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Leslie Nielsen
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Leslie William Nielsen OC (born February 11, 1926) is a Canadian-American comedian and actor. Although Nielsen's acting career crossed a variety of genres in both television and films, he has achieved his greatest film success in comedies, including Airplane! and The Naked Gun series of films. His portrayal of serious characters seemingly oblivious of (and complicit in) their absurd surroundings gave Nielsen a reputation as a comedian.
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Leslie William Nielsen OC (born February 11, 1926) is a Canadian-American comedian and actor. Although Nielsen's acting career crossed a variety of genres in both television and films, he has achieved his greatest film success in comedies, including Airplane! and The Naked Gun series of films. His portrayal of serious characters seemingly oblivious of (and complicit in) their absurd surroundings gave Nielsen a reputation as a comedian. A series of later comedies attempted to emulate the popularity of his prior roles.
This paralleled the serious roles of his early career. Leading roles in the science fiction classic Forbidden Planet and as the ship's captain in The Poseidon Adventure came long before Nielsen considered a turn to comedy. His deadpan delivery as a doctor in 1980's Airplane! marked a turning point in Nielsen's career, one that would make him, in the words of film critic Roger Ebert, "the Olivier of spoofs." He may be best known for his roles as Frank Drebin in The Naked Gun, Dr. Rumack in Airplane!, and most recently, President Harris in the Scary Movie series. Nielsen has appeared in over 100 films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying over 220 characters.
Early life
Nielsen was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, to Ingvard and Maybelle Nielsen. His father was Danish, and his mother was Welsh. Nielsen's older brother, Erik Nielsen (1924–2008), was Deputy Prime Minister of Canada during the 1980s. Nielsen is also a nephew of actor Jean Hersholt.
Nielsen spent several years living in Fort Norman, Northwest Territories when his father was stationed there with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Following his graduation from Victoria Composite High School in Edmonton, Nielsen enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and served as an aerial gunner in World War II (though never sent overseas). He then worked as a disc jockey at a Calgary radio station, before enrolling at the Lorne Greene Academy of Radio Arts in Toronto. He moved to New York City when he received a scholarship for the Neighborhood Playhouse. Nielsen studied theater and music, while performing in summer stock theatre. In 1948, he made his first television appearance in a Studio One episode.
Career
Early career
Nielsen's career began in dramatic roles, with numerous appearances as a doctor, lawyer, or police officer. In 1950 alone, he appeared in almost 50 live programs. Nielsen reported that for his salary that there "...was very little gold...we only got $75 or $100 per show." His distinctive voice narrated several documentaries and commercials. With a handful of exceptions, his early work as a dramatic actor was uneventful. Hal Erickson notes, "...much of Nielsen's early work was undistinguished; he was merely a handsome leading man in an industry overstocked with handsome leading men."
in Forbidden Planet.]]
Soon after moving to Hollywood in 1954 under a contract with Paramount, he was cast as Commander John J. Adams in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film Forbidden Planet (1956) which would receive many good reviews. The film took its plot from Shakespeare's The Tempest, and also starred Walter Pidgeon and Anne Francis. Nielsen is also known for his roles as Debbie Reynolds' love interest in the first of the Tammy films, Tammy and the Bachelor, Captain Harrison in The Poseidon Adventure (1972), as well as in the M*A*S*H episode "The Ringbanger". Nielsen screened for the role of Messala in the 1959 film Ben-Hur, but Stephen Boyd was given the role.
Nielsen has appeared in over 100 films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying over 220 characters. His early television appearances include parts in Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Virginian, and The Wild Wild West. His first leading role in a television series was as American Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion in Disney's The Swamp Fox, a spin-off of the Davy Crockett series. The series also featured his singing of the theme song. In 1961, he was the lead in a taut Los Angeles police drama called The New Breed. In 1968, he had a major role in the pilot film for the popular police series Hawaii Five-O, and also later appeared in one of the episodes in the seventh season. In 1969, he had the leading role as a police officer in The Bold Ones: The Protectors.
Nielsen also starred in the William Girdler-directed 1977 action film Project: Kill. His last role before portraying mainly comedy roles was the Canadian disaster film City on Fire in which he played a corrupt mayor. In 1980, he guest starred as Sinclair on the CBS miniseries The Chisholms.
Airplane! and The Naked Gun
Nielsen's comedic breakthrough came with a supporting role in 1980's Airplane!, a parody of Zero Hour!. Nielsen played a doctor aboard an airplane whose crew has been struck with food sickness. His deadpan delivery contrasted with the absurdity surrounding him. In the film when asked "Surely you can't be serious?", he responds with a curt, "I am serious. And don't call me Shirley." He later reflected in several interviews on the significance of the comedic line: "I thought it was amusing, but it never occurred to me that it was going to become a trademark. It's such a surprise...the thing comes out, people say "What did he say?!" He also stated that he was "...pleased and honored that [he] had a chance to deliver that line." The comedic exchange was at #79 on the American Film Institute's list of Top 100 movie quotes. The American Film Institute would also include the film in its list of the top ten comedy films of all time.
Critics praised the film, which proved to be a success with audiences as well. The film's directors, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker, decided to choose Nielsen for the role due to his ability to play "a fish in water", stating that "You could have cast funny people and done it with everybody winking, goofing off and silly...we wanted people to be oblivious to the comedy." The directors, interested in the success of the new comedy, decided to bring the slapstick style of comedy to television. They asked Nielsen to play the lead role in their new series, Police Squad!. The series introduced Nielsen as Frank Drebin, a stereotypical police officer modeled after earlier detective series.
The show's opening sequence was based on the 1950s cop show M Squad, (starring Lee Marvin), which opened with footage of a police car roving through in an after-dark urban setting as a big band played a jazz theme song. The voice-over and the show's organization into "acts" with an epilogue was homage to classic Quinn Martin police dramas including The Fugitive, Barnaby Jones, The F.B.I., and Cannon. Much like in Airplane!, Nielsen portrayed a serious character whose one-liners appeared accidental next to the pratfalls and sight gags around him. Although the show was quickly canceled, lasting only six episodes after being juggled between time slots, Nielsen received an Emmy award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.
With the exception of Airplane!, Nielsen was not known as a comedian. His roles continued to be small and sporadic, such as Prom Night (1980) and Creepshow (1982), which were both horror films. Nielsen's most recent non-comedy role was the cameo appearance as Allen Green, a sleazy character who is murdered by Barbra Streisand's character Claudia Draper in Martin Ritt's courtroom drama Nuts.
Six years after the cancellation of Police Squad!, the directors decided to make a feature length version for theaters. Titled The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, the film returned Nielsen to his role as Frank Drebin. The film involved a comical scheme of a hypnotized baseball player's attempt to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II. Drebin, like the doctor in Airplane!, seemed unaware of the absurdity even when unintentionally contributing toward it. Nielsen later said in an interview that he had done many of his own stunts, saying "You have an idea of how you're going to do something, and it's your vision... unless you do it, it really doesn't stand a chance." The film grossed over $78 million at the box office and was well-received by critics. Ebert's 3½–star review (out of four) noted, "You laugh, and then you laugh at yourself for laughing."
The film spawned two sequels, The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991) and Naked Gun 33?: The Final Insult (1994). Naked Gun 2½ grossed more than the original with $86,930,411 while Naked Gun grossed less than the previous two films with $51,132,598 in receipts. Nielsen remains open to the prospects of acting in a fourth Naked Gun film, although doubts it will ever be produced – "I don't think so. If there hasn't been one by now, I doubt it. I think it would be wonderful."
Nielsen briefly appeared on an episode of the World Wrestling Federation in the summer of 1994. Capitalizing on his Frank Drebin character, Nielsen (and George Kennedy) were hired as "super-sleuths" to unravel the mystery of The Undertaker, who had disappeared at January's Royal Rumble event. At SummerSlam 1994, in a Naked Gun parody, they were hot on the case (in fact, they were literally standing on a case). Although they did not actually find The Undertaker, the case had been closed (the literal case had been shut) and thus, they solved the mystery.
Later comedies
Nielsen attempted a variety of similar roles which never achieved the success of Frank Drebin. Many of the films emulated the style of The Naked Gun films, but with varying degrees of critical and commercial success. Many of the films were panned by critics and most performed poorly.
Although The Naked Gun series parodied police dramas in general, Nielsen's later parody films focused on specific targets. Critics panned Repossessed (1990) and 2001: A Space Travesty (2001), parodies of The Exorcist and 2001: A Space Odyssey, respectively. Both films attempted the absurdist comedy Nielsen is recognized for, but were poorly received. Even a leading role in a Mel Brooks comic horror parody, Dracula: Dead and Loving It, failed to generate much box office excitement, although it did gain somewhat of a following on its later release to video. Both 1996's Spy Hard and 1998's Wrongfully Accused, a parody of The Fugitive, received even more popularity on home video and were not-well received by critics.
His attempt at children's comedies met additional criticism. Surf Ninjas (1993) and Mr. Magoo (1997) faced scathing reviews. Several critics were disappointed that Nielsen's role in Surf Ninjas was only "an extended cameo" and film critic Chris Hicks recommended that viewers "...avoid any comedy that features Leslie Nielsen outside of the Naked Gun series." Jeff Miller of the Houston Chronicle panned Mr. Magoo, a live action remake of the 1950s cartoon, by saying, "I'm supposed to suggest how the film might be better. But I can't think of anything to say other than to make the film again."
Nielsen's first major slapstick success since The Naked Gun came in a supporting role in Scary Movie 3. His appearance as President Harris proved popular enough for a second appearance in its sequel, Scary Movie 4. This became the first time Nielsen reprised a character since his numerous appearances as Frank Drebin. In one scene in the film, Nielsen appeared almost fully nude, and one critic referred to the scene as putting "the 'scary' in Scary Movie 4."
Nielsen also hosted a series of golf instructional videos beginning with 1993's Bad Golf Made Easier. The videos were not serious, instead combining absurd comedy with golf techniques. The series were popular enough to spawn two additional sequels, Bad Golf My Way (1994) and Stupid Little Golf Video (1997). Nielsen also co-wrote a fictional autobiography titled The Naked Truth. The book portrayed Nielsen as a popular actor with a long history of prestigious films.
Recent work
Even in his eighties, Nielsen continues to have an active career. He performs serious roles on screen and stage (such as his one-man theatre show Darrow, playing Clarence Darrow), as well as providing voice-overs and on-camera appearances for commercials; cartoons like Zeroman where he has the leading role/voice; children's shows, such as "Pumper Pups", which he narrates, in addition to comedic film roles. The sibling relationship with his elder brother, the Honourable Erik Nielsen, a former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, serves as the premise of an HBO mockumentary entitled The Canadian Conspiracy in which Leslie Nielsen appears, along with other prominent Canadian-born media personalities. Recently, he was a celebrity contestant on CBS's Gameshow Marathon, where he played The Price is Right, Let's Make a Deal, Beat the Clock, and Press Your Luck for charity.
Beginning in February 2007, Nielsen began playing a small role as a doctor in the humorous yet educational television show Doctor*Ology. The show chronicles real-life medical techniques and technology, and airs on the Discovery Channel. In an interview, Nielsen admitted his admiration for the doctors on the show: "There are any number of things that you think about when you ponder if you hadn't been an actor, what would you be, and I've always said I'd like to be an astronaut or a doctor. I have such admiration for doctors. I just don't know how you go around to thank them enough for coming up with the world's most remarkable new discoveries."
In 2007, Nielsen starred in the drama Music Within. In 2008, he portrayed a version of Uncle Ben for Superhero Movie, a spoof of superhero films with co-star Drake Bell. He then appeared in David Zucker's 2008 parody An American Carol, which Zucker directed, produced, and co-wrote.
Personal life
Nielsen has been divorced three times: Monica Boyer (1950-1956), Alisande Ullman (1958-1973), and Brooks Oliver (1981-1983). In 2001, he married his fourth wife, Barbaree Earl, whom he has been involved with since 1983. Nielsen also has two children from his second marriage, Maura and Thea Nielsen.
Nielsen is a fan of golf, and plays it in his free time. In an interview he stated that "I don't play golf to feel bad, I play bad golf but I feel good." Nielsen's interest in the sport led him to star in several comedic instructional films.
Nielsen has stated in several interviews that he has a few medical problems such as hearing impairment. Because of this impairment, he has publicly supported the Better Hearing Institute.
Achievements
Among his numerous awards, Leslie Nielsen received UCLA's Jack Benny Award for his comedic roles in 1995. In 1988, he became the 1,884th personality to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6541 Hollywood Blvd. In 2001 he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. The following year he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, although he is also a naturalized U.S. citizen. With his American status, he still maintains his Canadian heritage: "There's no way you can be a Canadian and think you can lose it...Canadians are a goodly group. They are very aware of caring and helping." On May 19, 2005, during the centennial gala of his birth province, Saskatchewan, Leslie Nielsen was introduced to HM Queen Elizabeth II.
In 2003, in honor of Nielsen, Grant MacEwan College named its school of communications after him. Also in 2003, the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists awarded him the ACTRA Award of Excellence.
Filmography
Films
Television
Video
Writing
External links
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