Leslie Nielsen, an actor known for his slapstick and deadpan humour, has died at the age of 84.
His agent, John S. Kelly, confirms the comedian passed away at a hospital near his home in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Sunday evening.
The man behind Airplane! and Naked Gun Series was being treated for pneumonia.
Nielsen's nephew told CTV News the Regina-born actor had been fighting the condition for 12 days.
The actor's most famous role was that of Lit. Frank Drebin, a hapless police officer who survives on sheer luck.
Still, the funnyman played more than 200 other characters throughout his career as well, starring in at least 100 movies and countless television shows.
The long and storied career, which spanned more than sixty years, prompted film critic Roger Ebert to once dub Nielsen the "Lawrence Olivier of spoofs."
The actors was awarded the Order of Canada in 2002 and in 2003, Grant MacEwan University opened the Leslie Nielsen School of Communications, which offers programs in digital arts, writing, visual design and journalism.
Nielsen is survived by his wife Barbaree, whom he married in 2001, and his two daughters, Maura Nielsen Kaplan and Thea Nielsen Disney.
RIP Frank Drebin, Police Squad will never be the same without you...
