About
Leslie Nielsen, born in Regina, Saskatchewan, in 1926, first served in the Royal Canadian Air Force before training in theater in Toronto and New York. He began his film career in 1956 with dramatic roles, notably in Forbidden Planet and The Poseidon Adventure. His career took a comedic turn with Airplane! (1980), where his deadpan delivery was a hit. He then played Lieutenant Frank Drebin in the TV series Police Squad! and the Naked Gun trilogy. Appointed Officer of the Order of Canada in 2002, he appeared in over 100 films and 1,500 television programs.
* 1926-02-11 — † 2010-11-28
Major works
- Forbidden Planet (1956)film
- Airplane! (1980)film
- Police Squad! (1982)TV series
- The Naked Gun (1988)film
- The Naked Truth (1993)memoir
Key milestones
- 1956Film debut in The Vagabond King and Forbidden Planet.
- 1980Comedic breakthrough in Airplane!, earning him the nickname 'Olivier of spoofs'.
- 2002Appointed Officer of the Order of Canada.
Themes
Absurd comedySpoofDeadpanEclectic careerCanadian heritage
Sources: id.loc.gov · britannica.com · waltdisney.org