the Bachelor Tammy and the Bachelor is a 1957 romantic comedy film and is the first of the four Tammy films. It stars Debbie Reynolds as Tambrey "Tammy" Tyree, Walter Brennan as Grandpa Dinwitty and Leslie Nielsen as Peter Brent... |
Peter Brent | ||
| 1958 | The Sheepman The Sheepman The Sheepman is a tongue-in-cheek 1958 Western film directed by George Marshall and starring Glenn Ford, Shirley MacLaine and Leslie Nielsen.-Plot:... |
Col. Stephen Bedford / Johnny Bledsoe | |
| 1960 | Route 66 (TV Series) Route 66 (TV series) Route 66 is an American TV series in which two young men traveled across America. The show ran weekly on CBS from 1960 to 1964. It starred Martin Milner as Tod Stiles and, for two and a half seasons, George Maharis as Buz Murdock. Maharis was ill for much of the third season, during which time Tod... |
||
| 1964 | See How They Run | Elliot Green | First television movie. |
| Night Train to Paris Night Train To Paris Night Train to Paris is a 1964 British spy film starring Leslie Nielsen, Aliza Gur and Dorinda Stevens.-Plot:Former OSS officer Alan Holiday is visited by Catherine Carrel on New Year's Eve, Carrel says she's a close friend of Jules Lemoine also a former OSS officer who served with Holiday... |
Alan Holiday | ||
| 1965 | Dark Intruder Dark Intruder Dark Intruder is a 1965 television movie that was released theatrically. It is a horror film starring Leslie Nielsen, Mark Richman and Judi Meredith set in San Francisco in 1890 concerning playboy sleuth Brett Kingsford... |
Brett Kingsford | |
| Harlow | Richard Manley | ||
| 1966 | The Plainsman The Plainsman (1966 film) The Plainsman is a Technicolor remake of the 1936 Cecil B. DeMille film of the same name. It stars Don Murray as Wild Bill Hickock, Guy Stockwell as Buffalo Bill Cody and Abby Dalton as Calamity Jane-Cast:*Don Murray as Wild Bill Hickok... |
Col. George Armstrong Custer George Armstrong Custer George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858, where he graduated last in his class... |
|
| Beau Geste Beau Geste (1966 film) Beau Geste is a 1966 film based on the novel by P. C. Wren filmed by Universal Pictures in Technicolor and Techniscope near Yuma, Arizona and directed by Douglas Heyes. This is the least faithful of the various film adaptations of the original novel... |
Lieutenant De Ruse | ||
| 1967 | Code Name: Heraclitus Code Name: Heraclitus Code Name: Heraclitus is a 1967 American thriller film starring Stanley Baker and Leslie Nielsen.-Plot:Stanley Baker stars as a British spy who investigates the past of Lydia Constantine , the widow of secret agent Constantine . Lydia is suspected of selling cold war secrets to the Communists... |
Fryer | |
| The Reluctant Astronaut The Reluctant Astronaut The Reluctant Astronaut is a Universal Pictures feature film starring Don Knotts in a story about a kiddie-ride operator who is hired as a janitor at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston and is eventually sent into space. The film was produced and directed by Edward J... |
Major Fred Gifford | ||
| Gunfight in Abilene Gunfight In Abilene Gunfight in Abilene is a 1967 western film. It is the second film based on the short story "Gun Shy" by Clarence Upson Young.-Plot:Cal Wayne accidentally kills a fellow Confederate soldier during the Civil War... |
Grant Evers | ||
| Rosie! | Cabot Shaw | ||
| 1968 | How to Steal the World How to Steal the World How To Steal the World is a 1968 adventure/action film based on the series The Man from U.N.C.L.E., with Robert Vaughn and David McCallum reprising their roles as secret agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin. It also stars Barry Sullivan and Eleanor Parker.It was originally telecast as the final... |
General Maximilian Harmon | The Man From U.N.C.L.E. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is an American television series that was broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1964, to January 15, 1968. It follows the exploits of two secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a fictitious secret international espionage and law-enforcement... film. |
| Counterpoint Counterpoint (1968 film) Counterpoint is an 1968 epic war film starring Charlton Heston, Maximilian Schell, and Leslie Nielsen. It is based on the novel The General by Alan Sillitoe.-Plot:... |
Victor Rice | ||
| Dayton's Devils Dayton's Devils Dayton's Devils is a 1968 crime film starring Rory Calhoun, Leslie Nielsen and Lainie Kazan. It was Rigg Kennedy's first film. M*A*S*H star Mike Farrell made a cameo appearance.-Plot:... |
Frank Dayton | ||
| Companions in Nightmare Companions in Nightmare Companions in Nightmare is a 1968 crime-drama film. it had early roles for Louis Gossett Jr. and Bettye Ackerman it also starred Gig Young, Melvyn Douglas, Patrick O'Neal and Leslie Nielsen-Plot:... |
Dr. Neesden | ||
| 1969 | Trial Run Trial Run Trial Run is a 1969 TV series following a young lawyer, his adoring secretary, and his employer, a famed lawyer. This show was released January 18, 1969.-Cast:*James Franciscus as Louis Coleman*Janice Rule as Lucille Harkness... |
Jason Harkness | |
| Deadlock | Lieutenant Sam Danforth | ||
| How to Commit Marriage How to Commit Marriage How to Commit Marriage is a 1969 comedy film directed by Norman Panama, featuring Bob Hope and Jackie Gleason in their only movie together. The film also stars Jane Wyman as Hope's wife, Tina Louise as record-producer Gleason's love interest, Leslie Nielsen as the straight man, and Irwin Corey as... |
Phil Fletcher | ||
| Change of Mind Change of Mind Change of Mind is a science fiction/drama film starring Raymond St. Jacques, Susan Oliver, Janet MacLachlan, and Leslie Nielsen.-Plot:A married couple struggles to adjust when the husband's brain is transplanted into the skull of a black man.... |
Sherrif Webb | ||
| 1970 | Night Slaves Night Slaves Night Slaves is a 1970 American television science fiction-horror film directed by Ted Post.-Plot:Clay and Marjorie, an estranged married couple, take a vacation together while Clay recuperates from a serious auto accident... |
Sherrif Henshaw | |
| The Aquarians The Aquarians The Aquarians is a 1970 American television action film directed by Don McDougall. It stars Ricardo Montalban, José Ferrer and Leslie Nielsen.... |
Official | ||
| Hauser's Memory Hauser's Memory Hauser's Memory was a 1970 science fiction television movie that was directed by Boris Sagal and starred Susan Strasberg, David McCallum, Lilli Palmer, Robert Webber and Leslie Nielsen... |
Joseph Slaughter | ||
| 1971 | Incident In San Francisco Incident In San Francisco Incident In San Francisco is a 1971 American thriller film directed by Don Medford. It stars Richard Kiley, Leslie Nielsen and Dean Jagger.... |
Lieutenant Brubaker | |
| Four Rode Out Four Rode Out Four Rode Out is a 1971 Spanish/American adventure/western film starring Sue Lyon and Leslie Nielsen.-Plot:In this western, a Mexican desperado tries to flee his partner, a determined girlfriend, and a US Marshal.-Cast:*Sue Lyon : Myra Polsen... |
Mr. Brown | ||
| They Call It Murder They Call It Murder They Call It Murder is a 1971 American television film directed by Walter Grauman.-Cast:*Jim Hutton ... Doug Selby, D.A.*Lloyd Bochner ... A.B. Carr*Jo Ann Pflug ... Sylvia Martin*Robert J. Wilke ... Sheriff Rex Brandon... |
Frank Antrim | ||
| 1972 | The Poseidon Adventure | Captain Harrison | |
| 1973 | ...And Millions Die! ...And Millions Die! ...And Millions Die! is a 1973 American television film shot in Hong Kong directed by Leslie H. Martinson. The film is about a Nazi war criminal named Franz Kessler , a wealthy germ warfare living in Hong Kong who deals with terrorists.... |
Jack Gallagher | |
| Snatched Snatched Snatched is a 1973 American TV crime film directed by Sutton Roley. It stars Howard Duff, John Saxon, Barbara Parkins, Robert Reed and Leslie Nielsen.-Plot:... |
Bill Sutting | ||
| Amanda Fallon Amanda Fallon Amanda Fallon is a 1973 American TV drama film directed by Jack Laird.-Cast:*Jane Wyman ... Dr. Amanda Fallon*Laurie Prange ... Joyce Cummings*Kathleen Nolan ... Carol Steadman*Leslie Nielsen ... Mr. Cummings*Pat O'Brien ... Emory... |
Mr. Cummings | ||
| The Return Of Charlie Chan The Return of Charlie Chan The Return Of Charlie Chan is a 1973 American film. It stars Ross Martin.-Summary:Charlie Chan investigates a murder case aboard the yacht of a wealthy Greek shipping tycoon.... |
Alexander Hadrachi | ||
| 1975 | Can Ellen Be Saved Can Ellen Be Saved Can Ellen Be Saved is a 1974 American film. It stars Leslie Nielsen.... |
Arnold Lindsey | |
| Threshold: The Blue Angels Experience Threshold: The Blue Angels Experience Threshold: The Blue Angels Experience is a 1975 American film. It features Leslie Nielsen as the narrator.... |
Narrator | ||
| 1976 | Grand Jury | John Williams | |
| Project Kill Project Kill Project: Kill is a 1976 action film directed by William Girdler and starring Leslie Nielsen before he began doing comedies. In the film, Nielsen plays John Trevor, a military agent who escapes from a secret government base where he had been the subject of various mind-control experiments... |
Jonathan Trevor | ||
| Brinks: The Great Robbery Brinks: The Great Robbery Brinks: The Great Robbery is a 1976 American film. It stars Leslie Nielsen.... |
Agent Norman Houston | ||
| 1977 | Sixth and Main Sixth and Main Sixth and Main is a 1977 American drama film. It stars Leslie Nielsen.... |
John Doe John Doe The name "John Doe" is used as a placeholder name in a legal action, case or discussion for a male party, whose true identity is unknown or must be withheld for legal reasons. The name is also used to refer to a male corpse or hospital patient whose identity is unknown... |
|
| Day of the Animals Day of the Animals The Day of the Animals is a 1977 American horror film thriller directed by William Girdler and based on a story written by Edward L. Montoro... |
Paul Jenson | ||
| Viva Knievel! Viva Knievel! As it happens, Evel does crash while attempting the stunt, and though badly injured, survives. He berates Morgan, announces his retirement, and is taken to the hospital.... |
Stanley Millard | ||
| The Kentucky Fried Movie The Kentucky Fried Movie The Kentucky Fried Movie is an American comedy film, released in 1977 and directed by John Landis. The film's writers were the team of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker. This same team would go on to write and direct Airplane!, Top Secret! and the Police Squad! television series and its... |
Man in Feel-O-Rama Movie | Uncredited cameo; Feel-O-Rama segment. | |
| The Amsterdam Kill The Amsterdam Kill The Amsterdam Kill is a 1977 film directed by Robert Clouse. It stars Robert Mitchum and Richard Egan.-Cast:*Robert Mitchum as Quinlan*Richard Egan as Ridgeway*Leslie Nielsen as Riley Knight*Bradford Dillman as Odums*Keye Luke as Chung Wei*Mars... |
Riley Knight | ||
| 1978 | Little Mo | Nelson Fisher | |
| 1979 | Institute for Revenge Institute for Revenge Institute for Revenge is a 1979 American film. It stars Leslie Nielsen.... |
Counselor Hollis Barnes | |
| The Albertans The Albertans The Albertans is a 1979 American drama film. It stars Leslie Nielsen.... |
Don MacIntosh | ||
| Riel | Major Crozier | ||
| City on Fire City on Fire (1979 film) City on Fire is a 1979 disaster film directed by Alvin Rakoff and featuring an “all-star cast,” as was the custom for that time. The film’s plot revolves around a disgruntled employee who sets fire to an oil refinery, setting off a blaze which engulfs an entire city. Various people try to either... |
Mayor William Dudley | ||
| 1980 | OHMS OHMS (1980 film) OHMS is a 1980 American film. It stars Leslie Nielsen.... |
Governor | |
| Airplane! Airplane! Airplane! is a 1980 American satirical comedy film directed and written by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker and released by Paramount Pictures... |
Dr. Rumack | First comedy role. | |
| Prom Night | Mr. Raymond Hammond | ||
| 1981 | A Choice of Two | Unknown | |
| 1982 | Twilight Theater Twilight Theater (film) Twilight Theater was a short lived 1982 American comedy show created by Steve Martin.... |
Various Characters | |
| Foxfire Light Foxfire Light Foxfire Light is a 1982 American film. It stars Leslie Nielsen and Tippi Hedren. It is based on a romance novel by Janet Dailey.... |
Reece Morgan | ||
| Wrong Is Right Wrong Is Right Wrong Is Right is a black comedy thriller about the theft of two suitcase nukes, featuring the plot conventions of media bias, reality television, government conspiracy, and Islamic terrorism... |
Mallory | ||
| Creepshow Creepshow Creepshow is a 1982 American horror anthology film directed by George A. Romero and written by Stephen King. The film's ensemble cast included Ted Danson, Leslie Nielsen, Hal Holbrook, E.G... |
Richard Vickers | Something To Tide You Over segment. | |
| 1983 | Prime Time | Unknown | |
| The Night the Bridge Fell Down The Night the Bridge Fell Down The Night the Bridge Fell Down is an American action film starring James MacArthur, Desi Arnaz Jr., and Leslie Nielsen. The movie was produced by Irwin Allen in 1979 in association with Warner Bros... |
Paul Warren | ||
| Cave-In! | Joseph 'Joe' Johnson | ||
| The Creature Wasn't Nice The Creature Wasn't Nice The Creature Wasn't Nice is a 1983 U.S. motion picture written and directed by Bruce Kimmel. The movie is a comedy farce satirizing extraterrestrial horror movies such as Alien. It stars Leslie Nielsen in a role similar to those in the farical comedies Airplane and Naked Gun... (Spaceship) |
Capt. Jamieson | ||
| 1985 | Murder Among Friends Murder Among Friends Murder Among Friends is a 1985 American film. It stars Leslie Nielsen.... |
Unknown | |
| Reckless Disregard Reckless Disregard Reckless Disregard is a 1985 American film. It stars Leslie Nielsen.... |
Bob Franklin | ||
| Blade in Hong Kong | Harry Ingersoll | ||
| Striker's Mountain Striker's Mountain Strikers Mountain is a 1987 Canadian action drama film starring Leslie Nielsen, August Schellenberg, and Mimi Kuzyk. It was nominated for two Gemini Awards, the biggest part of the film was filmed near Jasper and Alberta.-Plot:... |
Jim McKay | ||
| 1986 | The Patriot The Patriot (1986 film) The Patriot is a 1986 action film directed by Frank Harris and starring Gregg Henry and Simone Griffeth with Leslie Nielsen.-Plot summary:Agent tries to track down terrorists who are intercepting government nuclear weapons.-Cast:... |
Admiral Frazer | |
| Soul Man Soul Man (film) Soul Man is a comedy film made in 1986 about a man who undergoes racial transformation with pills to qualify for a Black only scholarship at Harvard Law School. It stars C. Thomas Howell, Rae Dawn Chong, Arye Gross, James Earl Jones, Leslie Nielsen, James B... |
Mr. Dunbar | ||
| 1987 | Nightstick | Thad Evans | |
| Nuts Nuts (film) Nuts is a 1987 American drama film directed by Martin Ritt and starring Barbra Streisand and Richard Dreyfuss. The screenplay by Tom Topor, Darryl Ponicsan, and Alvin Sargent is based on Topor's 1979 play of the same title... |
Allen Green | Final non-comedy role. | |
| Home Is Where The Hart Is Home Is Where the Hart Is Home Is Where The Hart Is is a 1987 American film. It stars Leslie Nielsen, Eric Christmas, and Martin Mull.... |
Sherrif Nashville Schwartz | ||
| 1988 | Dangerous Curves | Greg Krevske | |
| The Railway Dragon The Railway Dragon The Railway Dragon is a 1989 American television animated film. Leslie Nielsen featured as the narrator.-Plot:A little girl named Emily knows that there's something special in the railway tunnel close to her home. One day she decides to see for herself... |
Narrator | First animated film. | |
| The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! | Lt. Frank Drebin | First starring role. | |
| 1990 | Repossessed | Father Jebedaiah Mayii | |
| 1991 | All I Want for Christmas All I Want for Christmas (film) All I Want for Christmas is a 1991 American comedy movie that stars Lauren Bacall, Thora Birch and Ethan Randall. It was directed by Robert Lieberman. Music by Bruce Broughton including a theme setting song by Stephen Bishop. The movie is rated G in the USA.-Plot:Two New York children know what... |
Santa Claus Santa Claus Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus... |
Family holiday film. |
| The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear is a 1991 comedy film starring Leslie Nielsen as the comically bumbling Police Lt. Frank Drebin of Police Squad!. Priscilla Presley plays the role of Jane, with O.J. Simpson as Nordberg and George Kennedy as police captain Ed Hocken... |
Lt. Frank Drebin | ||
| Chance of a Lifetime Chance of a Lifetime (1991 film) Chance of a Lifetime is a 1991 television film. It stars Betty White, Leslie Nielsen, and Ed Begley, Jr..Since the death of her husband 10 years ago, Evelyn has been working hard for her company, but had no private life. Now her doctor shocks her with the news that she may live only another 6... |
Lloyd Dixon | ||
| 1993 | Digger | Arthur Evrensel | |
| Surf Ninjas Surf Ninjas Surf Ninjas is a 1993 American comedic family film involving martial arts, directed by Neal Israel and written by Dan Gordon. The film stars Ernie Reyes Jr., Rob Schneider, Nicolas Cowan, and Leslie Nielsen... |
Colonel Chi | ||
| 1994 | S.P.Q.R. 2000 e 1/2 anni fa | Lucio Cinico | |
| Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult | Lt. Frank Drebin | ||
| 1995 | Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree is a television Christmas special that first aired in 1995. The special stars Robert Downey, Jr., Leslie Nielsen, and Stockard Channing. It also features Kermit the Frog as a narrator and various other Muppets created exclusively for the special.The special was based... |
Willowby's butler | |
| Rent-a-Kid Rent-a-Kid Rent-a-Kid is a 1995 American comedy film. It stars Leslie Nielsen, Christopher Lloyd, and Matt McCoy.-Plot:Cliff Haber runs an orphanage, and decides to go on a vacation. He has his father, Harry Haber, run the orphanage while he is away... |
Harry Haber | ||
| Dracula: Dead and Loving It Dracula: Dead and Loving It Dracula: Dead and Loving It is a 1995 comedy film starring Leslie Nielsen, directed by Mel Brooks. It is a parody of the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, and of some of the films it inspired.... |
Count Dracula Count Dracula Count Dracula is a fictional character, the titular antagonist of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula and archetypal vampire. Some aspects of his character have been inspired by the 15th century Romanian general and Wallachian Prince Vlad III the Impaler... |
||
| 1996 | Spy Hard Spy Hard Spy Hard is a 1996 American spy comedy film starring Leslie Nielsen and Nicollette Sheridan, parodying James Bond films and other action films. The introduction to the song is sung by comedy artist "Weird Al" Yankovic-Plot:... |
Dick Steele, Agent WD-40 | |
| 1997 | Mr. Magoo Mr. Magoo (film) Mr. Magoo is a 1997 live-action comedy film based on the original cartoon of the same name. The film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures, and originally released to movie theaters in 1997. It starred Leslie Nielsen as the title character. It was produced by Ben Myron and was the first English... |
Mr. Magoo | |
| 1998 | Safety Patrol Safety Patrol (film) Safety Patrol is a 1998 direct-to-TV Disney film that covers the exploits of Scout Bozell, a middle school student aspiring to become a member of the school's safety patrol . The film, originally, aired on ABC and was aired, repeatedly, on the Disney Channel in 1999... |
Mr. Penn | |
| Family Plan Family Plan (1997 film) Family Plan is a 1997 American comedy film directed by Fred Gerber. It stars Leslie Nielsen, Judge Reinhold, and Eddie Bowz.-Cast:*Leslie Nielsen as Harry Haber*Judge Reinhold as Jeffrey Chase*Eddie Bowz as Matt Nolan*Emily Procter as Julie Rubins... |
Harry Haber | ||
| Harvey | Dr. Chumley | ||
| Wrongfully Accused Wrongfully Accused Wrongfully Accused is a 1998 comedy film starring Leslie Nielsen as a man who has been framed for murder and desperately attempts to expose the true culprits. The film was written, produced, and directed by Pat Proft and is a parody of the 1993 film The Fugitive.-Plot:World-famous violinist Ryan... |
Ryan Harrison | ||
| 1999 | Pirates 4D Pirates 4D Pirates 4-D is a 3-D short film produced exclusively for theme park usage. The "attraction" is located at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida, the Luxor casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, Phantasialand in Brühl, Germany, SeaWorld San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas and formerly, Busch Gardens Europe... |
Captain Lucky | 4D Cinema Show presented at various Busch Gardens Busch Gardens Busch Gardens is the name of two amusement parks in the United States, owned and operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a division of Blackstone Group. One of the parks is in Williamsburg, Virginia, and the other is in Tampa, Florida... amusement parks. |
| 2000 | Santa Who? Santa Who? Santa Who? is a TV movie first shown in 2000 on ABC, starring Leslie Nielsen, and directed by William Dear. The plot centers on Santa Claus developing a case of amnesia right before Christmas... |
Santa Claus Santa Claus Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus... |
|
| 2001: A Space Travesty 2001: A Space Travesty 2001: A Space Travesty is a 2000 American spoof comedy film starring actor Leslie Nielsen. The film has a few sequences parodying elements of 2001: A Space Odyssey, but is not focused on parodying Odyssey.-Plot:... |
Marshal Richard 'Dick' Dix | ||
| 2001 | Camouflage | Jack Potter | |
| Kevin of the North Kevin of the North Kevin of the North is a 2001 film about an Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The film, set in Alaska, stars Skeet Ulrich as Kevin Manley, a man whose grandfather has passed on and now must participate in the state's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in order to prove he's worthy enough for his... (Chilly Dogs) |
Clive Thornton | ||
| 2002 | Men with Brooms Men with Brooms Men with Brooms is a 2002 Canadian romantic comedy film, starring and directed by Paul Gross. Centred on the sport of curling, the offbeat comedy tells the story of a reunited curling team from a small Canadian town as they work through their respective life issues and struggle to win the... |
Gordon Cutter | |
| 2003 | Scary Movie 3 Scary Movie 3 Scary Movie 3 is a 2003 American science fiction comedy film, which parodies the horror, sci-fi, and mystery genres, directed by David Zucker. It is the third film of the Scary Movie franchise, as well as the first to have no involvement from the Wayans family... |
President Harris | |
| Noël Noël Noël Noël Noël Noël is a 22-minute animated short produced by the National Film Board of Canada in 2003 as a Christmas special. It was directed by Nicola Lemay and written by Martin Barry. The English-language version was adapted by John Weldon and narrated by Leslie Nielsen... |
English Narrator | ||
| 2006 | Scary Movie 4 Scary Movie 4 Scary Movie 4 is the fourth film of the Scary Movie franchise, directed by David Zucker, written by Jim Abrahams, Craig Mazin and Pat Proft, and produced by Craig Mazin and Robert K. Weiss. It is distributed by The Weinstein Company via its Dimension Films unit in the U.S. and Television, and... |
President Harris | |
| 2007 | Music Within Music Within Music Within is a 2007 drama film starring Ron Livingston, Melissa George and Michael Sheen.-Plot synopsis:The true story of Richard Pimentel, a brilliant public speaker with a troubled past. As a young man, Pimentel realized he had a remarkable gift for public speaking. Pimentel's idol is College... |
Bill Austin | |
| 2008 | Superhero Movie Superhero Movie Superhero Movie is a 2008 American spoof film written and directed by Craig Mazin, produced by David Zucker and Robert K. Weiss, and starring Drake Bell, Sara Paxton, Christopher McDonald, and Leslie Nielsen... |
Uncle Albert | |
| An American Carol An American Carol An American Carol is a 2008 American comedy film directed by David Zucker and starring Kevin Farley. In some other countries the film is known as Big Fat Important Movie... |
Grampa / Himself | ||
| Slap Shot 3: The Junior League Slap Shot 3: The Junior League Slap Shot 3: The Junior League is a 2008 sports film starring Greyston Holt and Lynda Boyd and directed by Richard Martin. The direct-to-video film is the sequel to the 2002 direct-to-video film Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice.... |
Mayor of Charlestown | ||
| 2009 | Spanish Movie Spanish Movie Spanish Movie is a 2009 Spanish parody film directed by Javier Ruiz Caldera and written by Paco Cabezas.The production makes spoofs of several successful Spanish horror/drama films in the box like Los Otros, El Orfanato, The Sea Inside, Alatriste, El laberinto del fauno, Abre los ojos, Los lunes al... |
Doctor | |
| Stan Helsing Stan Helsing Stan Helsing is a 2009 parody film, known in some parts of Asia as Scary Movie 5. Not unlike past movies, such as Scary Movie, it directs parodies at horror films... |
Kay | ||
| 2011 | Stonerville | Producer | |
| 2012 | The Waterman Movie The Waterman Movie The Waterman Movie is an upcoming flash animated comedy film based on the web series Waterman and is in a state of financial difficulty. The film was announced on March 16, 2007 via a blog which was posted on Waterman Studios' official site, stating that a film of the popular series Waterman would... |
Ready Espanosa | Voice acting is complete; will be released posthumously. |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Other Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Jukebox Jury Jukebox Jury Jukebox Jury was an hour-long television series hosted by disc jockey Peter Potter which aired in the 1953-54 season on the American Broadcasting Company. It was thereafter syndicated in 1959.... |
Himself | |
| 1958–1961 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents Alfred Hitchcock Presents Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades... |
Lloyd Ashley & DA Rudolph Cox | Two episodes |
| 1959 | The Swamp Fox The Swamp Fox (TV series) The Swamp Fox is a television series produced by Walt Disney and starring Leslie Nielsen as American Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion.The theme song * was sung by Nielsen as well. One of the Swamp Fox's adversaries was Colonel Banastre Tarleton, played by John Sutton... |
Colonel Francis Marion | |
| 1960 | Thriller | Alan Patterson (lead role) | Episode "The Twisted Image" |
| 1960, 1964 | Wagon Train | Jeremy Dow, Brian Conlin | Two episodes |
| 1960 | The Untouchables The Untouchables (1959 TV series) The Untouchables is an American crime drama that ran from 1959 to 1963 on ABC. Based on the memoir of the same name by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley, it fictionalized the experiences of Eliot Ness, a real-life Prohibition agent, as he fought crime in Chicago during the 1930s with the help of a... |
Tom Sebring | Episode "Three Thousand Suspects" |
| 1961 | The New Breed The New Breed (TV series) The New Breed is an American crime drama series that aired on ABC from October 3, 1961 to June 5, 1962, with thirty-six episodes.-Synopsis:... |
Lt. Price Adams | Regular |
| 1963 | Channing Channing (TV series) Channing is an American drama series that aired on American Broadcasting Company from September 18, 1963 to April 8, 1964... |
Professor Paul Stafford | Single episode |
| 1963–1964 | The Fugitive (TV series) The Fugitive (TV series) The Fugitive is an American drama series produced by QM Productions and United Artists Television that aired on ABC from 1963 to 1967. David Janssen stars as Richard Kimble, a doctor from the fictional town of Stafford, Indiana, who is falsely convicted of his wife's murder and given the death... |
Martin C. Rowland & Harold Cheyney | Two episodes |
| 1964 | Your First Impression Your First Impression Your First Impression is a NBC daytime game show which aired from January 2, 1962, to June 26, 1964. A panel of three celebrities tried to guess the identity of mystery guests from clues supplied by the host. Bill Leyden was the MC of the program, with Dennis James as a regular panelist or... |
As himself | Single episode |
| 1964 | The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Steven Grainger | Single episode |
| 1964–1969 | The Virginian The Virginian (TV series) The Virginian is an American Western television series starring James Drury and Doug McClure, which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes. Filmed in color, The Virginian became television's first 90-minute western series... |
Ben Stratton | Five episodes |
| 1965 | Peyton Place Peyton Place (TV series) Peyton Place is an American prime-time soap opera which aired on ABC in half-hour episodes from September 15, 1964 to June 2, 1969.Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious, the series was preceded by a 1957 film adaptation. A total of 514 episodes were broadcast, in... |
Vincent and Kenneth Marham (twins) | 19 episodes |
| 1967 | Bonanza Bonanza Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the... |
Sheriff Paul Rowan | One episode |
| 1969 | The Bold Ones: The Protectors The Bold Ones: The Protectors The Bold Ones: The Protectors is an American crime drama series that aired on NBC from 1969 to 1970; it lasted for seven episodes .... |
Deputy Police Chief Sam Danforth | Seven episodes |
| 1969–1974 | Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,... |
Brent & Colonel Faraday | Two episodes |
| 1971–1975 | Columbo | Peter Hamilton & Geronimo | Two episodes |
| 1971 | Bearcats! | Col. Ted Donovan | Single episode |
| 1971 | Night Gallery Night Gallery Night Gallery is an American anthology series that aired on NBC from 1970 to 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, The Twilight Zone, served both as the on-air host of Night Gallery and as a major contributor of scripts, although... |
Col. Dennis Malloy | Single episode "A Question of Fear" |
| 1973 | M*A*S*H | Col. Buzz Brighton | Episode "The Ringbanger" |
| 1973–1974 | The Streets of San Francisco The Streets of San Francisco The Streets of San Francisco is a 1970s television police drama filmed on location in San Francisco, California, and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros... |
Ofc. Joe Landers, Insp. John T. Connor, & Big Jake Wilson | Three episodes |
| 1974 | Cannon Cannon (TV series) Cannon is a CBS detective television series produced by Quinn Martin which aired from March 26, 1971 to March 3, 1976.The primary protagonist was the title character, Frank Cannon, played by William Conrad.... |
Eric Strauss | Single episode |
| 1974 | Kojak Kojak Kojak is an American television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, bald New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak. It aired from October 24, 1973, to March 18, 1978, on CBS. It took the time slot of the popular Cannon series, which was moved one hour earlier... |
Michael Hagar | Single episode "Loser Takes All" |
| 1975 | Kung Fu Kung Fu (TV series) Kung Fu is an American television series that starred David Carradine. It was created by Ed Spielman, directed and produced by Jerry Thorpe, and developed by Herman Miller, who was also a writer for, and co-producer of, the series... |
Vincent Corbino | Four episodes |
| 1975–1976 | S.W.A.T. S.W.A.T. (TV series) ----S.W.A.T. is a 1970s American television series about the adventures of the WCPD's Olympic Division Special Weapons And Tactics team operating in an unidentified California city.... |
Larry Neal/Vince Richie | Three episodes |
| 1979 | Backstairs at the White House Backstairs at the White House (miniseries) Backstairs at the White House is a 1979 NBC television miniseries based on the book My Thirty Years Backstairs at the White House by Lillian Rogers Parks... |
Ike Hoover | Three episodes |
| 1980 | The Littlest Hobo The Littlest Hobo The Littlest Hobo is a Canadian television series based upon a 1958 American film of the same name directed by Charles R. Rondeau. The series first aired from 1963 to 1965 in syndication, and was revived for a popular second run on CTV from October 11, 1979 to March 7, 1985.All three productions... |
Mayor Chester Montgomery | Episode "Romiet and Julio" |
| 1982 | Police Squad! Police Squad! Police Squad! is a television comedy series first broadcast in 1982, created by Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker and starring Leslie Nielsen. A spoof of police procedurals, the series was packed with ZAZ's usual sight gags, wordplay and non sequiturs... |
Det. Frank Drebin | Nominated for an Emmy Award Emmy Award An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various... |
| 1984 | Shaping Up Shaping Up Shaping Up is a short-lived American sitcom created by writer-producers Sam Simon and Ken Estin, which ran for five weeks on ABC.-Synopsis:... |
Buddy Fox | |
| 1985–1986 | Murder, She Wrote Murder, She Wrote Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,... |
Captain Daniels & David Everett | Two episodes |
| 1988 | Who's The Boss | Max | |
| 1988 | Day By Day Day by Day (TV series) Day by Day is an American sitcom starring Douglas Sheehan, Linda Kelsey, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Courtney Thorne-Smith , and Thora Birch... |
Jack Harper | One episode, nominated for an Emmy Award Emmy Award An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various... |
| 1989 | Saturday Night Live Saturday Night Live Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture... |
Himself | Single episode |
| 1992 | The Golden Girls The Golden Girls The Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris, which originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida... |
Lucas Hollingsworth | Series finale |
| 1994–1999 | Due South Due South Due South is a Canadian crime drama series with elements of comedy. The series was created by Paul Haggis, produced by Alliance Communications, and stars Paul Gross, David Marciano, and latterly Callum Keith Rennie... |
Sgt. Buck Frobisher Buck Frobisher Sergeant Duncan "Buck" Frobisher is a character from the popular television series Due South. Portrayed by Leslie Nielsen,he appeared in the episodes: Manhunt, All The Queens's Horses, Call Of The Wild Pt. 1 and Pt. 2.... |
Four episodes |
| 1994–1996, 2001–2002 | Katie and Orbie Katie and Orbie Katie and Orbie is an animated television series aimed at preschoolers, originally broadcast in Canada in 1994 by Family Channel and later aired in the United States on PBS from 1995–1997 and on Disney Channel from 1997–2000. In Canada, the series still airs on Family and Disney Junior... |
Narrator | |
| 1995 | Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree is a television Christmas special that first aired in 1995. The special stars Robert Downey, Jr., Leslie Nielsen, and Stockard Channing. It also features Kermit the Frog as a narrator and various other Muppets created exclusively for the special.The special was based... |
Mr. Willowby's Butler, Baxter | Television Christmas special |
| 2000 | Santa Who? Santa Who? Santa Who? is a TV movie first shown in 2000 on ABC, starring Leslie Nielsen, and directed by William Dear. The plot centers on Santa Claus developing a case of amnesia right before Christmas... |
Santa Claus Santa Claus Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus... |
Television film |
| 2001 | Liocracy Liocracy Liocracy was a Canadian television comedy series, which aired on The Comedy Network in 2001 and 2002.The show, a spoof of biographical documentary series such as Biography or Life and Times, starred Leslie Nielsen as host Terrence Brynne McKennie... |
Terrence Brynne McKennie | |
| 2003 | Chilly Beach Chilly Beach Chilly Beach is a Canadian animated series, which airs on CBC Television in Canada and The Comedy Channel in Australia. The series is a comedic depiction of life in the fictional Canadian town of Chilly Beach, described by the producers as "a bunch of Canadians doing the stuff that Canadians do,... |
Santa Claus | Single episode |
| 2004 | Zeroman Zeroman Zeroman was a Canadian animated television series that aired on the Canadian cartoon network Teletoon and on Télétoon . It tells the adventures of incompetent sixty-six-year-old postman Les Mutton who also happens to be the superhero known as Zeroman... |
Les Mutton / Zeroman | |
| 2007 | Doctorology | Himself, Host Presenter A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show... |
|
| Lipshitz Saves the World Lipshitz Saves the World Lipshitz Saves the World is a comedy television pilot that was produced for NBC. The show was given the green light to shoot a pilot by NBC in July 2006. The show was not picked up for air... |
Lipshitz's mentor | Pilot | |
| Robson Arms Robson Arms Robson Arms is a Canadian television series that began airing on CTV on June 17, 2005 and ended on June 30, 2008. Robson Arms is a co-production between Vancouver-based Omni Film Productions Limited and Halifax's Creative Atlantic Communications.... |
Cado Vasco |
Video
- 1993: Bad Golf Made EasierBad Golf Made EasierBad Golf Made Easier is a 53-minute video by Leslie Nielsen. It is a parody of golf and other golf videos and books. It demonstrates many humorous bad golf swings, and a slogan found in it is: "I don't play golf to feel bad; I play bad golf to feel good!" In the video, many people hit the dirt out...
- 1994: Bad Golf My WayBad Golf My WayBad Golf My Way is a short movie by actor Leslie Nielsen. It is the sequel to his first golf video Bad Golf Made Easier....
- 1997: Stupid Little Golf VideoStupid Little Golf VideoStupid Little Golf Video is the third and last of the how-to-golf-badly trilogy...
- 1997: National Geographic Video: The Savage GardenNational Geographic Video: The Savage GardenThe Savage Garden was a 1997 educational video starring Leslie Nielsen and was distributed by National Geographic Video. The film explores biotic and abiotic life in a garden as well as the many organisms that live in them....
- Nielsen also appeared in a promotional video for Layman Allen's mathematics game called "Equations"
External links
- Leslie Nielsen at Box Office MojoBox Office MojoBox Office Mojo is a website that tracks box office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. Brandon Gray started the site in 1999. In 2002, Gray partnered with Sean Saulsbury and they grew the site to nearly two million readers when, in July 2008, the company was purchased by Amazon.com through...
- Leslie Nielsen at Hollywood.com
- CBC Digital Archives – Leslie and Erik Nielsen laugh it up
- Photographs and literature