Leslie Nielsen
121 movies · 116 TV shows
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Feb 11, 1926
- Died
- Nov 28, 2010 (age 84)
- Place of birth
- Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Also known as
- Leslie William Nielsen · Лесли Уильям Нильсен
Biography
Leslie William Nielsen (February 11, 1926 – 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 – 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.
Profiles IMDb
Known for
-
★ 7.3 Airplane!
1980 · Film
-
★ 7.4 Family Guy
1999 · TV
-
★ 7.3 The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
1988 · Film
-
★ 6.0 Scary Movie 3
2003 · Film
-
★ 5.5 Scary Movie 4
2006 · Film
-
★ 6.8 The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear
1991 · Film
-
★ 6.5 Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult
1994 · Film
-
★ 5.3 Superhero Movie
2008 · Film
Leslie Nielsen: movies and TV shows
Acting (237)
- 2011 Stonerville
as Producer
- 2009 Spanish Movie
as Doctor Nielsen
- 2009 Stan Helsing
as Kay
- 2008 Slap Shot 3: The Junior League
as Mayor of Charlestown
- 2008 An American Carol
as Osama Bin Nielsen / Grandpa
- 2008 Superhero Movie
as Uncle Albert Adams
- 2007 Family Guy Presents: Blue Harvest
as Dr. Rumack (archive voice)
- 2007 Music Within
as Bill Austin
- 2006 Scary Movie 4
as President Baxter Harris
- 2005
- 2005
- 2004 The Nutcracker and the Mouseking
as (Mouseking) (voice)
- 2004
- 2003 Noël Noël
as Narrator (english version)
- 2003 Scary Movie 3
as President Harris
- 2003
- 2003
- 2002 Men with Brooms
as Gordon Cutter
- 2001 Chilly Dogs
as Clive Thorton / Cab Driver
- 2001
- 2001
- 2001 Camouflage
as Jack Potter
- 2000 Santa Who?
as Santa Claus
- 2000 2001: A Space Travesty
as Marshal Richard "Dick" Dix
- 1999
- 1999
- 1998 Wrongfully Accused
as Ryan Harrison
- 1998 Safety Patrol!
as Mr. Penn
- 1997 Mr. Magoo
as Mr. Quincy Magoo
- 1997
- 1997 Pirates 4-D
as Captain Lucky
- 1997 Family Plan
as Harry Haber
- 1996 Harvey
as Dr. Chumley
- 1996
- 1996 Spy Hard
as Dick Steele
- 1995 Dracula: Dead and Loving It
as Count Dracula
- 1995 Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree
as Baxter
- 1995 Rent-a-Kid
as Harry Haber
- 1994 S.P.Q.R.: 2,000 and a Half Years Ago
as Lucio Cinico
- 1994
- 1994
- 1994 Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult
as Lt. Frank Drebin
- 1994 Leslie Nielsen's Bad Golf My Way
as Leslie Nielsen
- 1994
- 1993 Digger
as Arthur Evrensel
- 1993 Surf Ninjas
as Colonel Chi
- 1993
- 1991 Chance of a Lifetime
as Lloyd Dixon
- 1991 All I Want For Christmas
as Santa
- 1991
- 1991
- 1991 The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear
as Lt. Frank Drebin
- 1990
- 1990 Repossessed
as Father Jebedaiah Mayii
- 1989 The Railway Dragon
as Narrator (voice)
- 1988 The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
as Frank Drebin
- 1988 Dangerous Curves
as Greg Krevske
- 1988
- 1987 Fatal Confession: A Father Dowling Mystery
as Senator Erdain
- 1987 Nuts
as Allen Green
- 1987 Nightstick
as Thad Evans
- 1987 Home Is Where the Hart Is
as Sheriff Nashville Schwartz
- 1987
- 1986 Soul Man
as Mr. Dunbar
- 1986 The Patriot
as Admiral Frazer
- 1985 Striker's Mountain
as Jim McKay
- 1985
- 1985
- 1985
- 1985
- 1985 Reckless Disregard
as Bob Franklin
- 1985 Blade in Hong Kong
as Harry Ingersoll
- 1984
- 1984
- 1984
- 1984
- 1984
- 1983 Spaceship
as Capt. Jamieson
- 1983 Cave-In!
as Joe Johnson
- 1982 Airplane II: The Sequel
as Dr. Rumack (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1982 Creepshow
as Richard Vickers (segment "Something To Tide You Over")
- 1982 Wrong Is Right
as Mallory
- 1982
- 1982
- 1982
- 1982 Foxfire Light
as Reece Morgan
- 1981
- 1980 The Night the Bridge Fell Down
as Paul Warren
- 1980 Prom Night
as Mr. Hammond
- 1980 Airplane!
as Dr. Rumack
- 1980 OHMS
as Governor
- 1979
- 1979 City on Fire
as Mayor William Dudley
- 1979 Riel
as Major Leif Newry Fitzroy Crozier
- 1979
- 1979 Institute for Revenge
as Counselor Hollis Barnes
- 1978
- 1978 Little Mo
as Nelson Fisher
- 1978
- 1977 The Amsterdam Kill
as Riley Knight
- 1977
- 1977
- 1977
- 1977 Sixth and Main
as John Doe
- 1977 Viva Knievel!
as Stanley Millard
- 1977 Day of the Animals
as Paul Jenson
- 1977 The Dawson Patrol
as Narrator
- 1977 Grand Jury
as John Williams
- 1976 Project: Kill
as John Trevor
- 1976 Brinks: The Great Robbery
as Agent Norman Houston
- 1975 The Outlaw Cats of Colossal Cave
as Narrator
- 1975
- 1975
- 1974
- 1974 Can Ellen Be Saved?
as Arnold Lindsey
- 1973
- 1973 The Return of Charlie Chan
as Alexander Hadrachi
- 1973
- 1973 Amanda Fallon
as Mr. Cummings
- 1973 The Letters
as Derek Childs
- 1973 Snatched
as Bill Sutter
- 1973
- 1973 ...and millions will die!
as Jack Gallagher
- 1973 Journey to the Outer Limits
as Narrator (voice)
- 1972 The Poseidon Adventure
as Captain Harrison
- 1972
- 1972
- 1972
- 1972
- 1972
- 1971 They Call It Murder
as Frank Antrim
- 1971 The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler
as Harry Walsh
- 1971
- 1971
- 1971
- 1971
- 1971 Incident in San Francisco
as Lt. Brubaker
- 1971
- 1970 Night Gallery · TV
as Col. Dennis Malloy / The Phantom (segment "Phantom of What Opera?") · 2 episodes
- 1970 Hauser's Memory
as Joseph Slaughter
- 1970 The Aquarians
as Official
- 1970 Night Slaves
as Sheriff Henshaw
- 1969 Change of Mind
as Sheriff Webb
- 1969
- 1969
- 1969
- 1969
- 1969 How to Commit Marriage
as Phil Fletcher
- 1969
- 1969 Deadlock
as Lt. Sam Danforth
- 1969 Trial Run
as Jason Harkness
- 1969 Four Rode Out
as Mr Brown
- 1968 Companions in Nightmare
as Dr. Neesden
- 1968 Dayton's Devils
as Frank Dayton
- 1968
- 1968 Cocoon
as Brent
- 1968
- 1968 How to Steal the World
as General Maximilian Harmon
- 1968 The Wild Heart
as Narrator
- 1968 Shadow Over Elveron
as Sheriff Verne Drover
- 1968
- 1967 Counterpoint
as Victor Rice
- 1967 Rosie!
as Cabot Shaw
- 1967
- 1967
- 1967 The Reluctant Astronaut
as Major Fred Gifford
- 1967
- 1967 The Boy Who Flew with Condors
as Narrator
- 1967 Gunfight in Abilene
as Grant Evers
- 1967 Code Name: Heraclitus
as Fryer
- 1966 Beau Geste
as Lt. De Ruse
- 1966 The Plainsman
as Col. George Armstrong Custer
- 1965
- 1965
- 1965
- 1965
- 1965
- 1965 Dark Intruder
as Brett Kingsford
- 1965 Harlow
as Richard Manley
- 1964 See How They Run
as Elliot Green
- 1964
- 1964 Night Train to Paris
as Alan Holiday
- 1964
- 1964
- 1963
- 1963
- 1963
- 1963
- 1963
- 1962
- 1962
- 1961
- 1961
- 1961
- 1960
- 1960
- 1960
- 1959
- 1959
- 1959 The Velvet Alley
as Eddie Kirkley
+ 37 more credits
Behind the camera (2)
- 1997 Leslie Nielsen's Stupid Little Golf Video
Executive Co-Producer
- 1996 Spy Hard
Executive Producer
Talk shows and appearances (36)
- 2016
- 2013
- 2007 Lipshitz Saves the World
1 episode
- 2006
- 2006
- 2006 Gameshow Marathon
4 episodes
- 2005
- 2004
- 1999 The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
1 episode
- 1996 The Rosie O'Donnell Show
2 episodes
- 1995 Die Harald Schmidt Show
1 episode
- 1994
- 1994
- 1994
- 1994
- 1993
- 1993 Live & Kicking
1 episode
- 1993
- 1993 Raw
3 episodes
- 1992 Terry Wogan's Friday Night
1 episode
- 1989
- 1986
- 1983 Prime Times
1 episode
- 1982
- 1982 Wogan
4 episodes
- 1980
- 1975
- 1975 Saturday Night Live
1 episode
- 1975
- 1974 Dinah!
1 episode
- 1963 Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
2 episodes
- 1963 Miss USA
1 episode
- 1955 MGM Parade
1 episode
- 1950 The Bob Hope Show
1 episode
- 1949 Lights Out
2 episodes
- 1944 Golden Globe Awards
1 episode