Leslie William Nielsen (February 11, 1926 β 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 β 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.
as Self (archive footage)
as Self (archive footage)
as Producer
as Doctor Nielsen
as Kay
as Mayor of Charlestown
as Osama Bin Nielsen / Grandpa
as Uncle Albert Adams
as Dr. Rumack (archive voice)
as Himself(1 ep)
as Bill Austin
as President Baxter Harris
as Caldo Vasco(39 eps)
as Self (archive footage)
as (Mouseking) (voice)
as Self (archive footage)
as Zeroman (voice)(13 eps)
as Narrator (english version)
as President Harris
as Santa (voice)(1 ep)
as Gordon Cutter
as Clive Thorton / Cab Driver
as Terrence Brynne McKennie(16 eps)
as Jack Potter
as Santa Claus
as Marshal Richard "Dick" Dix
as Dr. Chumley(1 ep)
as Self(1 ep)
as Dr. Rumack (archive footage)(1 ep)
as Ryan Harrison
as Mr. Penn
as Mr. Quincy Magoo
as Mr. Penn(1 ep)
as Captain Lucky
as Harry Haber
as Dr. Chumley
as Self(2 eps)
as Dick Steele
as Count Dracula
as Baxter
as Self(1 ep)
as Harry Haber
as Lucio Cinico
as Host(1 ep)
as Self - Audience Member
as Sgt. Buck Frobisher(4 eps)
as Himself
as Lt. Frank Drebin
as Leslie Nielsen
as Himself
as Self(1 ep)
as Arthur Evrensel
as Self - Narrator
as Colonel Chi
as Narrator(78 eps)
as Leslie Nielsen(3 eps)
as Self(1 ep)
as Lloyd Dixon
as Santa
as Red Houser(1 ep)
as God(1 ep)
as Lt. Frank Drebin
as Father Jebedaiah Mayii
as Narrator (voice)
as Frank Drebin
as Greg Krevske
as Jack Harper(1 ep)
as Senator Erdain
as Allen Green
as Thad Evans
as Sheriff Nashville Schwartz
as Lewis Strauss(3 eps)
as Mr. Dunbar
as Admiral Frazer
as Self
as Jim McKay
as Lucas(2 eps)
as Fantoccini(1 ep)
as Bob Franklin
as Harry Ingersoll
as David Everett(1 ep)
as Captain Daniels(1 ep)
as Matthew Vail(1 ep)
as Richard R. Benson(1 ep)
as Buddy Fox(5 eps)
as Capt. Jamieson
as Joe Johnson
as Self(1 ep)
as Dr. Rumack (archive footage) (uncredited)
as Richard Vickers (segment "Something To Tide You Over")
as Self- Host
as Self(4 eps)
as Mallory
as Lt. Frank Drebin(6 eps)
as Reece Morgan
as Grant Culberson(1 ep)
as Paul Warren
as Mr. Hammond
as Dr. Rumack
as Self - Narrator
as Governor
as Mayor Chester Montgomery(1 ep)
as Mayor William Dudley
as Major Leif Newry Fitzroy Crozier
as Ike Hoover(4 eps)
as Counselor Hollis Barnes
as Nelson Fisher
as Doctor Whitfield(1 ep)
as Victor Conti(1 ep)
as Riley Knight
as Hank Hardaway(1 ep)
as Russ Blanchard(1 ep)
as Dan Michaels(1 ep)
as John Doe
as Stanley Millard
as Paul Jenson
as Narrator
as John Williams
as John Trevor
as Agent Norman Houston
as Self/Narrator
as Self - Host(1 ep)
as Narrator
as Self - Narrator (voice)
as Self(1 ep)
as Arnold Lindsey
as Michael Hagar(1 ep)
as Alexander Hadrachi
as Mr. Cummings
as Derek Childs
as Bill Sutter
as Edward Brendon(1 ep)
as Jack Gallagher
as Narrator (voice)
as Captain Harrison
as Vincent Corbino(4 eps)
as Floyd Macklin(1 ep)
as John T. Connor(1 ep)
as Col. Buzz Brighton(1 ep)
as Frank Antrim
as Harry Walsh
as Ross Carter(1 ep)
as Col. Ted Donovan(1 ep)
as A.J. Henderson(1 ep)
as Peter Hamilton(1 ep)
as Joe Gilbert(1 ep)
as Erich Strasser(1 ep)
as Weller Dane(1 ep)
as Lt. Brubaker
as Col. Dennis Malloy(1 ep)
as The Phantom (segment "Phantom of What Opera?")(1 ep)
as Joseph Slaughter
as Official
as Sheriff Henshaw
as Sheriff Webb
as Deputy Police Chief Sam Danforth(6 eps)
as Mr. Cummings(1 ep)
as Phil Fletcher
as Brent(1 ep)
as Colonel Farraday(1 ep)
as Lt. Sam Danforth
as Jason Harkness
as Mr Brown
as Dr. Neesden
as Frank Dayton
as Rusty Bryson(1 ep)
as Brent
as General Maximilian Harmon
as Narrator
as Sheriff Verne Drover
as SIA Security Man(1 ep)
as Victor Rice
as Cabot Shaw
as Major Fred Gifford
as Narrator
as Grant Evers
as Fryer
as Lt. De Ruse
as Col. George Armstrong Custer
as Hudson(1 ep)
as Major General Ball(1 ep)
as Sgt. Maj. Earl Conway(1 ep)
as Narrator (voice)(2 eps)
as Brett Kingsford
as Richard Manley
as Elliot Green
as William Russell(1 ep)
as Alan Holiday
as General Maximilian Harmon(2 eps)
as Dr. David Cord(1 ep)
as Paul Maytric(1 ep)
as John Joslin(1 ep)
as Prof. Paul Stafford(1 ep)
as Harold Cheyney(1 ep)
as Martin C. Rowland(1 ep)
as Self - Judge(1 ep)
as Mr. Grainger(1 ep)
as John Hagen(1 ep)
as Cleve Mason(1 ep)
as Harry Lightfoot(1 ep)
as Lt. Price Adams(36 eps)
as Walter Burton(2 eps)
as Harry Kleber(1 ep)
as Bob Garrison(2 eps)
as Alan Patterson(1 ep)
as Francis Marion (The Swamp Fox)(8 eps)
as Sheriff Paul Rowan(1 ep)
as Eddie Kirkley
as Eli Becker(1 ep)
as Norman Garry(1 ep)
as Stephen Bedford / Johnny Bledsoe
as Brian Conlin(1 ep)
as Jeremy Dow(1 ep)
as Peter Brent
as William Joel Partain
as Steve Hilliard
as Ralph Mohr(1 ep)
as Thibault d'Aussigny
as Commander John J. Adams
as Charlie Telfer
as Narrator (voice)
as Ted(1 ep)
as Lloyd Ashley(1 ep)
as Rudy Cox(1 ep)
as Biff Loman(1 ep)
as Self(1 ep)
as Jess Trevor(1 ep)
as Colonel Francis Marion(3 eps)
as Col. Francis Marion(5 eps)
as Dr. Roger Waring
as Judge Wayne Douglas(1 ep)
as Edward Morgan(1 ep)
as Harold 'Harry' Mason(1 ep)
as Bill
as Self(1 ep)
as C. K. Dexter Haven(1 ep)
as George(1 ep)
as Gates Holden(1 ep)
as David Kyle(1 ep)
as Serge Soudekine(1 ep)
as Chris Jackson(1 ep)
as Stan Janicek(1 ep)
as Dr. Clayborn(1 ep)
as Mac(1 ep)
as Dr. Roger Waring(1 ep)
as Edmund(1 ep)
as Tallman(1 ep)
as Karl(1 ep)
as Self - Host(1 ep)