Actor · Acting

Leslie Nielsen

Born 1926-02-11

Died 2010-11-28

📍 Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

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 264

O.J.: Made in America

as Self (archive footage)

Mel Brooks: Make a Noise

as Self (archive footage)

as Doctor Nielsen

Slap Shot 3: The Junior League

as Mayor of Charlestown

An American Carol

as Osama Bin Nielsen / Grandpa

Superhero Movie

as Uncle Albert Adams

Family Guy Presents: Blue Harvest

as Dr. Rumack (archive voice)

Amazing! Exploring the Far Reaches of Forbidden Planet

Robby the Robot: Engineering a Sci-Fi Icon

Gameshow Marathon

as President Baxter Harris

Nos Bastidores de Hollywood

as Self (archive footage)

The Nutcracker and the Mouseking

as (Mouseking) (voice)

as Zeroman (voice)

as Narrator (english version)

as President Baxter Harris

as Santa (voice)

Men with Brooms

as Gordon Cutter

as Clive Thorton / Cab Driver

2001: A Space Travesty

as Richard 'Dick' Dix

The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn

as Dr. Rumack (archive footage)

Wrongfully Accused

as Ryan Harrison

as Mr. Quincy Magoo

The Wonderful World of Disney

Leslie Nielsen's Stupid Little Golf Video

The Rosie O'Donnell Show

Dracula: Dead and Loving It

as Count Dracula

Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree

Die Harald Schmidt Show

S.P.Q.R.: 2,000 and a Half Years Ago

as Lucio Cinico

An Audience with Jimmy Tarbuck

as Self - Audience Member

as Sgt. Buck Frobisher

WWE SummerSlam 1994

Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects

Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult

as Lt. Frank Drebin

Leslie Nielsen's Bad Golf My Way

as Leslie Nielsen

World's Funniest Commercials

Leslie Nielsen's Bad Golf Made Easier

as Arthur Evrensel

The Unknown Marx Brothers

as Self - Narrator

Katie and Orbie

as Leslie Nielsen

Chance of a Lifetime

All I Want For Christmas

The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear

as Lt. Frank Drebin

as Father Jebedaiah Mayii

Back to the Future (Part II): Behind-the-Scenes Special Presentation

The Railway Dragon

as Narrator (voice)

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!

as Frank Drebin

Dangerous Curves

as Greg Krevske

Fatal Confession: A Father Dowling Mystery

as Senator Erdain

Home Is Where the Hart Is

as Sheriff Nashville Schwartz

as Admiral Frazer

The Canadian Conspiracy

Striker's Mountain

The Golden Girls

The Ray Bradbury Theater

Reckless Disregard

as Bob Franklin

Blade in Hong Kong

as Harry Ingersoll

Murder, She Wrote

as David Everett

Murder, She Wrote

as Captain Daniels

Finder of Lost Loves

as Matthew Vail

Who's the Boss?

Highway to Heaven

as Richard R. Benson

as Capt. Jamieson

as Richard Vickers (segment "Something To Tide You Over")

as Lt. Frank Drebin

Twilight Theatre

as Reece Morgan

as Grant Culberson

The Night the Bridge Fell Down

Dive to the Edge of Creation

as Self - Narrator

The Littlest Hobo

as Mayor Chester Montgomery

as Mayor William Dudley

as Major Leif Newry Fitzroy Crozier

Backstairs at the White House

as Commander John J. Adams (archive footage)

as Nelson Fisher

as Doctor Whitfield

The Amsterdam Kill

as Riley Knight

What Really Happened to the Class of '65?

as Hank Hardaway

as Russ Blanchard

as Dan Michaels

as Stanley Millard

Day of the Animals

The Dawson Patrol

Brinks: The Great Robbery

as Agent Norman Houston

Saturday Night Live

The Outlaw Cats of Colossal Cave

The Swiss Family Robinson

Threshold: The Blue Angels Experience

as Self - Narrator (voice)

Can Ellen Be Saved?

as Arnold Lindsey

as Michael Hagar

The Return of Charlie Chan

as Alexander Hadrachi

as Mr. Cummings

as Derek Childs

as Edward Brendon

...And Millions Die!

as Jack Gallagher

Journey to the Outer Limits

The Poseidon Adventure

as Captain Harrison

as Vincent Corbino

Assignment: Vienna

as Floyd Macklin

The Streets of San Francisco

The Streets of San Francisco

as John T. Connor

as Col. Buzz Brighton

They Call It Murder

The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler

as Col. Ted Donovan

as A.J. Henderson

as Peter Hamilton

as Erich Strasser

Incident in San Francisco

as Lt. Brubaker

as Col. Dennis Malloy

as The Phantom (segment "Phantom of What Opera?")

Hauser's Memory

as Joseph Slaughter

as Sheriff Henshaw

as Sheriff Webb

The Bold Ones: The Protectors

as Deputy Police Chief Sam Danforth

Bracken's World

The Bold Ones: The New Doctors

as Mr. Cummings

How to Commit Marriage

as Phil Fletcher

as Lt. Sam Danforth

as Jason Harkness

Companions in Nightmare

as Rusty Bryson

The Name of the Game

How to Steal the World

as General Maximilian Harmon

Shadow Over Elveron

as Sheriff Verne Drover

It Takes a Thief

as SIA Security Man

Judd, for the Defense

The Reluctant Astronaut

as Major Fred Gifford

The Boy Who Flew with Condors

Gunfight in Abilene

Code Name: Heraclitus

as Col. George Armstrong Custer

The Wild Wild West

as Major General Ball

as Sgt. Maj. Earl Conway

National Geographic Specials

as Narrator (voice)

as Brett Kingsford

as Richard Manley

See How They Run

as Elliot Green

as William Russell

Night Train to Paris

as Alan Holiday

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

as General Maximilian Harmon

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

Kraft Suspense Theatre

as Dr. David Cord

Kraft Suspense Theatre

as Paul Maytric

The Farmer's Daughter

as Prof. Paul Stafford

as Harold Cheyney

as Martin C. Rowland

as Self - Judge

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

as Mr. Grainger

as Harry Lightfoot

as Lt. Price Adams

as Walter Burton

as Harry Kleber

as Bob Garrison

as Alan Patterson

as Francis Marion (The Swamp Fox)

as Sheriff Paul Rowan

The Velvet Alley

as Eddie Kirkley

as Norman Garry

as Stephen Bedford / Johnny Bledsoe

as Brian Conlin

Tammy and the Bachelor

Hot Summer Night

as William Joel Partain

The Opposite Sex

as Steve Hilliard

The Vagabond King

as Thibault d'Aussigny

Forbidden Planet

as Commander John J. Adams

as Charlie Telfer

The Battle of Gettysburg

as Narrator (voice)

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

as Lloyd Ashley

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

The Wonderful World of Disney

as Colonel Francis Marion

The Wonderful World of Disney

as Col. Francis Marion

Dark Possession

as Dr. Roger Waring

Medallion Theatre

General Electric Theater

as Judge Wayne Douglas

General Electric Theater

as Edward Morgan

Hallmark Hall of Fame

Goodyear Television Playhouse

Tales of Tomorrow

Tales of Tomorrow

as Harold 'Harry' Mason

The Lost Will of Dr. Rant

The Bob Hope Show

Robert Montgomery Presents

as C. K. Dexter Haven

Robert Montgomery Presents

Robert Montgomery Presents

as Gates Holden

as Serge Soudekine

as Chris Jackson

as Stan Janicek

as Dr. Clayborn

as Dr. Roger Waring

Golden Globe Awards