Leslie Nielsen dead at 84
The Canadian-born actor rose to his highest fame with comedic roles in the 1990′s.
Leslie Nielsen died Sunday afternoon in a Fort Lauterdale, Fla. hospital, according to CBSNews.com.
The 84-year-old Canadian actor was named an honorary West Virginian in February 2002 by Gov. Bob Wise.
He made many visits to the Mountain State. Including a 2004 trip to Marshall University in Huntington.
In 2001, Nielsen visited Charleston to promote a series of educational games from Microsoft. He also appeared in some West Virginia Lottery advertisements.
Nielsen’s best-known roles were in the 1980 film ‘Airplane!’ and ‘The Naked Gun’ series of movies.
- Leslie Nielsen.
Comedians and celebs expressed their sadness on Twitter over the death of Leslie Nielsen at age 84.
“Leslie Nielsen, RIP,” – wrote Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert, who also linked to a lengthy obit and a few of Nielsen’s clips, including his screen test for Ben Hur. Watch below.
Ryan Seacrest wrote on Twitter: “Sad to hear about Leslie Nielsen passing. To this day Airplane is still one of my favorite comedies ever.”
Comedian Russell Brand referenced one of Nielsen’s most famous lines from ‘Airplane!’, when he asks the pilot if he can fly the plane. Says the pilot: “Surely, you can’t be serious.” Nielsen responds: “I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley.” RELATED: Hollywood power players gone too soon.
Wrote Brand: “RIP. Leslie Nielsen. Shirley, he will be missed.”
Writer and stand-up comic Patton Oswalt joked about Nielsen’s death, saying: “He would want it that way.”
Nielsen, best known for ‘Airplane!’ and ‘The Naked Gun’ franchise, died Sunday of complications from pneumonia at a hospital near his home in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. He was surrounded by family, including his wife, Barbaree, and friends.
James Lileks: “I have one meaningless Leslie Nielsen storiy. A few years ago in a Scottsdale country club, I saw Leslie Nielsen sitting in a corner booth having supper. Hard not to notice him – tall guy with distinctive hair wearing the face of a Leslie Nielsen. I never approach celebs unless introduced, which of course happens never, and for all I knew there was some unspoken country-club rule that says you can’t go up to famous guys and say: “you are hilarious, yes, but it’s your genial nature, the way the confidence highlights the mayhem you have created by remain unaware of – I’m sorry, the mayhem of which you are unaware. You know what I mean.” And then he’d smile and hope he could get back to his steak, and you’d feel stupid.
But as it happened he was heading back from the gent’s just as I was strolling down the hall, and I shot him a thumbs-up, and he gave an expression that could be construed as a wink. AT least I think that’s what happened. Give me a few years to embellish the story and we’ll be playing 18 holes out on the course. And I don’t even golf.
The great thing about Mister Nielsen? He was in on the joke all along. The second great thing – he could play it straight without changing a thing, and he was pretty good then, too.”