Leslie Nielsen
Born: 1926-02-11 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Died: 2010-11-28
Known For: Acting
Biography
Leslie William Nielsen (February 11, 1926 – November 28, 2010) was a Canadian-American actor and comedian. Nielsen appeared in over one hundred films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying over 220 characters. Born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Nielsen enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and worked as a disc jockey before receiving a scholarship to Neighborhood Playhouse. Making his television debut in 1948, he quickly expanded to over 50 television appearances two years later. Nielsen made his film debut in 1956, and began collecting roles in dramas, westerns, and romance films. Nielsen's performances in the films Forbidden Planet (1956) and The Poseidon Adventure (1972) received positive reviews as a serious actor, though he is primarily known for his comedic roles. Although Nielsen's acting career crossed a variety of genres in both television and films, his deadpan delivery in Airplane! (1980) marked a turning point in his career, one that would make him, in the words of film critic Roger Ebert, "the Olivier of spoofs." Nielsen enjoyed further success with The Naked Gun film series (1988 – 1994), based on a short-lived television series Police Squad! in which he starred earlier. His portrayal of serious characters seemingly oblivious to (and complicit in) their absurd surroundings gave him a reputation as a comedian. In the final years of his career, Nielsen appeared in multiple spoof and parody films, many of which were met poorly by critics, but performed well in box office and home media releases. Nielsen married four times and had two daughters from his second marriage. He was recognized with a variety of awards throughout his career, and was inducted into the Canada and Hollywood Walks of Fame.
Filmography
2016
- O.J.: Made in America as Self (archive footage)
2013
- Mel Brooks: Make a Noise as Self (archive footage)
2011
- Stonerville as Producer
2009
- Stan Helsing as Kay
- Spanish Movie as Doctor Nielsen
2008
- Superhero Movie as Uncle Albert Adams
- An American Carol as Osama Bin Nielsen / Grandpa
- Slap Shot 3: The Junior League as Mayor of Charlestown
2007
- Family Guy Presents: Blue Harvest as Dr. Rumack (archive voice)
- Music Within as Bill Austin
- Lipshitz Saves the World as Himself
2006
- Scary Movie 4 as President Baxter Harris
- Gameshow Marathon
- Amazing! Exploring the Far Reaches of Forbidden Planet as Self
- Robby the Robot: Engineering a Sci-Fi Icon as Self
2005
- Robson Arms as Caldo Vasco
- Nos Bastidores de Hollywood as Self (archive footage)
- Tubridy Tonight
2004
- Zeroman as Zeroman (voice)
- The Nutcracker and the Mouseking as (Mouseking) (voice)
2003
- Scary Movie 3 as President Baxter Harris
- Odd Job Jack
- Chilly Beach as Santa (voice)
- Noël Noël as Narrator (english version)
2002
- Men with Brooms as Gordon Cutter
2001
- Camouflage as Jack Potter
- Chilly Dogs as Clive Thorton / Cab Driver
- Liocracy
- Liography as Terrence Brynne McKennie
2000
- 2001: A Space Travesty as Richard 'Dick' Dix
- Santa Who? as Santa Claus
1999
- Family Guy as Dr. Rumack (archive footage)
- The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn as Self
- Harvey as Dr. Chumley
1998
- Wrongfully Accused as Ryan Harrison
- Safety Patrol! as Mr. Penn
1997
- The Wonderful World of Disney as Mr. Penn
- Mr. Magoo as Mr. Quincy Magoo
- Family Plan as Harry Haber
- Leslie Nielsen's Stupid Little Golf Video as Himself
1996
- Spy Hard as Dick Steele
- The Rosie O'Donnell Show as Self
- Life and Times
- Harvey as Dr. Chumley
1995
- Die Harald Schmidt Show as Self
- Dracula: Dead and Loving It as Count Dracula
- Rent-a-Kid as Harry Haber
- Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree as Baxter
1994
- Due South as Sgt. Buck Frobisher
- Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult as Lt. Frank Drebin
- The Danny Baker Show
- Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects as Self
- Cybermania '94 - The Ultimate Gamer Awards as Host
- S.P.Q.R.: 2,000 and a Half Years Ago as Lucio Cinico
- WWE SummerSlam 1994 as Himself
- An Audience with Jimmy Tarbuck as Self - Audience Member
- Leslie Nielsen's Bad Golf My Way as Leslie Nielsen
- World's Funniest Commercials
1993
- Raw as Leslie Nielsen
- Katie and Orbie as Narrator
- Surf Ninjas as Colonel Chi
- Digger as Arthur Evrensel
- The Unknown Marx Brothers as Self - Narrator
- Leslie Nielsen's Bad Golf Made Easier as Himself
1992
- Terry Wogan's Friday Night as Self
1991
- Herman's Head as God
- The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear as Lt. Frank Drebin
- All I Want For Christmas as Santa
- Flesh 'n' Blood as Red Houser
- Chance of a Lifetime as Lloyd Dixon
1990
- Evening Shade
- Repossessed as Father Jebedaiah Mayii
1989
- The Railway Dragon as Narrator (voice)
- Back to the Future (Part II): Behind-the-Scenes Special Presentation as Host
1988
- The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! as Frank Drebin
- Day by Day as Jack Harper
- Dangerous Curves as Greg Krevske
1987
- Nuts as Allen Green
- Race for the Bomb as Lewis Strauss
- Nightstick as Thad Evans
- Fatal Confession: A Father Dowling Mystery as Senator Erdain
- Home Is Where the Hart Is as Sheriff Nashville Schwartz
1986
- Soul Man as Mr. Dunbar
- The Patriot as Admiral Frazer
- The Canadian Conspiracy as Self
1985
- The Golden Girls as Lucas
- 227
- The Ray Bradbury Theater as Fantoccini
- Blade in Hong Kong as Harry Ingersoll
- Doris Day's Best Friends
- Reckless Disregard as Bob Franklin
- Striker's Mountain as Jim McKay
1984
- Murder, She Wrote as David Everett
- Highway to Heaven as Richard R. Benson
- Who's the Boss?
- Finder of Lost Loves as Matthew Vail
- Shaping Up as Buddy Fox
1983
- Prime Times as Self
- Spaceship as Capt. Jamieson
- Cave-In! as Joe Johnson
1982
- Wogan as Self
- Police Squad! as Lt. Frank Drebin
- Creepshow as Richard Vickers (segment "Something To Tide You Over")
- Wrong Is Right as Mallory
- Twilight Theatre
- Foxfire Light as Reece Morgan
- Twilight Theater
1981
- Aloha Paradise as Grant Culberson
1980
- Airplane! as Dr. Rumack
- Prom Night as Mr. Hammond
- The Night the Bridge Fell Down as Paul Warren
- OHMS as Governor
- Dive to the Edge of Creation as Self - Narrator
1979
- The Littlest Hobo as Mayor Chester Montgomery
- Backstairs at the White House as Ike Hoover
- City on Fire as Mayor William Dudley
- Riel as Major Leif Newry Fitzroy Crozier
- Institute for Revenge as Counselor Hollis Barnes
1978
- Fantasy Island as Doctor Whitfield
- Halloween as Commander John J. Adams (archive footage)
- Vega$
- Little Mo as Nelson Fisher
1977
- The Love Boat as Hank Hardaway
- What Really Happened to the Class of '65?
- Lucan
- The Amsterdam Kill as Riley Knight
- Day of the Animals as Paul Jenson
- Viva Knievel! as Stanley Millard
- Grand Jury as John Williams
- Sixth and Main as John Doe
- The Dawson Patrol as Narrator
1976
- Project: Kill as John Trevor
- Brinks: The Great Robbery as Agent Norman Houston
1975
- Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
- S.W.A.T.
- Sidestreet
- The Swiss Family Robinson
- King of the Underwater World as Self/Narrator
- Threshold: The Blue Angels Experience as Self - Narrator (voice)
- The Outlaw Cats of Colossal Cave as Narrator
1974
- Dinah! as Self
- The Manhunter
- Can Ellen Be Saved? as Arnold Lindsey
1973
- Barnaby Jones as Edward Brendon
- Kojak as Michael Hagar
- The Evil Touch
- The Letters as Derek Childs
- Snatched as Bill Sutter
- Amanda Fallon as Mr. Cummings
- The Return of Charlie Chan as Alexander Hadrachi
- Journey to the Outer Limits as (voice)
- ...And Millions Die! as Jack Gallagher
1972
- M*A*S*H as Col. Buzz Brighton
- The Rookies
- The Streets of San Francisco
- The Poseidon Adventure as Captain Harrison
- Assignment: Vienna as Floyd Macklin
- Kung Fu as Vincent Corbino
1971
- Columbo as A.J. Henderson
- Cannon as Joe Gilbert
- Bearcats! as Col. Ted Donovan
- Monty Nash as Ross Carter
- Sarge
- They Call It Murder
- The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler as Harry Walsh
- Incident in San Francisco as Lt. Brubaker
1970
- Night Gallery as Col. Dennis Malloy
- The Aquarians as Official
- Night Slaves as Sheriff Henshaw
- Hauser's Memory as Joseph Slaughter
1969
- The Bold Ones: The New Doctors as Mr. Cummings
- Bracken's World
- The Bold Ones: The Protectors as Deputy Police Chief Sam Danforth
- Four Rode Out as Mr Brown
- How to Commit Marriage as Phil Fletcher
- Trial Run as Jason Harkness
- Deadlock as Lt. Sam Danforth
- The Movie Game (US)
- Change of Mind as Sheriff Webb
1968
- Hawaii Five-O as Brent
- The Name of the Game
- The Mod Squad as Rusty Bryson
- It Takes a Thief as SIA Security Man
- How to Steal the World as General Maximilian Harmon
- Cocoon as Brent
- Companions in Nightmare as Dr. Neesden
- Dayton's Devils as Frank Dayton
- Shadow Over Elveron as Sheriff Verne Drover
- The Wild Heart as Narrator
1967
- Ironside
- Judd, for the Defense
- Cimarron Strip
- Counterpoint as Victor Rice
- Gunfight in Abilene as Grant Evers
- Rosie! as Cabot Shaw
- The Reluctant Astronaut as Major Fred Gifford
- Code Name: Heraclitus as Fryer
- The Boy Who Flew with Condors as Narrator
1966
- The Plainsman as Col. George Armstrong Custer
- Beau Geste as Lt. De Ruse
1965
- The Big Valley as Sgt. Maj. Earl Conway
- The Wild Wild West as Major General Ball
- The F.B.I. as Hudson
- National Geographic Specials as Narrator (voice)
- Convoy
- Harlow as Richard Manley
- Dark Intruder as Brett Kingsford
1964
- Daniel Boone as William Russell
- Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
- The Man from U.N.C.L.E. as General Maximilian Harmon
- Night Train to Paris as Alan Holiday
- See How They Run as Elliot Green
1963
- The Fugitive as Harold Cheyney
- Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
- Miss USA as Self - Judge
- Kraft Suspense Theatre as Dr. David Cord
- The Farmer's Daughter
- Channing as Prof. Paul Stafford
- The Art Linkletter Show
1962
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour as Mr. Grainger
- The Virginian as John Hagen
1961
- Dr. Kildare as Walter Burton
- The Defenders as Bob Garrison
- The New Breed as Lt. Price Adams
1960
- Route 66
- Thriller as Alan Patterson
- Moment of Fear
1959
- Bonanza as Sheriff Paul Rowan
- Rawhide as Eli Becker
- The Swamp Fox as Francis Marion (The Swamp Fox)
- The Velvet Alley as Eddie Kirkley
1958
- Naked City as Norman Garry
- The Sheepman as Stephen Bedford / Johnny Bledsoe
1957
- Wagon Train as Brian Conlin
- Tammy and the Bachelor as Peter Brent
- Hot Summer Night as William Joel Partain
1956
- Playhouse 90 as Ralph Mohr
- Forbidden Planet as Commander John J. Adams
- The Opposite Sex as Steve Hilliard
- The Vagabond King as Thibault d'Aussigny
- Ransom! as Charlie Telfer
1955
- Gunsmoke as Jess Trevor
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents as Lloyd Ashley
- MGM Parade as Self
- Folio as Biff Loman
- First Performance as Ted
- The Battle of Gettysburg as Narrator (voice)
1954
- The Wonderful World of Disney as Colonel Francis Marion
- Love Story
- Dark Possession as Dr. Roger Waring
1953
- General Electric Theater as Judge Wayne Douglas
- Medallion Theatre
1952
1951
1950
- Robert Montgomery Presents as C. K. Dexter Haven
- The Bob Hope Show as Self
- Danger
- The Web
- Sure As Fate
- Starlight Theatre
- Stage 13
1949
- Lights Out
- Suspense
- The Clock as David Kyle
1948
1944
- Golden Globe Awards as Self - Host