February 11: The Closet Comedian

Nielsen at Disneyland (1961)

Actor Leslie Nielsen was born on this day in 1926 in Saskatchewan, Canada. Although starting out as a dramatic actor (he appeared in such features as the 1972 The Poseidon Adventure), today he is best remembered for his comedic roles in Airplane!, The Naked Gun, and Scary Movie. Early in his career, Nielsen starred in the Disney mini-series Swamp Fox (airing on television between 1959-1961) portraying Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion.

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