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Nielsen was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, the son of Maybelle and Ingvard Nielsen. Nielsen's mother was Welsh and his father Danish. He has two brothers, including Erik Nielsen, who was Deputy Prime Minister of Canada during the 1980s, and is a nephew of the late actor Jean Hersholt. Leslie and his family spent some time living in Fort Norman, NWT (Tulita) as his father was stationed there with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. After graduating from Victoria Composite High School in Edmonton, Alberta Nielsen joined the Royal Canadian Air Force where he served for a year as an aerial gunner during World War II (although he was not sent overseas to fight). Once he left the military, he found a job as a disc jockey at a Calgary radio station and decided to enroll at the Lorne Greene Academy of Radio Arts in Toronto. In his early twenties, he moved to New York City for a scholarship he received for the Neighborhood Playhouse. He studied both theater and music while performing in summer stock theatre. In 1948, he made his first appearance on television in a Studio One episode.

Early career

Nielsen's career began in dramatic roles, with numerous appearances as a doctor, lawyer, or police officer. In 1950 alone, he appeared in almost 50 live programs. Nielsen reported that for his salary that there "was very little gold...we only got $75 or $100 per show." His distinctive voice narrated several documentaries and commercials. With a handful of exceptions, his early work as a dramatic actor was uneventful. All Movie Guide notes, "much of Nielsen's early work was undistinguished; he was merely a handsome leading man in an industry overstocked with handsome leading men."

Soon after moving to Hollywood in 1954 under a contract with Paramount, he was cast as Commander John J. Adams in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film Forbidden Planet (1956) which would receive many good reviews. The film took its plot from Shakespeare's The Tempest, and also starred Walter Pidgeon and Anne Francis. Nielsen is also known for his roles as Debbie Reynolds' love interest in the first of the Tammy movies, Tammy and the Bachelor, and as Captain Harrison in The Poseidon Adventure (1972) as well as in the M*A*S*H episode "The Ringbanger".

Nielsen says he has appeared in over 1,500 television programs. His early television appearances include parts in Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Virginian, and The Wild Wild West. His first leading role in a tv series was as American Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion in Disney's The Swamp Fox, a spin-off of the Davy Crockett series, it also featured his singing of the theme song. In 1961, he was the lead in a taut L.A. police drama called The New Breed. In 1968, he had a major role in the pilot movie for the popular police series Hawaii Five-O. In 1969, he had the leading role as a police officer in The Bold Ones: The Protectors. Nielsen also starred in the William Girdler directed 1977 action film Project: Kill.

Airplane! and The Naked Gun

Nielsen's comedic breakthrough came with a supporting role in 1980's Airplane!, a parody of Zero Hour!. Nielsen played a doctor aboard an airplane whose crew has been struck with food sickness. His deadpan delivery contrasted with the absurdity surrounding him. When asked "Surely you can't be serious?", he responds with a curt, "I am serious. And don't call me Shirley." He later reflected in several interviews on the significance of the comedic line: "I thought it was amusing, but it never occurred to me that it was going to become a trademark. It's such a surprise...the thing comes out, people say "What did he say?!" He also said that he was "pleased and honored that I had a chance to deliver that line." The comedic exchange was at #79 on the American Film Institute's list of Top 100 movie quotes. The American Film Institute would also include the film in its list of the top ten comedy movies of all time.

Critics praised the movie, which proved to be a success with audiences as well. The film's directors, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker, decided to choose Nielsen for the role due to his ability to play "a fish in water", stating that "You could have cast funny people and done it with everybody winking, goofing off and silly...we wanted people to be oblivious to the comedy." The directors, interested in the success of the new comedy, decided to bring the slapstick style of comedy to television. They asked Nielsen to play the lead role in their new series, Police Squad! The series introduced Nielsen as Frank Drebin, a stereotypical police officer modeled after earlier detective series.

The show's opening sequence was based on the 1950s cop show M Squad, (starring Lee Marvin), which opened with footage of a police car roving through in an after-dark urban setting as a big band played a jazz theme song. The voice-over and the show's organization into "acts" with an epilogue was homage to classic Quinn Martin police dramas including The Fugitive, Barnaby Jones, The F.B.I., and Cannon. Much like Airplane!, Drebin was a serious character whose one-liners appeared accidental next to the pratfalls and sight gags around him. Although the show failed, lasting only six episodes after being juggled between time slots, Nielsen received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

With the exception of Airplane!, Nielsen was not known as a comedian. His roles continued to be small and sporadic, such as Prom Night (1980) and Creepshow (1982), which were both horror films. Nielsen's most recent non-comedy role was the cameo appearance as Allen Green, a sleazy character who is murdered by Barbra Streisand's character Claudia Draper in Martin Ritt's courtroom drama Nuts.

Six years after the cancellation of Police Squad!, the directors decided to make a feature length version for theaters. Titled The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, the film returned Nielsen to his role as Frank Drebin. The film involved a comical scheme to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II through a hypnotized baseball player. Drebin, like the doctor in Airplane!, seemed unaware of the absurdity even when unintentionally contributing toward it. Nielsen later said in an interview that he had done many of his own stunts, saying "You have an idea of how you're going to do something, and it's your vision...unless you do it, it really doesn't stand a chance." The movie was popular and well received by critics. Ebert's 3½-star review (out of four) noted, "You laugh, and then you laugh at yourself for laughing."

Two popular sequels followed, The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991) and Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult (1994). Nielsen remains open to the prospects of acting in a fourth Naked Gun film, although doubts it will ever be produced – "I don't think so. If there hasn't been one by now, I doubt it. I think it would be wonderful."

Nielsen briefly appeared in the World Wrestling Federation in the summer of 1994. Capitalizing on his Frank Drebin character, Nielsen (and George Kennedy) were hired as "super-sleuths" to unravel the mystery of The Undertaker, who had disappeared at January's Royal Rumble event. At SummerSlam 1994, in a Naked Gun parody, they were hot on the case (in fact, they were literally standing on a case). Although they did not actually find The Undertaker, the case had been closed (the literal case had been shut) and thus, they solved the mystery.

Later comedies

Nielsen attempted a variety of similar roles which never achieved the success of Frank Drebin. Many of the films emulated the style of The Naked Gun films, but with varying degrees of critical and commercial success. Indeed, many of the films were panned by critics and most performed poorly.

Although The Naked Gun series parodied police dramas in general, Nielsen's later parody films focused on specific targets. Critics panned Repossessed (1990) and 2001: A Space Travesty (2001), parodies of The Exorcist and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Both films attempted the absurdist comedy Nielsen is recognized for, but were poorly received. Even a leading role in a Mel Brooks comic horror parody, Dracula: Dead and Loving It, failed to generate much box office excitement, although it did gain somewhat of a following on its later release to video. Both 1996's Spy Hard and 1998's Wrongfully Accused, a parody of The Fugitive, received even more popularity on home video and were not-well received by critics.

His attempt at children's comedies met additional criticism. Surf Ninjas (1993) and Mr. Magoo (1997) faced scathing reviews. Several critics were disappointed that Nielsen's role in Surf Ninjas was only "an extended cameo" and Chris Hicks, a film critic at desertnews.com, recommended that viewers "avoid any comedy that features Leslie Nielsen outside of the Naked Gun series." Jeff Miller of the Houston Chronicle panned Mr. Magoo, a live action remake of the 1950s cartoon, by saying, "I'm supposed to suggest how the film might be better. But I can't think of anything to say other than to make the film again."

Nielsen's first major slapstick success since The Naked Gun came in a supporting role in Scary Movie 3. His appearance as President Harris proved popular enough for a second appearance in its sequel, Scary Movie 4. This became the first time Nielsen reprised a character since his numerous appearances as Frank Drebin. In one scene in the film, Nielsen appeared almost fully nude, and one critic referred to the scene as putting "the 'scary' in Scary Movie 4." With the recent announcement of 2008's Scary Movie 5, Nielsen is expected to reprise his role a third time. Nielsen also appeared in Superhero Movie, playing Rick Riker's/The Dragonfly's (the main super hero, parody of Peter Benjamin Parker/Spiderman) Uncle Albert (parody of Uncle Ben).

Nielsen also hosted a series of golf instructional videos beginning with 1993's Bad Golf Made Easier. The videos were not serious, instead combining absurd comedy with golf techniques. The series were popular enough to spawn two additional sequels, Bad Golf My Way (1994) and Stupid Little Golf Video (1997). Nielsen also co-wrote a fictional autobiography titled The Naked Truth. The book portrayed Nielsen as a popular actor with a long history of prestigious films.

Recent work

Even in his eighties, Nielsen continues to have an active career. He performs serious roles on screen and stage (such as his one-man theatre show Darrow, playing Clarence Darrow), as well as providing voice-overs and on-camera appearances for commercials; cartoons like Zeroman where he has the leading role/voice; children's shows, such as "Pumper Pups", which he narrates, in addition to comedic film roles. The sibling relationship with his elder brother, the Honourable Erik Nielsen, a former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, 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. Recently, he was a celebrity contestant on CBS's Gameshow Marathon, where he played The Price is Right, Let's Make a Deal, Beat the Clock and Press Your Luck for charity.

Beginning in February 2007, Nielsen began playing a small role as a doctor in the humorous yet educational television show Doctorology. The show chronicles real-life medical techniques and technology, and airs on the Discovery Channel. In an interview, Nielsen admitted his admiration for the doctors on the show: "There are any number of things that you think about when you ponder if you hadn't been an actor, what would you be, and I've always said I'd like to be an astronaut or a doctor. I have such admiration for doctors. I just don't know how you go around to thank them enough for coming up with the world's most remarkable new discoveries."

In 2007, Nielsen starred in the drama Music Within. In 2008, he portrayed a version of Uncle Ben for Superhero Movie, a spoof of superhero films with co-star Drake Bell. After Superhero Movie, Leslie was cast in David Zucker's 2008 parody An American Carol, which Zucker will direct, produce, and co-write. Nielsen also will lend his voice to the direct-to-DVD animated film, The Waterman Movie, which will be released in early 2008.

Over the years Nielsen has portrayed over 220 characters. The following are perhaps his most famous characters that he portrayed in films and a television show.

Dr. Rumack

In 1980 Nielsen portrayed Dr. Rumack in the hit comedy Airplane!, this proved to be a turning point in Leslie's acting career.

Lt. Frank Drebin

Nielsen's perhaps most well-known character was Sergeant Frank Drebin, Detective Lieutenant Police Squad, a character that delivered him an Emmy award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Nielsen first portrayed this character on the television series Police Squad! in 1982 for all the episodes until the cancellation. Six years after the cancellation of Police Squad! (which was considered "the most stupid reason a network ever gave for ending a series" by TV Guide) The movie The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! was released, and it performed well at the box office grossing around $78,756,177. A sequel was made and entitled The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear, which was released on June 28, 1991. The sequel grossed more than the original with $86,930,411. The final sequel was released on March 18, 1994 and was entitled Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult. It grossed less than the previous two films with $51,132,598 in receipts. Nielsen's most recent appearance as Drebin was in the miniseries America's Top Sleuths which also included appearances by Pierce Brosnan, Chevy Chase and Peter Falk. Nielsen appeared on TV in 2006 when archive footage of Drebin was used in the made-for-TV movie ¿De qué te ríes?

President Harris

In 2003, Nielsen portrayed fictional President Harris in Scary Movie 3, which was the second highest grossing movie of the Scary Movie film series. Although he did not play a large role in the film, the character was popular among fans and Nielsen was asked by producers to return for Scary Movie 4. Scary Movie 3 was the first of the films in the franchise that was directed by David Zucker, part of the ZAZ, a directing group for which Nielsen had already worked for in movies such as The Kentucky Fried Movie (in which he made a cameo appearance), Airplane!, and The Naked Gun.

Nielsen has been divorced three times: Monica Boyer (1950-1956), Alisande Ullman (1958-1973), and Brooks Oliver (1981-1983). In 2001, he married his fourth wife, Barbaree Earl, whom he has been involved with since 1983. Nielsen also has two children from his second marriage, Maura Nielsen Kaplan and Thea Nielsen Disney.

Nielsen is a fan of golf, and plays it in his free time. In an interview he stated that "I don't play golf to feel bad, I play bad golf but I feel good."

Nielsen has stated in several interviews that he has a few medical problems such as hearing impairment. Because of this impairment, he has joined the International Better Hearing Institute and has become its president.

When reflecting on his career, Nielsen has stated "I'm afraid if I don't keep moving, they're going to catch me...I am 81 years old and I want to see what's around the corner, and I don't see any reason in the world not to keep working. But I am starting to value my down time a great deal because I am realizing there might be other things to do that I am overlooking."

Among his numerous awards, Leslie Nielsen received UCLA's Jack Benny Award for his comedic roles in 1995. In 2001, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6541 Hollywood Blvd, and has been inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.The following year he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, although he is also a naturalized U.S. citizen (like many celebrities, Nielsen maintains a residence in the Phoenix, Arizona area).With his American status, he still maintains his Canadian heritage: "There's no way you can be a Canadian and think you can lose it...Canadians are a goodly group. They are very aware of caring and helping." On May 19, 2005, during the centennial gala of his birth province, Saskatchewan, Leslie Nielsen was introduced to HM Queen Elizabeth II.

The Leslie Nielsen School of Communications at Grant MacEwan College, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada is named for him.

Nielsen was also tested for the roles of Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Messala in Ben-Hur. Nielsen currently lives in Paradise Valley, Arizona with his family.