Leslie Nielsen

Born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1926, Leslie Nielsen made his big screen debut in Forbidden Planet. In the 1960s and ’70s, he took on a large quantity of low-quality roles. The turning point in Neilsen’s career came when he was cast as the poker-faced Dr. Shirley Rumack in the immensely popular spoof Airplane! (1980). This type of role defined his career from then on, and he is remembered fondly as a comedic actor.

Early Life

Born on February 11, 1926, in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, Leslie Nielsen and his three younger brothers, the sons of a Royal Canadian Mountie, were raised in a tiny hamlet near the isolated Arctic Circle, where supplies reached them only two months out of the year. Later, the family relocated to the town of Edmonton, where the Nielsen boys could attend school. During World War II, Leslie Nielsen enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Following his discharge, he worked as a disc jockey and announcer at a local Canadian radio station.