The 80s - Leslie Nielsen dies at age 84

**Rainstorm Jenny** · 11-28-2010, 10:16 PM

Nielsen passed away in a hospital near his Fort Lauderdale, Fla. home surrounded by his wife and close friends. Nielsen had reportedly been hospitalized for nearly two weeks prior to his death.

The son of a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman, the actor got his professional acting start performing in a string of live television shows in New York City. Eventually he headed to Hollywood in hopes of making it big in the movies.

While Nielsen worked often playing straight-laced leading men and the occasional blandly evil malefactor, his most notable film roles in the 1950s and 1960s were in films like Forbidden Planet and Tammy and the Bachelor. He made many television appearances through the 1970s on shows like The Swamp Fox and The Wild Wild West, before finding fame as a comedian in Airplane!, which essentially had him play a version of his straight-laced hero roles in a context that made his work suddenly hilarious. (Nielsen's Airplane! co-star Peter Graves, who got a similar career boost from the film, passed away earlier this year.)

Following the success of Airplane! and The Naked Gun (which sprang from a failed, but funny TV spoof Police Squad!), Nielsen appeared in many more spoofs such as Dracula: Dead and Loving It and Spy Hard. An avid golfer, the actor also released several comic instructional videos, as well.

He was married four times and had two children.

In lieu of flowers, the family requested that donations be made in his name to charitable causes.

Barrybgb · 11-29-2010, 09:17 AM

This isn't the news I wanted to wake up to this morning. He was so awesome.

**Melis** · 11-29-2010, 06:44 PM

Sad, sad news.

**Rainstorm Jenny** · 11-29-2010, 10:44 PM

I know it really is sad ;( He lived a pretty good life though being 84. You just wish though that the actors you liked would live forever.

Barrybgb · 12-01-2010, 08:51 AM

If only. When my dad saw it in the paper, he said he felt a real sense of loss and that he doesn't feel that way too often.

**Rainstorm Jenny** · 12-01-2010, 07:05 PM

Same with my dad as well, he grew up watching his stuff too.


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