Leslie Nielsen 1926-2010

[BruceH]

RIP

[BERIGAN]

I was never a fan, but I am sorry to see him go. It always seemed to me that Nielsen, in his "second career," was never really in on the joke. When he was cast in "Airplane," it wasn't for his comedic genius. It was because he was just the sort of wooden actor who appeared in disaster movies (and Nielsen did plenty of those). The hilarity grew out of his speaking absurd lines with the same fake-gravitas he used in his dramatic parts. For some reason, he kept getting cast in comedies, and the sad part is that he really seemed to believe that he was a comedian. He did seem to understand that they cast him as a hack actor because he WAS a hack actor.

Alexander, you really need to revisit his later work.... Check out his acting at the end of this 10 minute clip from one of the 6 Police Squad tv shows(A real hack exec at ABC thought people had to pay too much attention to the show, which lead to it's cancellation) That is some of the funniest shit I have ever seen! Could someone like say, David Caruso, or Gary Sinise pull this off???

[Chuck Nessa]

Great clip. Thanks.

[Free For All]

I forgot that series only went six episodes. Too bad.

I loved the Quinn Martin-type opening with the guest star who gets killed during the opening credits. And the on-screen/narrated episode title that don't match.

"Cigarette?" "Yes, it is."

[Alexander]

The idea that Nielsen wasn't in on the joke (and Robert Stack and Lloyd Bridges in "Airplane," likewise) is absurd. Not only would these guys have to be unbelievably stupid not to get it, but it would have been unbelievably dangerous for them to be cast in these straight-man-in-the-midst-of-farce roles while keeping them in the dark about the farcical nature of the project.

I'm not saying that he wasn't aware that he was being cast in comedies, but rather that he thought he was being cast in comedies because of his brilliant comedic skills. I mean, it sure seemed to me that once he cottoned to the idea that he was a comedian, his mugging became unbearable.

Oh, and Lloyd Bridges WAS funny. Did you ever see his turn on "Seinfeld"?

I was never a fan, but I am sorry to see him go. It always seemed to me that Nielsen, in his "second career," was never really in on the joke. When he was cast in "Airplane," it wasn't for his comedic genius. It was because he was just the sort of wooden actor who appeared in disaster movies (and Nielsen did plenty of those). The hilarity grew out of his speaking absurd lines with the same fake-gravitas he used in his dramatic parts. For some reason, he kept getting cast in comedies, and the sad part is that he really seemed to believe that he was a comedian. He did seem to understand that they cast him as a hack actor because he WAS a hack actor.

No, what is sad is that an amateur like you is taking hacks at someone like Leslie Nielsen.

"For some reason he kept getting cast in comedies"?

Give me a fucking break.

I'm not an amateur anymore, Dan. I get PAID to be funny these days.

Edited December 2, 2010 by Alexander

[7/4]

I was never a fan, but I am sorry to see him go. It always seemed to me that Nielsen, in his "second career," was never really in on the joke. When he was cast in "Airplane," it wasn't for his comedic genius. It was because he was just the sort of wooden actor who appeared in disaster movies (and Nielsen did plenty of those). The hilarity grew out of his speaking absurd lines with the same fake-gravitas he used in his dramatic parts. For some reason, he kept getting cast in comedies, and the sad part is that he really seemed to believe that he was a comedian. He did seem to understand that they cast him as a hack actor because he WAS a hack actor.

No, what is sad is that an amateur like you is taking hacks at someone like Leslie Nielsen.

"For some reason he kept getting cast in comedies"?

Give me a fucking break.

I'm not an amateur anymore, Dan. I get PAID to be funny these days.

Is Dan a professional something? I thought he sold mortgages or something financial.

[Aggie87]

RIP Leslie. He was definitely in on the joke, and was certainly not a hack.

I sent him a letter back in the 90's expressing how much I appreciated his work, and mentioned my (ex) wife and I were expecting a baby, and he was nice enough to send back a signed post card, which I really appreciated. I guess I don't technically know if it was signed by someone else for him, but I choose to believe it's his signature.

[Jazzmoose]

Is Dan a professional something? I thought he sold mortgages or something financial.

He's done voice work in the past, so yeah, he's a pro.

[Dan Gould]

The idea that Nielsen wasn't in on the joke (and Robert Stack and Lloyd Bridges in "Airplane," likewise) is absurd. Not only would these guys have to be unbelievably stupid not to get it, but it would have been unbelievably dangerous for them to be cast in these straight-man-in-the-midst-of-farce roles while keeping them in the dark about the farcical nature of the project.

I'm not saying that he wasn't aware that he was being cast in comedies, but rather that he thought he was being cast in comedies because of his brilliant comedic skills. I mean, it sure seemed to me that once he cottoned to the idea that he was a comedian, his mugging became unbearable.

Oh, and Lloyd Bridges WAS funny. Did you ever see his turn on "Seinfeld"?

I was never a fan, but I am sorry to see him go. It always seemed to me that Nielsen, in his "second career," was never really in on the joke. When he was cast in "Airplane," it wasn't for his comedic genius. It was because he was just the sort of wooden actor who appeared in disaster movies (and Nielsen did plenty of those). The hilarity grew out of his speaking absurd lines with the same fake-gravitas he used in his dramatic parts. For some reason, he kept getting cast in comedies, and the sad part is that he really seemed to believe that he was a comedian. He did seem to understand that they cast him as a hack actor because he WAS a hack actor.

No, what is sad is that an amateur like you is taking hacks at someone like Leslie Nielsen.

"For some reason he kept getting cast in comedies"?

Give me a fucking break.

I'm not an amateur anymore, Dan. I get PAID to be funny these days.

You ain't a professional if you don't know the difference between a "comedian" and a "comic actor" and I would say that if you magically doubled your comic skills it wouldn't equal the comic skills contained in Leslie Nielsen's foreskin.

Seriously denigrating the man's skills shows appalling ignorance.

[.:.impossible]

I opened this thread hoping that it would turn personal.

[AllenLowe]

well, you shoulda known that Leslie Nielsen is a controversial figure - many people consider him to be the Coco Chanel of the 21st century.

[JSngry]

What's on the Coco Channel this weekend, anyway?

[Larry Kart]

What's on the Coco Channel this weekend, anyway?

Chocolate clothing

[AllenLowe]

Vichy Water

[Free For All]

I opened this thread hoping that it would turn personal.

Shirley you're not surprised by that.

[Alexander]

The idea that Nielsen wasn't in on the joke (and Robert Stack and Lloyd Bridges in "Airplane," likewise) is absurd. Not only would these guys have to be unbelievably stupid not to get it, but it would have been unbelievably dangerous for them to be cast in these straight-man-in-the-midst-of-farce roles while keeping them in the dark about the farcical nature of the project.

I'm not saying that he wasn't aware that he was being cast in comedies, but rather that he thought he was being cast in comedies because of his brilliant comedic skills. I mean, it sure seemed to me that once he cottoned to the idea that he was a comedian, his mugging became unbearable.

Oh, and Lloyd Bridges WAS funny. Did you ever see his turn on "Seinfeld"?

I was never a fan, but I am sorry to see him go. It always seemed to me that Nielsen, in his "second career," was never really in on the joke. When he was cast in "Airplane," it wasn't for his comedic genius. It was because he was just the sort of wooden actor who appeared in disaster movies (and Nielsen did plenty of those). The hilarity grew out of his speaking absurd lines with the same fake-gravitas he used in his dramatic parts. For some reason, he kept getting cast in comedies, and the sad part is that he really seemed to believe that he was a comedian. He did seem to understand that they cast him as a hack actor because he WAS a hack actor.

No, what is sad is that an amateur like you is taking hacks at someone like Leslie Nielsen.

"For some reason he kept getting cast in comedies"?

Give me a fucking break.

I'm not an amateur anymore, Dan. I get PAID to be funny these days.

You ain't a professional if you don't know the difference between a "comedian" and a "comic actor" and I would say that if you magically doubled your comic skills it wouldn't equal the comic skills contained in Leslie Nielsen's foreskin.

Seriously denigrating the man's skills shows appalling ignorance.

Of course I know the difference between a comedian and a comic actor (of course, to the ancient Greeks, the terms were synonymous. A "comedian" is an actor who acts in comedies, just as a "tragedian" is an actor who acts in tragedies), but I also know funny. And Leslie Nielson, whose entire shtick consisted of dead-panning juvenile comic dialogue written by somebody else, wasn't particularly funny. "Airplane" is a funny movie, but Leslie Nielson didn't do anything more impressive than turn up and say his lines without drooling or falling over. I can do that. In fact, I do that all the time.

What I do, Dan, for your information, is improvised comedy. That means that not only am I funny, but I MAKE UP the funny things I say and do. On the spot, no less. And I get laughs. BIG laughs. My skills are modest and always improving, but they are good enough to be put on-stage by a professional improv company on a weekly basis. An improv company, incidentally, which includes alumni from Second City, BATS, Freestyle Repertory Theatre and the Upright Citizens Brigade.

So, yes, I am funnier than Leslie Nielson's foreskin...

Edited December 2, 2010 by Alexander

[JSngry]

Yeah, when was the last time Leslie Neilsen's foreskin got a big laugh?

[papsrus]

So, yes, I am funnier than Leslie Nielson's foreskin...

[Alexander]

So, yes, I am funnier than Leslie Nielson's foreskin...

See?

[JSngry]

Well, let's see what you can do without the Leslie Nielsen's foreskin bits to fall back on.

[Alexander]

Guy walks into a bar. He says, "Ow!"

[JSngry]

Was it because he stepped on Leslie Nielsen's foreskin?

[Jazzmoose]

You ain't a professional if you don't know the difference between a "comedian" and a "comic actor" and I would say that if you magically doubled your comic skills it wouldn't equal the comic skills contained in Leslie Nielsen's foreskin.

Like Bob Newhart said when speaking about comedians and prostitutes, once you take money, you're a pro.

[Dan Gould]

So Alex is a professional.

An extremely arrogant one.

He could have said "I never thought Nielsen was much of a talent, it was the writing that made those movies." But no, he instead labelled him a "hack actor" who, being blessed with late-career success, became so deluded as to believe that he had comic chops and wasn't still a pathetic hack.

So to get back to Leslie Nielsen's foreskin, maybe Alex is funnier. But like Milton Berle only pulling out enough to beat the other guy, Leslie Nielsen wouldn't need to pull out much to beat the likes of Alex, who got hired by some jerkwater comedy group and thinks he's become an expert on recognizing who is a hack and who has skills.

[papsrus]

I'm not a professional anything, but I liked Leslie Nielsen.

And he was most certainly 'in on the joke.'

RIP and thanks for the chuckles.