Leslie Nielsen

LESLIE NIELSEN d2010. Canadian actor and comedian.With a career spanning 60 years, he appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs. He made his acting debut in 1950 appearing in 46 live television programs a year. He made his film debut in 1956 with supporting roles in several dramas, westerns and romance films produced from the 1950s to 1970s. Although his memorable performances in the films Forbidden Planet and The Poseidon Adventure gave him standing as a dramatic actor, he later gained enduring recognition for his deadpan comedy roles during the 1980s after being cast for the comedy film Airplane. In his comedy roles, he specialised in portraying characters oblivious to and complicit in their absurd surroundings. His performance in Airplane marked a turning point which made him "the Olivier of spoofs" and led to further success in the genre starring in The Naked Gun film series based on his earlier short-lived television series Police Squad