American Icons: Leslie Nielsen

Just get over the fact that he has a girl's name. Americans are weird that way. They have girls named Taylor. And Dakota. I haven't found someone named Nebraska yet, but I'm pretty sure one exists somewhere.

Anyway, Mr. Leslie Nielsen is a funny guy. Genuinely funny.

Funny, handsome, and white. Basically all you need to make it in this world.

If you don't know him, you're probably young. If you know him from his cameos in the third and fourth Scary Movies, then you're probably still young. I've only known him from Naked Gun, and the fact is I'm still young. This guy has been acting before I was born. And I've just found out that he started as a serious actor who migrated to comedy. Kind of like Jim Carrey, but the other way around.

And he's Canadian. Like Jim Carrey. 

And so let us pause for a minute of silence, and let us use this moment to mourn the loss of one more funny man who has joined the great comedy sketch in the sky. And let us also use this moment to download the Naked Gun series on Pirate Bay.


Leslie William Nielsen. 11 Feb 1926 - 28 Nov 2010.


*some info from Guardian and Wikipedia
pic from La Higuera