History Creator / LeslieNielsen

He is not related to Creator/ConnieNielsen. Or Creator/BrigitteNielsen. Or Creator/LiamNeeson. He ''is'' related to Erik Nielsen, former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada (they were brothers).

* BadassBaritone: Nielsen's deep voice lent well to his schtick as TheComicallySerious.

* EndOfAnAge: 1987's ''Film/{{Nuts}}'' has the distinction of being Nielsen's final dramatic acting role.

* ''Series/KungFu'': Played Vincent Corbino, the main villain of the final four episodes.

He is not related to Creator/ConnieNielsen. Or Creator/BrigitteNielsen. Or Creator/LiamNeeson.

** ''Aterriza como puedas'' (''Film/{{Airplane}}'')
** ''Agárralo como puedas'' (''Film/TheNakedGun'')
** ''Espía como puedas'' (''Film/SpyHard'')
** ''Acampa como puedas'' (''Family Plan'')
** ''2001: Despega como puedas'' (''Film/TwoThousandAndOneASpaceTravesty'')
** ''Esquía como puedas'' (''Kevin of the North'')

* CelebrityResemblance: In an episode of the 80s program ''An Evening At The Improv'', Leslie commented that throughout his career, people have mistaken him for Creator/LloydBridges. [[note]]Ironic since they both appeared in ''Airplane!'' although shared no scenes.[[/note]] When he would correct them, that he's Leslie Nielsen, many peoples' response would be along the lines of "But didn't you play Lloyd Bridges in a movie?"

[[GraveHumor His epitaph reads:]] ''[[ToiletHumor "Let 'er Rip."]]'' Because that's how he rolls. When interviewed, he asked what he would want inscribed on his gravestone, and he answered with this. And yes, he added in a perfectly timed squeeze of the whoopee cushion to punctuate the answer. ( You can virtually visit his grave on Website/FindAGrave, [[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=62278982 here.)]]

->''"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."''

* ''Film/{{Creepshow}}'' (One of the few dramatic roles he did post Airplane -- save the ending of that segment, when he gives the full Nielsen LargeHam comic moment.)

* ''Series/DueSouth'': Where his character is eventually described as having "an extraordinary resemblance to the Canadian actor and comedian Leslie Nielson."

** ''2001: Despega como puedas'' (''[[Film/TwoThousandAndOneASpaceTravesty 2001: A Space Travesty]]'')

* NoSenseOfHumor: Allegedly, the reason Leslie was so good with his famous deadpan delivery was because he genuinely didn't understand the comedy behind the lines he was given, similar to stories about [[Creator/TheMarxBrothers Margaret Dumont]]. However, see all the stories about the whoopie cushion.

* ''Film/{{Creepshow}}'' (One of the few dramatic roles he did post Airplane.)

[[quoteright:350:[[Film/{{Airplane}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img-101128-leslie-nielson_225656528596_1019.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"He ''is'' serious. And don't call him Shirley."]]

* ''The Canadian Conspiracy'', a 1985 HBO {{Mockumentary}} which riffs on the fact that his older brother Erik was Deputy Prime Minister to [[UsefulNotes/CanadianPolitics Brian Mulroney]], and included a whole bunch of Canadians in Hollywood (including both Creator/LorneGreene and Creator/LorneMichaels, to say nothing of Creator/WilliamShatner and Creator/MichaelJFox) trying to subvert the US government. Yes.

* ''Film/{{Creepshow}}''

Leslie William Nielsen [[UsefulNotes/KnightFever OC]] (February 11, 1926 – November 28, 2010) was a Canadian-born actor and comedian. Originally trained at Toronto's Neighborhood Playhouse, he first became known as a dramatic lead debuting in ''The Vagabond King''. Though the movie wasn't a success, Nielsen soon achieved fame as Commander John J. Adams in ''Film/ForbiddenPlanet'', and subsequently starred in many films and television shows as a romantic or dramatic leading man.

His start as a dramatic actor, which eventually transitioned into doing comedies instead. This inspired the name of the trivia item LeslieNielsenSyndrome (the inversion of TomHanksSyndrome) on ThisVeryWiki.

His start as a dramatic actor, which eventually transitioned into doing comedies instead inspired the name of the trivia item LeslieNielsenSyndrome (the inversion of TomHanksSyndrome).

* NoSenseOfHumor: Allegedly, the reason Leslie was so good with his famous deadpan delivery was because he genuinely didn't understand the comedy behind the lines he was given.

He is, however, best known for [[LeslieNielsenSyndrome his comedic career]], starting with a CastingGag role in ''Film/{{Airplane}}'', where [[TheComicallySerious his deadpan delivery in the face of nonstop absurdity stole the film.]] The film's success rejuvenated his career, and Nielsen soon found himself starring in other comic works, most notably ''Series/PoliceSquad'' and ''Film/TheNakedGun''. All together, he has appeared in over a hundred films and 1,500 television programs, and was so well-loved as a comical actor that Creator/RogerEbert gave him the AffectionateNickname "Creator/LaurenceOlivier of spoofs".

He is not related to Creator/ConnieNielsen. Or Creator/BrigitteNielsen.