Leslie Nielsen: a career in pictures

The actor Leslie Nielsen, who split his career between po-faced leading men and deadpan slapstick stars, has died aged 84. We look back over his career in stills
  
  


Leslie Nielsen obituary: VARIOUS
Nielsen's first big-screen role was 1956's Forbidden Planet
Photograph: Snap/Rex Features Photograph: Snap / Rex Features
Leslie Nielsen Obituary: Leslie Nielsen Obituary
Two years later Nielsen was in The Sheepman with Shirley MacLaine and Glenn Ford
Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/MGM Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext / Allstar Collection/MGM
Leslie Nielsen Obituary: Leslie Nielsen Obituary
The 60s brought about a sweep of detective roles. This is Night Train To Paris (1964)
Photograph: Allstar/20th Century Fox/Sportsphoto Photograph: Allstar/20th Century Fox/Sportsphoto Ltd./Allstar
Leslie Nielsen Obituary: LESLIE NIELSEN OBITUARY
A rare comedy: How To Commit Marriage (1969) alongside Bob Hope and Jane Wyman
Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/NBC Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/NBC
Leslie Nielsen Obituary: Leslie Nielsen Obituary
Airplane! was the turning point in Nielsen's career: here he is with Julie Hagerty, Lorna Patterson and Peter Graves
Photograph: Everett Collection/Rex Features Photograph: Everett Collection / Rex Features
Leslie Nielsen obituary: 'Police Squad' TV series - 1982
The Zucker brothers and Nielsen capitalised on the success of Airplane! with the TV show Police Squad, which ran for six episodes in 1982. Here Nielsen is seen alongside Kathryn Leigh Scott and Alan North
Photograph: c.Paramount/Everett/Rex Features Photograph: c.Paramount/Everett / Rex Features
Leslie Nielsen Obituary: LESLIE NIELSEN OBITUARY
Six years later, they revived the series for the first Naked Gun film, with Nielsen back in the saddle as Lt Frank Drebin, with Priscilla Presley as the love interest
Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/Paramount Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext / Allstar Collection/PARAMOUNT/Allstar/Cinetext/Paramount
Leslie Nielsen Obituary: Leslie Nielsen Obituary
Nielsen carried on working between gaps in the series. Here he is in Dangerous Curves (1988)
Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext / Allstar Collection/
Leslie Nielsen Obituary: 'The Golden Girls' TV series - 1985 - 1992
He guest-starred in an early 90s season of sitcom The Golden Girls, alongside with Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty, Bea Arthur and Betty White
Photograph: Nbcuphotobank/Rex Features Photograph: Nbcuphotobank / Rex Features
Leslie Nielsen Obituary: VARIOUS
Naked Gun 2 1/2 The Smell of Fear was the 1991 sequel to the first of Drebin's big-screen outings
Photograph: Snap/Rex Features Photograph: Snap / Rex Features
Leslie Nielsen Obituary: Leslie Nielsen Obituary
Here's Nielsen as Santa in 1991's All I Want For Christmas, alongside a young Thora Birch
Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/Paramount Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/Paramount
Leslie Nielsen Obituary: Leslie Nielsen Obituary
The little-remembered Surf Ninjas (1993)
Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext / Allstar Collection/NEW LINE CINEMA
Leslie Nielsen Obituary: Leslie Nielsen Obituary
Classical spoof SPQR: 2,000 and a Half Years Ago (1994)
Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/Lauren Film Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/Lauren Film
Leslie Nielsen Obituary: Leslie Nielsen Obituary
Though rumours emerged last year of a another instalment, the Naked Gun series finished in 1994 with 33 1/3: The Final Insult. Nielsen serves tea to cop colleagues George Kennedy and OJ Simpson
Photograph: Allstar/Paramount/Sportsphoto Ltd Photograph: Allstar/Paramount/Sportsphoto Ltd./Allstar
Leslie Nielsen Obituary: LESLIE NIELSEN OBITUARY
The end of Naked Gun didn't stop Nielsen spoofing. Here he is in 1995's Dracula: Dead and Loving It, directed by Mel Brooks
Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/Castle Rock Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/Castle Rock
Leslie Nielsen Obituary: 'SPY HARD' FILM STILLS - 1996
Spy Hard (1996), alongside Nicollette Sheridan
Photograph: Buena Vista/Everett/Rex Features Photograph: c.Buena Vista/Everett / Rex Features
Leslie Nielsen Obituary: 'Mr Magoo' film - 1997
1997's Mr Magoo met with less praise
Photograph: Buena Vista/Everett/Rex Features Photograph: Buena Vista/Everett / Rex Features/Buena Vista/Everett/Rex Features
Leslie Nielsen Obituary: Leslie Nielsen Obituary
Though Wrongfully Accused (1998) is more fondly recalled
Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/Warner Bros Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/Warner Bros
Leslie Nielsen Obituary: Leslie Nielsen Obituary
A rare non-spoof: 1996's Harvey, with Swoosie Kurtz and Harry Anderson
Photograph: Allstar/CBS/Sportsphoto Ltd Photograph: Allstar/CBS/Sportsphoto Ltd./Allstar
Leslie Nielsen Obituary: Leslie Nielsen Obituary
Back in the festive comedy saddle: 2000's Santa Who?
Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/ABC/Sportsphoto Ltd. Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/ABC/Sportsphoto Ltd./Allstar
Leslie Nielsen Obituary: LESLIE NIELSEN OBITUARY
2001: A Space Travesty
Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/Cinevent Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext / Allstar Collection/CINEVENT
Leslie Nielsen Obituary: 'SCARY MOVIE 3' FILM - 2003
Nielsen won a new audience with extended cameos in Scary Movie 3 …
Photograph: c.Dimension/Everett/Rex Features Photograph: c.Dimension/Everett / Rex Features
Leslie Nielsen Obituary: 'Scary Movie 4' film - 2006
And, most notably, Scary Movie 4, which he spent a large part of naked
Photograph: c.Dimension/Everett/Rex Features Photograph: c.Dimension/Everett / Rex Features
Leslie Nielsen obituary: An American Carol - 2008
Zucker and Nielsen teamed up again for Michael Moore spoof An American Carol, (aka Big Fat Important Movie) from 2008
Photograph: c.Everett Collection/Rex Features Photograph: c.Everett Collection / Rex Features
Leslie Nielsen Obituary: Leslie Nielsen Obituary
Still spoofing in 2008 … Superhero Movie
Photograph: Allstar/Dimension Films/Sportsphoto Ltd. Photograph: Allstar/Dimension Films/Sportsphoto Ltd./Allstar
 

Leave a Comment

Required fields are marked *

*

CAPTCHA

*