Leslie Nielsen: a career in pictures

Nielsen's first big-screen role was 1956's Forbidden Planet
Photograph: Snap/Rex Features

Two years later Nielsen was in The Sheepman with Shirley MacLaine and Glenn Ford
Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/MGM

The 60s brought about a sweep of detective roles. This is Night Train To Paris (1964)
Photograph: Allstar/20th Century Fox/Sportsphoto

A rare comedy: How To Commit Marriage (1969) alongside Bob Hope and Jane Wyman
Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/NBC

Airplane! was the turning point in Nielsen's career: here he is with Julie Hagerty, Lorna Patterson and Peter Graves
Photograph: Everett Collection/Rex Features

The Zucker brothers and Nielsen capitalised on the success of Airplane! with the TV show Police Squad, which ran for six episodes in 1982. Here Nielsen is seen alongside Kathryn Leigh Scott and Alan North
Photograph: c.Paramount/Everett/Rex Features

Six years later, they revived the series for the first Naked Gun film, with Nielsen back in the saddle as Lt Frank Drebin, with Priscilla Presley as the love interest
Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/Paramount

Nielsen carried on working between gaps in the series. Here he is in Dangerous Curves (1988)
Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext

He guest-starred in an early 90s season of sitcom The Golden Girls, alongside with Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty, Bea Arthur and Betty White
Photograph: Nbcuphotobank/Rex Features

Naked Gun 2 1/2 The Smell of Fear was the 1991 sequel to the first of Drebin's big-screen outings
Photograph: Snap/Rex Features

Here's Nielsen as Santa in 1991's All I Want For Christmas, alongside a young Thora Birch
Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/Paramount

The little-remembered Surf Ninjas (1993)
Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext

Classical spoof SPQR: 2,000 and a Half Years Ago (1994)
Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/Lauren Film

Though rumours emerged last year of a another instalment, the Naked Gun series finished in 1994 with 33 1/3: The Final Insult. Nielsen serves tea to cop colleagues George Kennedy and OJ Simpson
Photograph: Allstar/Paramount/Sportsphoto Ltd

The end of Naked Gun didn't stop Nielsen spoofing. Here he is in 1995's Dracula: Dead and Loving It, directed by Mel Brooks
Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/Castle Rock

Spy Hard (1996), alongside Nicollette Sheridan
Photograph: Buena Vista/Everett/Rex Features

1997's Mr Magoo met with less praise
Photograph: Buena Vista/Everett/Rex Features

Though Wrongfully Accused (1998) is more fondly recalled
Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/Warner Bros

A rare non-spoof: 1996's Harvey, with Swoosie Kurtz and Harry Anderson
Photograph: Allstar/CBS/Sportsphoto Ltd

Back in the festive comedy saddle: 2000's Santa Who?
Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/ABC/Sportsphoto Ltd.

2001: A Space Travesty
Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/Cinevent

Nielsen won a new audience with extended cameos in Scary Movie 3 …
Photograph: c.Dimension/Everett/Rex Features

And, most notably, Scary Movie 4, which he spent a large part of naked
Photograph: c.Dimension/Everett/Rex Features

Zucker and Nielsen teamed up again for Michael Moore spoof An American Carol, (aka Big Fat Important Movie) from 2008
Photograph: c.Everett Collection/Rex Features

Still spoofing in 2008 … Superhero Movie
Photograph: Allstar/Dimension Films/Sportsphoto Ltd.