Leslie Nielsen dies

Comedy icon Leslie Nielsen, star of 'Airplane!' and 'The Naked Gun' series, has died. He was 84.

The Canadian actor died of complications from pneumonia in a hospital near his Florida home. He was surrounded by family and friends, according to his spokesman.

The much-loved funnyman was famed for his deadpan delivery in 1980 comedy hit, 'Airplane!, thanks to lines like, "I am serious, and don't call me Shirley". However, his biggest hit was 'The Naked Gun' franchise.

Before he was known as the king of spoof comedies, Nielsen was a serious dramatic actor - one of his more prominent roles saw him play the captain of an ill-fated ship in 'The Poseidon Adventure'.

Like many other character actors, he was picked for 'Airplane!' because the film's creators, Jim Abrahams, Jerry and David Zucker, thought the jokes would be funnier if they were delivered by serious actors playing it completely straight. 'Airplane!', which parodied the 1970s 'Airport' disaster films, is regarded as one of the best spoof movies.

Nielsen's other screen roles include the 'Scary Movie' series, 'Spy Hard' and 'Fugitive' parody, 'Wrongfully Accused'.

He is survived by his fourth wife Barbaree Earl, and two children from his second marriage.

Source: Yahoo Movies