Some sad and sudden news arrived late tonight as it was land actor Leslie Nielsen, probably best known for his performance as Lt. Frank Drebin in the Naked Gun series of films, passed away at the age of 84 due to complications from pneumonia.
Outside of Naked Gun and its two sequels, Nielsen starred in the ’50s sci-fi feature Forbidden Planet, Airplane!, The Poseidon Adventure, several spoof films from Spy Hard to the Scary Movie features and more television appearances than I care to count on shows ranging from “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” to “Columbo.” To say he was an actor that managed to entertain a wide range of audiences.
The following message was sent out via Nielsen’s agent:
We are saddened by the passing of beloved actor Leslie Nielsen, probably best remembered as Lt. Frank Drebin in THE NAKED GUN series of pictures, but who enjoyed a more than 60 year career in motion pictures and television.”
Mr. Nielsen, 84, died of complications of pneumonia in a hospital near his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, surrounded by his lovely wife and dear friends at 5:34pm EST today.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in his name to the charity of your choice.
Personally, my familiarity with Nielsen began with Naked Gun and went on from there, but not much further. I didn’t see Forbidden Planet until later and spoof features entertained me far more when I was younger than they do now, though Airplane! will likely go down as a classic for most if not all movie watchers.
All of that said, here’s a reminder for those that may be interested.
