Leslie Nielsen

Acting · Born 1926-02-11 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

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…

Filmography

• The Poseidon Adventure as Captain Harrison
• Airplane! as Dr. Rumack
• Forbidden Planet as Commander John J. Adams
• The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! as Frank Drebin
• O.J.: Made in America as Self (archive footage)
• Spy Hard as Dick Steele
• Scary Movie 3 as President Baxter Harris
• Scary Movie 4 as President Baxter Harris
• S.P.Q.R.: 2,000 and a Half Years Ago as Lucio Cinico
• Repossessed as Father Jebedaiah Mayii

TV

• Columbo as A.J. Henderson
• M*A*S*H as Col. Buzz Brighton
• Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
• Kung Fu as Vincent Corbino
• Police Squad! as Lt. Frank Drebin
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents as Lloyd Ashley
• Night Gallery as Col. Dennis Malloy
• Night Gallery as The Phantom (segment "Phantom of What Opera?")
• Columbo as Peter Hamilton
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents as Rudy Cox