vaquero Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 Leslie Nielsen, who dazzled with deadpan in The Naked Gun and Airplane!, passed away on Sunday at a hospital near his home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where he was being treated for pneumonia, according to the New York Times. He was 84. The master of parody boasted a talent for delivering the most ridiculous lines in the straightest way possible, cloaking outright absurdity in straight-faced obliviousness. Ironically enough, the foundation of that earnest gravitas was built early in his career as a dramatic actor: After serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force and studying at New York City’s famed Actors Studio, the Saskatchewan-born Nielsen popped up on early ’50s TV. He received his first big film break playing sturdy Commander J.J. Adams in the 1956 sci-fi flick Forbidden Planet. Over the next few decades, he established himself as a reliable, handsome, rich-voiced character actor who graced myriad TV dramas (Peyton Place, Dr. Kildare) and movies (The Poseidon Adventure). His career took a comical hard left turn when he was cast as Dr. Rumack in the 1980 big-screen parody film Airplane! (Let us honor his famous line, which stands as one of the best retorts in comedic cinema history: “Surely you can’t be serious!” “I am serious. And don’t call me Shirley.”) Two years later he was tapped by the Airplane! brain trust to play Lt. Frank Drebin in the cop-show spoof sitcom Police Squad! Although the series lasted only six episodes, Nielsen earned an Emmy nomination for his work, and in 1988, re-inhabited the bumbling Drebin again for the big-screen adaptation The Naked Gun. (It may be hard to find more laughs-per-minute in a comedy film than in the film’s baseball-game scene, which culminates with Drebin foiling an assassination attempt on the Queen of England). The success of The Naked Gun paved the way for two sequels in 1991 and 1994, and Nielsen continued down the parody path in not-as-memorable films like Spy Hard, Wrongfully Accused, and Dracula: Dead and Loving It. (He did earn notice in Scary Movie 3 and Scary Movie 4.) Nielsen worked into his 80s, appearing in even more spoof flicks like Superhero Movie and 2009′s Stan Helsing. Surely, we can’t be more serious when we say: Leslie Nielsen, you will be missed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LyricalLesson Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 Just updated my facebook status about my reaction to his passing before I logged on here. Very sad. Dude was HILARIOUS! To this day, all of the Naked Gun movies, and Airplane! cracks me up Rest In Peace, man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Wonder Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 Just updated my facebook status about my reaction to his passing before I logged on here. Very sad. Dude was HILARIOUS! To this day, all of the Naked Gun movies, and Airplane! cracks me up Rest In Peace, man. Wrongfully Accused >>>>>>>> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwistedElegance™ Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 R.I.P. He was one of my fave actors growing up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LyricalLesson Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 Mine too, Twisted! His brand of slapstick comedy is my favorite. In my opinion, these newer guys just can't compare 1814, "Wrongfully Accused" is good too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaquero Posted November 29, 2010 Author Share Posted November 29, 2010 Dracula: Dead and loving it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cnd Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 What a shock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
God Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 RIP Creepshow >>>>> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThatOtherFan Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 RIP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 RIP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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