On February 11, 1926, Leslie William Nielsen was born. Although his most recognizable roles include Frank Drebin from the “Naked Gun” series and Dr. Rumack from “Is there a pilot flying with us?”, He initially played dramatic characters, often playing villains as well.
Leslie Nielsen was born the middle of three brothers. At 17, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He succeeded despite having to wear hearing aids, but due to his young age, he was not fully trained and did not participate in the battles of World War II. Then he worked as a DJ for a short time, and during his studies in Toronto, he received a scholarship from the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater in New York. He first appeared on television in 1950, in an episode of the Studio One series . During this one year alone, he performed in a total of 46 programs.
His film debut was Okup (1956), then he starred in, among others in The Vagabond King (1956), Forbidden Planet (1956), Hot Summer Night (1957) and One Against All (1958). During this period, he established himself as an actor suitable for dramatic roles. He also appeared in series, incl. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea , Daniel Boone and Hawaii Five-0 , he also played the main character of The New Breed series . However, this is an engagement in Is there a pilot flying with us?(1980) turned out to be a turning point in his career. It turned out to be great for comedy, which caught the attention of not only the audience, but also the filmmakers.
Perhaps the most recognizable role for Leslie Nielsen is Lieutenant Frank Drebin from the TV series Police Squad! and then also the film series The Naked Gun . Other hilarious roles include the title Count of Dracula – Vampires Without Teeth (1995), Agent WD-40 with A Glass of Paws (1996), Mr. Magoo in Mr. Magoo (1997) by violinist Ryan Harrison in the Wall ( ą) gany (1998) or Marshal “Dick” Dix in 2001: A Comic Odyssey (2000). During his 60-year career, Leslie Nielsen has created over 220 characters in over 100 films and 150 TV shows.
Leslie Nielsen died on November 28, 2010 as a result of complications from pneumonia, but his performances continue to entertain the next generation of viewers.