It's a sad day in my house and, I presume, in many others: the great comedic actor Leslie Nielsen has died today at the age of 84. According to the Associated Press, Nielsen passed away from complications from pneumonia, surrounded by his fourth wife and friends. Nielsen will always be known around these parts as Frank Drebin, the main character of the horribly short-lived TV series Police Squad! and its feature film counterpart, the Naked Gun franchise. Police Squad! remains one of my favorite TV comedies of all time. (You can watch its uproarious intro sequence here.) It remains a timeless classic, once invoked by Family Guy, and that's in large part to the affable Nielsen and his ability to play the most oddball things seemingly straight except for a knowing wink or a smirk to the audience.
In everything I ever saw him in, he was not only delightfully hilarious, but he seemed the kind of guy that it'd be cool to live next door to. In my opinion, the world is a much less funny place without him around.
Nielsen is survived by his wife and two children.
Rest in piece, Leslie, and thanks for all the laughter you brought to our lives.
Brittany Frederick
DigitalAirwaves.net
Examiner.com
Very sad news.I loved the naked gun films especilly the second one 2 and a half:The Smell of fear
ReplyDeleteVery sad and bless his soul. I remember seeing the Airplane movies in the theater when I was a kid with my father. I have been a fan my whole life and will continue to be for the rest of it. RIP
ReplyDeleteLord, say it's not so!!! R.I.P Leslie. He probably has God cracking up right now. We love & miss you!
ReplyDeleteR.I.P. Leslie Nielsen...
ReplyDeleteR.I.P Leslie Nielsen :'( Thank you for all the work you have done. :')
ReplyDeleteRIP Leslie Nielsen. If a movie he was in wasn't good, he made it good.
ReplyDeleteGreat actor, I love most of his movies and I'm definitely gonna miss him :(
ReplyDeleteLeslie Nielsen was an awesome comedic actor and an underrated dramatic actor. By all accounts, he was also a very nice person.
ReplyDeleteNow that he's gone, please, don't call him Shirley.
This is sad. Hope he's in a better place. Someone should post an In Memoriam for Irvin Kershner, director of The Empire Strikes Back and Robocop II. He passed away today too.
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