Actor Leslie Nielsen died 28 November 2010, while being treated for pneumonia near his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Born 11 February 1926 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, he grew up in the Northwest Territories and Edmonton, Alberta (his father was a Mountie). He was nominated for Emmys in 1982 (lead actor in a comedy series, for the short-lived Police Squad!) and 1989 (guest actor in a comedy series, for Day by Day). He was also nominated for an MTV Movie Award, in 1992, for best kiss (shared with Priscilla Presley in The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear).
Nielsen enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force before he turned 18, and trained as an aerial gunner during World War II, but never saw combat. Later, he began his acting career on the radio in Calgary, and then studied at the Academy of Studio Arts in Toronto and at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York. His television debut came in a 1950 episode of Actors Studio. His Broadway debut was in 1952’s Seagulls Over Sorrento.
His film debut came in 1956’s Ransom! but it was his second film role that cemented his connection to speculative fiction, when he was cast as Commander J.J. Adams in Forbidden Planet. His first film career saw him in many dramatic and romantic roles. But he found much greater success in his second film career, which began when he was cast int he low-budget, high-earning disaster-movie parody Airplane! (1980).
Nielsen’s genre roles include: Stan Helsing (2009), Superhero Movie (2008), An American Carol (2008), 2001: A Space Travesty (2000), Santa Who? (2000), Harvey (1996), Katie and Orbie (1994), S.P.Q.R.: 2,000 and a Half Years Ago (1994), Repossessed (1990), an episode of Highway to Heaven (1987), an episode of The Ray Bradbury Theater (“Marionettes, Inc.”, 1985), The Creature Wasn’t Nice (1983), Creepshow (1982), Prom Night (1980), three episodes of Fantasy Island (1978-80), Day of the Animals (1977), two episodes of The Evil Touch (1973 and 1974), The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler (1971), two episodes of Night Gallery (1971), Hauser’s Memory (1970), Night Slaves (1970), Change of Mind (1969), The Reluctant Astronaut (1967), Dark Intruder (1965), an episode of The Wild Wild West (1965), an episode of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1965), an episode of Thriller (1960), Forbidden Planet (1956), six episodes of Tales of Tomorrow (1952-53), an episode of Out There (1951), and four episodes of Lights Out (1950-52).
He had four wives (the first three marriages ended in divorce): Monica Boyer (1950-56), Alisande Ullman (1958-74), Brooks Oliver (1981-84), and Barbaree Earl (2001- ). He is survived by his fourth wife and the two daughters he had with Ullman.
His elder brother, Erik Nielsen (1924-2008), was a member of Canada’s Parliament from 1957 to 1987, and served as deputy prime minister from 1984 to 1986.