Leslie Nielsen, star of Airplane! and the Naked Gun series, died yesterday of complications from pneumonia at age 84. The comedic actor was best known for his deadpan delivery and obliviousness in the face of absurd situations, but the slapstick that made him famous in his later years is just a slice of the 100-plus movies and 1,500-plus television programs that he appeared on. We highly recommend you revisit his classic films and remember why you loved him, but also get to know him better. To start, check out 5 crazy things you didn't know about Leslie Nielsen...
#1: HE WAS ONCE A SERIOUS ACTOR.
Though most young people remember Nielsen for playing bumbling old men in the second stage of his acting career, he started in film as a far more stern faced character actor. Check him out playing Commander John J. Adams in the 1956 sci-fi classic Forbidden Planet (above) and the captain of the doomed ocean liner in 1972's The Poseidon Adventure. The man was no joke.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#2: HE WAS A MILITARY MAN.
The son of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer, Nielsen enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1943 at age 17. He trained as an aerial gunner but never made it into World War II combat. Europe's loss, our gain.
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#3: HE IS A PART OF WWF HISTORY.
In 1994, Nielsen joined a World Wrestling Federation storyline as Naked Gun Det. Frank Drebin for SummerSlam. He was brought in to help locate The Undertaker, who had disappeared at an earlier Royal Rumble event. Better acting you will not find. And Nielsen wasn't half bad either!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#4: HE WAS AN NBA COACH.
OK, not really, but thanks to their full heads of white hair, Nielsen and NBA coach Del Harris were always said to be lookalikes. The two became friendly, and after taking in a game in which Harris's Milwaukee Bucks played Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls, Nielsen agreed to prank the players by giving a post-game locker room speech as Harris. It hasn't exactly inspired the team to greatness, but it was a slam dunk idea.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#5: HE WAS AN OFFICER OF THE ORDER OF CANADA.
Despite having become a naturalized U.S. citizen, on October 10, 2002, Nielsen was made an Officer of the Order of Canada (the country's highest civilian honor) for his services to entertainment. Though he clearly got a pass on Surf Ninjas, it was well deserved.
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