There are few names that are deeply associated with comedy. Names that have a ring of laughter and comedy about them, such as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Norman Wisdom and Jerry Lewis.
Leslie Nielsen was such a name. Nielsen didn’t start off as a comedic actor but ended up being one. One of his first feature films included the sci-fi classic, Forbidden Planet, a feature that is considered to be one of the finest in its genres. He also starred in perhaps the most defining disaster film of its time, The Poseidon Adventure. We might limit him to films like Naked Gun, Airplane!, and shows like Police Squad, but he was an actor who had come a long way with a career that spanned 220 characters, 100 films and more than 1,500 TV shows.
Ultimately though, his calling would come in the 1980’s classic Airplane! The feature also starred Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Robert Stack, Lloyd Bridges and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Airplane! has a lasting impact on the comedy genre, and although Nielsen wasn’t the star of the film, his scenes are considered to be the funniest, thanks to his deadpan performance and expressions.
It was not by chance that Nielsen stumbled upon his role. Film-makers Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams and David Zucker actively sought out actors such as Nielsen because they had never done much comedy before. Unbeknownst to anybody, it was a role that not only changed the genre, but also established the actor as a comedic icon of a generation.
Nielsen would go on to star in the Naked Gun franchise, spawning a TV show and two sequels. The character of Frank Drebin was vastly different to his role on Airplane! but comedy was something that Nielsen was now not only comfortable with but also versatile. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! was actually based on the TV show, Police Squad. The TV show and the films would go on to become classics in their own right. Even to this day, they can stand with the likes of Hot Shots, Scary Movie, Austin Powers, Super Hero Movie, Vampires Suck, etc.
Every generation had their Chaplin, their Norman Wisdom and their Jerry Lewis. Nielsen was ours. His passing marks the end of an era of comedy that was universal and genuinely funny. He made comedy effortless, whether it was delivering a line of dialogue or acting a slapstick gesture. He may not be with us, but his work will continue to make us laugh for a very long time.Leslie Nielsen passed away on November 28, 2010, at the age of 84. His nephew Doug Nielson reflected on Nielsen’s life, “He was truly a nice man. A very caring, naturally funny guy in day-to-day life, not just because someone wrote something on paper for him. He was a very tender-hearted man. He was one of my best friends and I loved him dearly. I’ll miss him greatly.”Leslie Nielsen had been hospitalised earlier in November for treatment of pneumonia.