Leslie Nielsen

Leslie Nielsen O.C. (born February 11, 1926 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) is an actor and comedian.

Related Topics:
February 11 - 1926 - Edmonton - Alberta - Canada - Actor - Comedian

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Born of Danish and Welsh parentage, he studied at the Lorne Greene Academy of Radio Arts in Toronto before going to the United States.

Related Topics:
Danish - Welsh - Lorne Greene - Toronto - United States

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Initially Nielsen was a serious dramatic actor, appearing in such 1950s films as the science fiction classic Forbidden Planet or as the ship's captain in 1972's The Poseidon Adventure (his singing of the theme song for The Swamp Fox notwithstanding). Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s he was a staple television guest star, appearing countless times as a doctor, lawyer, or police official, and even in his own brief series The Bold Ones. With his serious demeanor and serious silver-haired appearance, he immediately lent gravitas to any drama he was in.

Related Topics:
1950s - Science fiction - Forbidden Planet - The Poseidon Adventure - The Swamp Fox - Doctor - Lawyer - Police - The Bold Ones - Gravitas

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It was this image that was comedically reversed in the 1980 film comedy Airplane!, so effectively that his career suddenly became one of starring in a succession of broad, kitchen sink comedies. These included Police Squad! and the subsequent The Naked Gun series and a large number of other spoofs and comedies. His movies have sent up disaster movies, hospital dramas, vampire and horror movies, action blockbusters, etc.

Related Topics:
Airplane! - Kitchen sink - Police Squad! - The Naked Gun - Spoof - Disaster movie - Hospital drama - Vampire - Horror movie - Action blockbusters

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He occasionally still performs serious roles on screen and stage (such as his one-man theatre show Darrow, playing Clarence Darrow), as well as providing voice-overs for commercials, cartoons (he stars as "Zeroman", whose lead character also resembles him), and children's shows, such as "Pumper Pups", which he narrates.

Related Topics:
Clarence Darrow - Zeroman

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His brother, Erik Nielsen, is a former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada. The sibling relationship serves as the premise of an HBO mockumentary entitled The Canadian Conspiracy in which Leslie Nielsen appears, along with other prominent Canadian born media personalities.

Related Topics:
Erik Nielsen - Deputy Prime Minister of Canada - HBO - Mockumentary - The Canadian Conspiracy

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Among his numerous awards, Leslie Nielsen has a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6541 Hollywood Blvd, and has been inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. In 2002, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Related Topics:
Hollywood Walk of Fame - Canada's Walk of Fame - 2002 - Order of Canada

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