"Naked Gun" and "Airplane!" actor Leslie Nielsen died at the age of 84 Sunday from complications from pneumonia his agent said.Nielsen died just after 5:30 p.m. EST in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was surrounded by his wife Barbaree and friends said agent John S. Kelly.
"We are saddened by the passing of beloved actor Leslie Nielsen, probably best remembered as Lt. Frank Drebin in "The Naked Gun" series of pictures, but who enjoyed a more than 60-year career in motion pictures and television," Kelly said in a statement.
He came to Hollywood scene in the 1950s following a stint in 150 live television drama performances.Before his entrance into the acting world, Nielsen joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and worked as Calgary radio disc jockey.
His feature film debut, "The Vagabond King" helped to open the doors to other leading roles in films such as "Forbidden Planet," "The Opposite Sex" and "Hot Summer Night."
He also starred in the romantic comedy, "Tammy and the Bachelor" with Debbie Reynolds and played Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion in the Disney series, "The Swamp Fox."