I have the sads, a comedy genius is gone. One of the first ‘grownup’ movies I ever saw in the theater was Airplane. I was a kid who loved the comedy stylings of Leslie Nielsen. I am quite bummed.

Airplane! – Are You A Doctor?

Nielsen, best known for Airplane! and the Naked Gun franchise, died Sunday of complications from pneumonia at a hospital near his home in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. He was surrounded by family, including his wife and friends.

He appeared in more than 100 films, starting in the 50′s and played it pretty straight for the first 30 years. But then came Airplane in 1980 and everything changed. Lampooning the serious roles he’d made a B-movie career of, Neilson morphed into a comic icon — a new role that seemed a natural fit.

One of the best movies, ever!

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