It wasn’t the biggest part, but perhaps the biggest movie he was in was The Poseidon Adventure as the captain of the ship.
He was a regular guest star on crime shows in the '70s. Both as a good guy and the bad guy. Those posters who are only familiar with his comedic roles in the second half of his career might not really appreciate what a departure this new funny Leslie Nielsen was from his previous character acting roles.
I saw him as a funny man on film and TV first. Seeing him in the older more serious roles (save Forbidden Planet) I just couldn’t take him seriously, especially in that religious themed show, Highway to Heaven wasn’t it?
What now for the writers of the Scary Movie franchise, given that the only man who could make them funny is gone?
Did I heard correctly NPR in their obituary of Nielsen in the morning? I Swear they said that Nielsen, among other things, was the captain of the sci-fi TV series “Forbidden Planet”?!? :smack:
All I can say is, “Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit”
(“Golly”)
I grew up watching Leslie Nielsen playing those dramatic roles, always the ship captain, doctor, attorney, etc. It’s the contrast between that humorless authority figure and his comedic persona that makes me howl with laughter, more than the gags.
I’ve enjoyed this thread. Made me laugh!
It’s not even so much the contrast. In the farcical roles, he played the same way, just a smidge more broadly. It’s the context that changed, and he morphed the character just enough to be part of the joke.
I keep thinking of Vincent Price, who had a similar career arc. (Although in his case, he needed money bad, as many of his era did.) Price was always kind of a ham, though, early and late. But I don’t think Price in his later years worked with the same caliber of directors that Nielsen did, either.
I can’t help but think what would have happened to Canadian Law Enforcement had he become a Mounty like his family had wanted.
(Imagine: Waterboarding could have been an event at the Calgary Olympics…!)
Alternatively, he could have gone into politics, like his brother Erik Nielsen, who became Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, 1984-1986.
Question Period might have been much more fun…
RIP Leslie Neilsen. I love this thread.
I like this clip as an example of that. The contrast of Neilsen playing it more or less straight, while Garret Graham hams it up, and Patrick MacNee manages to do them both at the same time is wonderful.
A good actor - needlessly cut down by some cowardly pathogens.
Cheer up, his family. This is not goodbye. It’s just I won’t ever see him again.
RIP. Thanks for all the amazing material.
Entertainment Tonight showed a clip of an interview with Nilsen last night. He said he didn’t have a clue that the line “And don’t call me Shirley” would make such an impact.
Fortunately, he worked in one of those all-night wicker places.
In a part of town called Little Italy.
Pneumonia? Or did the reanimated corpse of Ted Danson come from the sea to have its revenge?
Wherever he is now… I know he’s still passing gas.
This baseball scene cracks me the hell up.