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Leslie Nielsen, 84; versatile actor’s career took off with comedies
LOS ANGELES — Leslie Nielsen, who traded in his dramatic persona for inspired bumbling as a hapless doctor in “Airplane!’’ and the accident-prone detective Frank Drebin in “The Naked Gun’’ comedies, died yesterday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was 84.
The Canadian-born actor died of complications from pneumonia at a hospital near his home at 5:34 p.m., surrounded by his wife, Barbaree, and friends, his agent, John S. Kelly, said in a statement.
“We are saddened by the passing of beloved actor Leslie Nielsen, probably best remembered as Lieutenant Frank Drebin in ‘The Naked Gun’ series of pictures, but who enjoyed a more than 60-year career in motion pictures and television,’’ said Kelly.
Mr. Nielsen came to Hollywood in the mid-1950s after performing in 150 live television dramas in New York. With a craggily handsome face, blond hair, and 6-foot-2-inch height, he seemed ideal for a movie leading man.
Mr. Nielsen first performed as the king of France in the Paramount operetta “The Vagabond King’’ with Kathryn Grayson.
The film — he called it “The Vagabond Turkey’’ — flopped, but MGM signed him to a seven-year contract.
His first film for that studio, as the spaceship commander in the science fiction classic “Forbidden Planet,’’ was auspicious. He found his best dramatic role as the captain of an overturned ocean liner in the 1972 disaster movie, “The Poseidon Adventure.’’
He became known as a serious actor, although behind the camera he was a prankster. That aspect of his personality was never exploited until “Airplane!’’ was released in 1980 and became a huge hit.
As the doctor aboard a plane in which the pilots, and some of the passengers, become violently ill, Mr. Nielsen says they must get to a hospital right away.
“A hospital? What is it?’’ a flight attendant asks, inquiring about the illness.
“It’s a big building with patients, but that’s not important right now,’’ Mr. Nielsen deadpans.
When he asks a passenger if he can fly the plane, the man replies, “Surely you can’t be serious.’’
Mr. Nielsen responds: “I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley.’’
Critics argued he was being cast against type, but Mr. Nielsen disagreed.
“I’ve always been cast against type before,’’ he said, adding comedy was what he always wanted to do.
It was what he would do for most of the rest of his career, appearing in such comedies as “Repossessed’’ (a takeoff on the demonic possession movies like “The Exorcist’’) and “Mr. Magoo,’’ in which he played the title role of the good-natured bumbler.
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Leslie Nielsen, 84; versatile actor’s career took off with comedies
LOS ANGELES — Leslie Nielsen, who traded in his dramatic persona for inspired bumbling as a hapless doctor in “Airplane!’’ and the accident-prone detective Frank Drebin in “The Naked Gun’’ comedies, died yesterday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was 84.
The Canadian-born actor died of complications from pneumonia at a hospital near his home at 5:34 p.m., surrounded by his wife, Barbaree, and friends, his agent, John S. Kelly, said in a statement.
“We are saddened by the passing of beloved actor Leslie Nielsen, probably best remembered as Lieutenant Frank Drebin in ‘The Naked Gun’ series of pictures, but who enjoyed a more than 60-year career in motion pictures and television,’’ said Kelly.
Mr. Nielsen came to Hollywood in the mid-1950s after performing in 150 live television dramas in New York. With a craggily handsome face, blond hair, and 6-foot-2-inch height, he seemed ideal for a movie leading man.
Mr. Nielsen first performed as the king of France in the Paramount operetta “The Vagabond King’’ with Kathryn Grayson.
The film — he called it “The Vagabond Turkey’’ — flopped, but MGM signed him to a seven-year contract.
His first film for that studio, as the spaceship commander in the science fiction classic “Forbidden Planet,’’ was auspicious. He found his best dramatic role as the captain of an overturned ocean liner in the 1972 disaster movie, “The Poseidon Adventure.’’
He became known as a serious actor, although behind the camera he was a prankster. That aspect of his personality was never exploited until “Airplane!’’ was released in 1980 and became a huge hit.
As the doctor aboard a plane in which the pilots, and some of the passengers, become violently ill, Mr. Nielsen says they must get to a hospital right away.
“A hospital? What is it?’’ a flight attendant asks, inquiring about the illness.
“It’s a big building with patients, but that’s not important right now,’’ Mr. Nielsen deadpans.
When he asks a passenger if he can fly the plane, the man replies, “Surely you can’t be serious.’’
Mr. Nielsen responds: “I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley.’’
Critics argued he was being cast against type, but Mr. Nielsen disagreed.
“I’ve always been cast against type before,’’ he said, adding comedy was what he always wanted to do.
It was what he would do for most of the rest of his career, appearing in such comedies as “Repossessed’’ (a takeoff on the demonic possession movies like “The Exorcist’’) and “Mr. Magoo,’’ in which he played the title role of the good-natured bumbler.
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