Leslie Nielsen dies at age 84

[ucfgrad93]

What a great comic he was. I laugh just thinking about him. Sorry to see him go.

Agreed.

 

[Huntn]

He had his funny moments, however the first impressive movie I remember him in was Forbidden Planet a ground breaking science fiction movie from the 50's.

 

[obeygiant]

Seriously...was there ever anyone with a more satisfying second act than Leslie Nielsen? Memorable as the starship captain of 1956's FORBIDDEN PLANET and in 1960 as Disney's SWAMP FOX, his would be a familiar face (topped by its prematurely white hair) to sixties and early seventies television viewers as an authority figure on scores of shows--a doctor, a lawyer, a detective, an executive. He was a hunter in a memorable episode of NIGHT GALLERY and Patrick McGoohan's victim in my all-time favorite episode of COLUMBO. The one thing that characterized Leslie Nielsen's performances more than anything else was his seriousness. He was serious to the point of being stodgy!

Then, at age 55, at a time when he could have chosen to retire and look back over

a good, solid acting career, came AIRPLANE. Part of the humor of the now legendary scattershot comedy was to cast Nielsen along with other stodgy actors such as Robert Stack,Peter Graves and Lloyd Bridges and have them do flat out silly things. It worked. The film did much for the careers of all of those men but the others simply returned to their serious roles for the most part including Stack's gravitas on TV's UNSOLVED MYSTERIES and Graves hosting BIOGRAPHY.

Leslie Nielsen, on the other hand, grabbed a whoopie cushion and away he ran, never looking back. Eventually it got to a point where he could not have been taken seriously in another role ever again. From that point on, whatever the role, whatever the project, he was Leslie Nielsen!

link

 

[0098386]

It turns out I had only seen the Naked Gun trilogy and Airplane 1. Ordered a whole load of his films yesterday (very excited for Spy Hard and Police Squad). And just in time too - stock is going down and prices are going up!

RIP guy.

 

[iJohnHenry]

And just in time too - stock is going down and prices are going up!

I suspected that might happen, especially when Leslie hit 2nd Worldwide trending in Twitter. He is now 4th.

 

[Thomas Veil]

Pneumonia...that's no way to go. A parachute not opening... that's a way to die. Getting caught in the gears of a combine... having your nuts bit off by a Laplander, that's the way I wanna go!

Thanks for all the laughs, Leslie. You'll be missed.

 

[iJohnHenry]

<never mind>

 

[BanjoBanker]

Dating myself a bit, but I was a bit pot-off by his casting for Airplane. He was a Serious actor after all. Boy was I WRONG! The man could co comedy with the best. I still use the " don't call me Shirley" line all the time. RIP Leslie, you will be missed.

 

[iJohnHenry]

RIP Leslie, you will be missed.

Some men deserve to live-on after their time.

He was one of those.