Leslie William Nielsen was born on the 11th February 1926, in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada of Welsh and Danish descent, and was best recognized for being a comic actor, who appeared in over 240 titles, such as “The Poseidon Adventure” (1972), “The Naked Gun” film series, “Zeroman” (2004-2005), etc. His career was active from 1950 to 2010. He passed away in 2010
So, have you ever wondered how rich Leslie Nielsen was? According to authoritative sources, it was estimated that the total sum of Leslie’s net worth was $20 million at the time of his death, accumulated through his successful career in the entertainment industry.
Leslie Nielsen Net Worth $20 Million
Leslie Nielsen was the son of Mabel Elizabeth and Ingvard Eversen Nielsen, who worked as an officer in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; he had two brothers and the elder was the late Erik Nielsen, known for being the Deputy Prime Minister of Canada (1984-1986). Upon matriculation from Victoria School of Performing and Visual Arts in Edmonton, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. Afterwards, he briefly worked as a DJ at a radio station, until he enrolled at the Lorne Greene Academy of Radio Arts in Toronto. While there, he received a scholarship to continue his studies at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City, where parallel with his education, Leslie performed in summer stock theatre. Later, he went to the Actors Studio, and soon enough his career began.
Leslie made his debut appearance on the screen in the TV series “Actor’s Studio” in 1950, which was followed by a number of small roles in other TV series, including “Lights Out” (1950-1952), “Suspense” (1950-1953), “Kraft Theatre” (1950-1954), etc. Before the 1960s, his name became recognized in the film industry, as he appeared in such films as “Forbidden Planet” (1956), “The Sheepman” (1958), which increased his net worth.
During the 1960s, his career reached a whole new level, which only increased further his net worth, and popularity as well, as Leslie appeared in such titles as “The New Breed” (1961-1962), playing Lt. Price Adams, “Dark Intruder” (1965), in the role of Brett Kingsford, and “Dr. Kildare” in the same year, as Harry Kleber.
In the next decade, Leslie continued on to feature in such TV and film titles as “Bracken’s World” (1970), “Kung Fu” (1975), and “Fantasy Island” (1978-1980). Later, in 1982, his career changed even more for the better, when he was selected for the role of Det. Frank Drebin in the TV series “Police Squad!”, which was short-lived; however, his career reached the whole new level when he was chosen to appear in the first of “The Naked Gun” film series, entitled “The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad!” (1988), as Frank Drebin, which he reprised in two subsequent films – “The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear” (1991), and “Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult” (1994). All of these appearances added a considerable amount to his net worth.
Afterwards, he continued to line up success after success, portraying such characters as Sgt. Buck Frobisher in the TV series “Due South” (1994-1999), Dracula in the film “Dracula: Dead And Loving It” (1995), and as Ryan Harrison in the film “Wrongfully Accused” (1998), among others all of which contributed to his net worth.
Leslie’s first role in the new millennium was Richard ‘Dick’ Dix in the 2000 film “2001: A Space Travesty”, which was followed by the role of Jack Potter in the film “Camouflage” (2001). Two years later, he featured in “Scary Movie 3”, playing President Baxet Harris, alongside such actors as Anna Faris and Charlie Sheen, and he reprised the role in “Scary Movie 4” (2006), which increased his net worth. To speak further of his career, he starred in films “Superhero Movie” (2008), “Stan Helsing” (2009), and his last appearance was as Doctor Nielsen in the 2009 film “Spanish Movie”.
Thanks to his accomplishments, Leslie received a number of awards and nominations, including the 1995 UCLA’s Jack Benny Award, the 2003 ACTRA Award of Excellence, etc. He was also rewarded with stars on Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2001. And on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1988.
Regarding his personal life, Leslie married four time, firstly to Monica Boyar(1950-56), and afterwards to Alisande Ullman (1958-73), with whom he had two daughters. His third wife was Brooks Oliver (1981–1983), and the last was Barbaree Earl, with whom he was in marriage from 2001 until his death. In his spare time, Leslie enjoyed playing golf. He passed away at the age of 84 from pneumonia, on the 28th November 2010 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.
