One of my earliest memories is being in the theater to see some animated movie and then seeing the trailer for Naked Gun 2 1/2 and laughing my butt off. That was the introduction to Leslie Nielsen, and after my dad saw me cracking up, he rented Airplane on the ride home. Once that had taken hold of me, I spent the rest of my life loving and watching every Leslie Nielsen movie I could. And much to my surprise, I found an actor who had a ton of range and performed so many interesting roles. Today, I want to go over my top 10. Let's dive in. 10. Captain Harrison in The Poseidon Adventure (1972)Before all the parodies, Nielsen was a reliable dramatic actor. His role as the steadfast captain of the doomed S.S. Poseidon is a perfect example of his early career. And he uses his calm demeanor and deep voice to play the part completely straight, embodying authority and concern, which makes his later comedic work even more brilliant. 9. Ryan Harrison in Wrongfully Accused (1998)By the late '90s, Nielsen was the undisputed king of the spoof genre, and I was allowed to see this movie in theaters. It was a transformative experience. This film, primarily a parody of The Fugitive, follows Nielsen as the wrongly accused superstar violinist Ryan Harrison, as he bumbles his way through a nationwide manhunt with the signature obliviousness and non-sequitur gags.8. Dick Steele in Spy Hard (1996)In a direct send-up of...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Yesterday