Topic: Actor and comedian Leslie Nielsen (1926-2010)
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42981 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 11-28-2010 08:13 PM
Canadian actor and comedian Leslie Nielsen, 84, died Sunday in a Florida hospital, according to news reports citing his family.
"Today at 5:30 with his friends and his wife by his side, he just fell asleep and passed away," his nephew Doug Nielsen told Manitoba radio station CJOB68.
Neilsen is perhaps best known for his roles in Airplane! and The Naked Gun.
Keeping with the theme of this site, Nielsen had a leading role in the 1956 Forbidden Planet, portraying "Commander John J. Adams." Others of his space-related roles included "Major Fred Gifford" in The Reluctant Astronaut (1967); "Capt. Jamieson" in The Creature Wasn't Nice (1983); and "Richard 'Dick' Dix" in 2001: A Space Travesty (2000), the latter as seen in the clip below.
MB Member
Posts: 155 From: Olmsted Falls, Ohio U.S.A. Registered: Jul 2005
posted 11-28-2010 08:27 PM
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randy Member
Posts: 2176 From: West Jordan, Utah USA Registered: Dec 1999
posted 11-28-2010 08:48 PM
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Scott Member
Posts: 3307 From: Houston, TX Registered: May 2001
posted 11-28-2010 09:12 PM
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Fezman92 Member
Posts: 1031 From: New Jersey, USA Registered: Mar 2010
posted 11-28-2010 09:40 PM
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413 is in Member
Posts: 628 From: Alexandria, VA USA Registered: May 2006
posted 11-28-2010 10:45 PM
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cspg Member
Posts: 6210 From: Geneva, Switzerland Registered: May 2006
posted 11-28-2010 11:55 PM
I didn't know he played in "Forbidden Planet".
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Lunar rock nut Member
Posts: 911 From: Oklahoma city, Oklahoma U.S.A. Registered: Feb 2007
posted 11-29-2010 04:22 AM
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space1 Member
Posts: 853 From: Danville, Ohio Registered: Dec 2002
posted 11-29-2010 04:49 AM
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history in miniature Member
Posts: 600 From: Slatington, PA Registered: Mar 2009
posted 11-29-2010 05:29 AM
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Rob Joyner Member
Posts: 1308 From: GA, USA Registered: Jan 2004
posted 11-29-2010 05:44 AM
Forbidden Planet has been one of my favorite science fiction films for as long as I can remember.
Another genuine Hollywood movie star gone. Thank you, Mr. Nielsen.
NavySpaceFan Member
Posts: 655 From: Norfolk, VA Registered: May 2007
posted 11-29-2010 06:05 AM
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Delta7 Member
Posts: 1505 From: Bluffton IN USA Registered: Oct 2007
posted 11-29-2010 06:22 AM
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KSCartist Member
Posts: 2896 From: Titusville, FL USA Registered: Feb 2005
posted 11-29-2010 06:29 AM
A wonderful dramtic actor who could also make you laugh out loud while he kept a straight face.
"Surely you can't be serious."
"I am serious and don't call me Shirley."
Thank you Mr. Nielsen.
Jeff Member
Posts: 474 From: Fayetteville, NC, USA Registered: May 2009
posted 11-29-2010 07:00 AM
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capoetc Member
Posts: 2169 From: McKinney TX (USA) Registered: Aug 2005
posted 11-29-2010 09:04 AM
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Steve Procter Member
Posts: 1031 From: Leeds, Yorkshire, UK Registered: Oct 2000
posted 11-29-2010 09:23 AM
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ejectr Member
Posts: 1751 From: Killingly, CT Registered: Mar 2002
posted 11-29-2010 09:26 AM
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sts205cdr Member
Posts: 649 From: Sacramento, CA Registered: Jun 2001
posted 11-29-2010 10:49 AM
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jasonelam Member
Posts: 691 From: Monticello, KY USA Registered: Mar 2007
posted 11-29-2010 11:09 AM
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AstroAutos Member
Posts: 803 From: Co. Monaghan, Republic of Ireland Registered: Mar 2009
posted 11-29-2010 11:14 AM
As you can see, I had the honour of meeting Leslie at Autographica just six months ago. A lovely man as well as a wonderful actor in both serious and comedic roles. While he was obviously quite hard of hearing during his lecture and in a wheelchair for the second day, he seemed in great shape for his age and I was shocked when I learned this morning of his passing.
He was my favourite actor and for my Dad and I meeting him was a wonderful experience. Airplane! and the first Naked Gun film are in my opinion two of the funniest films ever made - I haven't yet seen Forbidden Planet but I've just bought a copy on Amazon as it sounds like a classic.
Posts: 1328 From: Carrollton, GA USA Registered: Jan 2003
posted 11-30-2010 06:06 AM
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cddfspace Member
Posts: 609 From: Morris County, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2006
posted 11-30-2010 06:50 AM
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Paul23 Member
Posts: 836 From: South East, UK Registered: Apr 2008
posted 11-30-2010 06:56 AM
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astrobar1 Member
Posts: 112 From: Mishawaka, IN, USA Registered: Apr 2005
posted 11-30-2010 10:35 AM
LM1 Member
Posts: 667 From: New York, NY Registered: Oct 2010
posted 11-30-2010 03:25 PM
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Mike Isbell Member
Posts: 551 From: Silver Spring, Maryland USA Registered: Aug 2003
posted 12-06-2010 04:54 PM
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AstroAutos Member
Posts: 803 From: Co. Monaghan, Republic of Ireland Registered: Mar 2009
posted 12-06-2010 06:12 PM
Aside from starring in Forbidden Planet and other space-related movies, I read in one of Nielsen's online biographies that when he was younger he always dreamed of becoming an astronaut.
At Autographica in May my Dad and I were sitting at a table a couple tables down from Leslie during lunch and his agent(s) and he were discussing the astronauts present at the show, and the agent was looking up on his iPad for Leslie what missions each of them were on (I heard them talking about Jim McDivitt, who was signing at the table next to Leslie during the actual show.)
One funny moment was when a frail Leslie walked in about half an hour late for the signing session on the Sunday morning of the show and McDivitt shouts over at him "Lazy!".
Now there's a Naked Gun pairing that would've worked just as well as Leslie and George Kennedy!
posted 11-28-2010 08:13 PM
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