Comedy legend Leslie Nielsen dies of pneumonia

Nielsen had been hospitalized for nearly two weeks as a result of pneumonia, his agent John S. Kelly said in a statement.

Comedic actor dies
The Canadian-born actor died Sunday from complications of pneumonia at 5:34 p.m. ET, with his friends and wife by his side, Kelly told the Associated Press.

"We are saddened by the passing of beloved actor Leslie Nielsen, probably best remembered as Lt. Frank Drebin in The Naked Gun series of pictures, but who enjoyed a more than 60-year career in motion pictures and television," Kelly said.

Dies in sleep
According to People.com, his nephew Doug Nielsen told Canadian radio station CKNW that the comedic actor was being treated for pneumonia in an unnamed hospital near his home in Ft. Lauderdale.

"Just in this last 48 hours, the infection has gotten too much," Doug Nielsen told the radio station. "He just fell asleep and passed away."

Leslie was an ideal movie leading man
Born Feb. 11, 1926 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, Leslie Nielsen came to Hollywood in the mid-1950s after appearing in 150 live television dramas in New York.

According to People.com, his nephew Doug Nielsen told Canadian radio station CKNW that the comedic actor was being treated for pneumonia in an unnamed hospital near his home in Ft. Lauderdale.

In 1954 he did a role of the king of France in the Paramount operetta 'The Vagabond King' with Kathryn Grayson. The film flopped, but MGM signed Nielsen to a seven-year contract.

The handsome face, blond hair and 6-foot-2 tall actor went from drama to inspired bumbling as a hapless doctor in 'Airplane!' and the accident-prone detective Frank Drebin in 'The Naked Gun' comedies.

Awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Nielsen is also best known for he appearances as the square-jawed captain in 'The Forbidden Planet' and the captain of the ill-fated Poseidon in the disaster epic 'The Poseidon Adventure.'

His other credits include 1956's 'Forbidden Planet,' the 1960s TV series 'Peyton Place,' 'Dr. Kildare' and 'The Bold Ones: The Protectors.'

Nielsen’s most recent movies include 1997's 'Mr. Magoo,' in which he played title character, and such parodies like 'Scary Movie 3' (2003), 'Scary Movie 4 (2006)' and 'Superhero Movie' (2008).

Married life
Nielsen married four times. He first married to Monica Boyer (1950-1955); then Sandy Ullman (1958-74); and Brooks Oliver (1981-85). All three marriages ended in divorce.

Nielsen and his second wife Ullman had two daughters, Maura Nielsen Kaplan and Thea Nielsen Disney.

In 2001 he married Barbaree Earl; a resident of Fort Lauderdale. He is survived by his wife, and his two daughters.