Leslie William Nielsen, OC (born February 11, 1926) is a Canadian actor and comedian. Although Nielsen's acting career crosses a variety of genres in both television and films, he has achieved his greatest film success as Commander John J. Adams in the film Forbidden Planet, and also in comic movies, including Airplane! and The Naked Gun series. His portrayal of serious characters seemingly oblivious of (and complicit in) their absurd surrounding...
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Leslie William Nielsen, OC (born February 11, 1926) is a Canadian actor and comedian. Although Nielsen's acting career crosses a variety of genres in both television and films, he has achieved his greatest film success as Commander John J. Adams in the film Forbidden Planet, and also in comic movies, including Airplane! and The Naked Gun series. His portrayal of serious characters seemingly oblivious of (and complicit in) their absurd surroundings gives Nielsen a reputation as a comedian.
A series of later comedies attempted to emulate the popularity of his prior roles, bring a change from the serious roles of his early career. Leading roles in the science fiction classic Forbidden Planet and as the ship's captain in The Poseidon Adventure came long before Nielsen considered a turn to comedy. His deadpan delivery as a doctor in 1980's Airplane! marked a turning point in Nielsen's career, one that would make him, in the words of film critic Roger Ebert, "the Olivier of spoofs." He may...
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