Fort Lauderdale, FL: The world had its last underrated laugh this past Sunday, as actor Leslie Nielsen passed away in his sleep due to complications of pneumonia.
Nielsen’s death came as a surprise to most, as the timeless actor seemed to stay the same age since his breakout comedic role in Airplane! and on through The Naked Gun series, Scary Movie sequels, and Mel Brooks’ Dracula: Dead and Loving It. It was often believed that Leslie Nielsen had joined the same arcane cult that fellow entertainer Dick Clark is a part of. [at the time of this writing, Dick Clark is still alive and well and determined to outlive us all.]
“It’s a tragedy. He[Leslie Nielsen] still seemed on top of his game with that oblivious-mannered humor,” exclaimed fanboy Steven Hughes. “Hard to believe that it may have been Alzheimer’s disease all this time.”
While countless fans and celebrities are shocked by the actor’s death, none are more shocked than Leslie Nielsen himself, who seems to be in a state of denial about the whole affair.
“Everywhere I look, I see my picture up. Newspapers, magazines, websites,” stated Leslie Nielsen in an interview. “Did they pull the trigger on The Naked Gun 4 and not tell me about it?”
“The worst of it is, even with my name and picture all over the place, people still don’t recognize me in the street,” continued Mr. Nielsen. “For the past two days, people have been coming up to me, pointing and screaming ‘YOU’RE DEAD! YOU’RE DEAD!'”
When asked how he responds, Mr. Nielsen answered, “I tell them calmly, ‘No, I’m not dead. I’m Leslie Nielsen.'”