Leslie Nielsen Dies Aged 84
Leslie Nielsen, the veteran actor has died at hospital in Florida after fighting against pneumonia. Relatives said that he passed away peacefully.
Nielsen was a serious actor up until being cast in the film regularly rated as one of the best comedy films of all time, Airplane.
Airplane was a laugh a second film spoofing the airplane disaster movies that were popular in the 1970′s, with Nielsen playing the part of an on board Doctor. Indeed, the spoof was actually based around a real disaster movie script.
He followed up with the successful Naked Gun franchise which spoofed police dramas and his position as a comic actor was sealed in Hollywood forever.
He was born in Regina, Canada in 1926 and started working as an actor in New York in the 1950′s, mainly in television.
He moved to California in the mid 1950′s forging a career as a leading man, but it wasn’t until he was 54 in 1980 that he hit the really big time with his star turn in Airplane!
Photo: Alan Light
What a great guy, always been fond of Leslie Nielsen, may he rest in peace.