Leslie Nielsen (1926 - 2010)
Film Deaths[]
- The Sheepman (1958) [Steven Bedford]: Shot to death by Glenn Ford during the final showdown.
- Beau Geste (1966) [Lieutenant De Ruse]: Is mortally wounded in a shootout he dies talking with Guy Stockwell.
- Gunfight In Abilene (1967) [Grant Evers]: Shot dead by Donnelly Rhodes after drunkenly threatening to shoot him.(Thanks to Brian)
- The Poseidon Adventure (1972) [Captain Harrison] Drowned (along with the other crew members) when a giant wave crashes through and floods the ship's bridge. (Thanks to Lawrence)
- Project: Kill (Total Control) (1976) [John Trevor] Fatally injured with a blow to the face at the end of a fight with Gary Lockwood; he dies shortly afterwards as Gary and Nancy Kwan kneel by his side.
- Day of the Animals (Something Is Out There) (1977) [Paul Jenson] Mauled by a grizzly bear in the pouring rain.
- Creepshow (1982) [Richard Vickers] Drowned (off-screen) when the zombies Ted Danson and Gaylen Ross bury him up to his neck at the beach; the story ends with a wave striking his face as the tide comes in.
- Nuts (1987) [Allen Green] Killed by Barbra Streisand in self-defense.
- Surf Ninjas (1993) [Colonel Chi] Electrocuted when his robotic arm is plunged into a pool of water at the end of a fight with Ernie Reyes Jr. (after Nicolas Cowan hacks into Leslie's armour) (Thanks to Patricio and Mathew)
- The Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994) [Frank Drebin]: Gunned by criminals in his character's dream sequence (which is parodying The Untouchables), he then wakes up from it when they are shooting at him. His character survives the film in reality.
- Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995) [Count Dracula] Bursts into flame (while in his bat form) after Peter MacNicol inadvertently exposes him to sunlight by opening a hatch for Leslie to escape; Leslie still manages to get in the last word at the end of the credits. (Played for comic effect, obviously.) (Thanks to PortsGuy, Neil and Gordie)
- An American Carol (2008) [Grampa]: Dies after finishing telling a story to his grandchildren, we don’t know he’s dead until one of his grandsons goes to check on him. (Played for comic effect)
- Stan Helsing (2009) [Kay] Playing a female role (in comically unconvincing drag), "she" is burned to death (off-screen), along with the rest of the townspeople, several years before the story begins; "she" appears as a ghost with the other townspeople throughout the movie. (Thanks to Matthew)
TV Deaths[]
- The Wild Wild West: The Night Of The Double-Edged Knife (1965) [Major General Ball]: As he is about to shoot the unarmed Robert Conrad, John Drew Barrymore throws a knife into his back. (Thanks to Brian)
- Gunsmoke: Time Of The Jackals (1969) [Jess Trevor]: A prisoner, he is being walked down the street to the jailhouse by James Arness and his deputies who are keeping a wary eye on Nielsen's gang members, expecting an attempt to free him, when Beverly Garland comes from behind and shoots him in the back. NB - on the original site Garland is listed as being shot by Nielsen, this is wrong, his gang member Kipp Whitman shoots her. (Thanks to Brian)
- Night Gallery: A Question of Fear (1971) [Colonel Dennis Malloy] Commits suicide by shooting himself while talking to Fritz Weaver over a closed-circuit television; we only hear the shot, then see Leslie's hand fall on the table.
- The Streets of San Francisco: Legion Of The Lost (1973) [Big Jake Wilson] Beaten to death by Max Kleven who is wearing a knuckleduster under his gloves. (Thanks to Brian)
- The Streets Of San Francisco: Before I Die (1973) [Insp. John T Connor]: On the roof of a racetrack grandstand, lining up a sniper shot on Ray Danton, he refuses to put the rifle down when James Wainwright finds him and James is forced to shoot him. (Thanks to Brian)
- Kojak: Loser Takes All (1974) [Michael Hagar]: Shot dead at the airport by Ja'net DuBois after she learns he had killed her husband (Ed Cambridge). (Thanks to Brian).
- Columbo: Identity Crisis (1975) [A.J. Henderson a.k.a. Geronimo]: Bludgeoned to death by Patrick McGoohan.
- Fantasy Island: Smith's Valhalla '''(1980) [Colonel Emile Bouvier] Shot in a gunfight with terrorists while Leslie and Hugh O'Brian rescue hostages. In the epilog, Ricardo Montalban explains to Hugh that the colonel was terminally ill, and that he wanted to die in battle while fighting for a just cause.
Notable Connections[]
- Nephew of Jean Hersholt
- Brother of Erik Nielsen (former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada)
- Uncle of Robin Nielsen