Standing with one leg on the shoulders of comedy gods, his work is the stuff of legend; Naked Gun, Airplane, those frequent Due South cameos.
Now, talking to Hecklerspray, we get down to all things funny with the unflappable Leslie Nielsen.
Read it after the jump…
?Spray: Talking to such a distinguished and legendary actor such as yourself; what question would you start with?
Leslie Nielsen: I am often thought of that and I have been asked that very thing 114 times and I couldn't answer it, even then!
?Spray: What do you normally say to that? Nothing at all?
Nielsen: Yeah, nothing at all, after there is a large and long selection you must make, and you have to think of the people who will be upset and you have to mention them and all kinds of things? now is there another question we can move to?
?Spray: How do you feel being known as the godfather of spoof?
Nielsen: I feel fine. I love doing comedy. I am also happy doing drama but my main baby is comedy!
?Spray: Going to your top comedy films ? why do you think Naked Gun and Airplane have endured popularity over the years?
Nielsen: Well, I think it is because they are so very very funny. Naked Gun, for example, is a film that is funny to a five-year-old, and when that five-year-old is nine years old there?ll be other things that they may not have understood before, but now they start to understand it. And it goes on and on and on and that's why Airplane and the Naked Guns never die. A lot of the people, even if they know when the joke is going to come, we roll them out so it is impossible for you to watch it and see it again and not laugh. There's a spiel for ya!
?Spray: When you look back at those films and look at what you did would you have changed anything?
Nielsen: I might have tried to do better. ?Cause I am always astounded with the stuff I have done with David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrams and also Pat Propt. But the stuff has to be very very funny and you can't tip the ball if anybody in the audience has a sense of where you are going with the comedy, the chances are you are not going to get a laugh. They?re going to catch on before you do.
?Spray: I hear there is a Naked Gun 4 in development under the title Rhythm of Evil?
Nielsen: Under the title Rhythm of Evil?
?Spray: That was announced on the slate by Variety.
Nielsen: David Zucker called me in December and we had a chit chat, but he said ?we're working on something new that is similar to the things we were doing before – would you like to do some comedy?? And I said ?David, mail me the script?.
?Spray: Well looking back at all those movies do you have a favourite quote?
Nielsen: ?Don't call me Shirley!? And there was one that, oh damn? I can't remember, I can't pull it out. Oh well.
?Spray: Well, you are in this new film Stan Helsing. What is the film all about and what is your role about?
Nielsen: I don't know! I'm a professional and I don't want to end up with somebody saying you've gone over the line and you\’ll spend the next 15 years with yourself in prison.
?Spray: Lets hope it doesn't come to that.
Nielsen: Hope not!
?Spray: Did you enjoy working on the film?
Nielsen: Yeah, I did. The important thing is in zany comedies if you can deal with the insanity it will work and be funny. But if the audience has a feeling that you are yourself aware that you are being funny, if that happens, then the chances are you won’t get any laughs.
?Spray: Well you've been doing this for years. Do you have a special way you get into character?
Nielsen: No. you just follow what the material is and I can't really resolve it.
?Spray: You must be doing something right.
Nielsen: It has intention behind it and logic. There is nothing dumb or foolish about what we're doing.
?Spray: Just a lot of dumb and foolish things on the screen.
Nielsen: That's about it.
?Spray: What is the secret of great comedy?
Nielsen: No I don't know what the secret is. I don't wanna be the champion of the great secret. I remember when I was in New York to see a Charlie Chaplin festival, on a dull winter’s day and I came out after seeing a couple of the movies and it was sunshine, bright and cheerful and I came out laughing. That is the secret of great comedy.
?Spray: Charlie Chaplin!
Nielsen: Well, he certainly was.
?Spray: Well I don't think many people will argue.
Nielsen: I hope not!
?Spray: Thanks Leslie
Nielsen: Thank you.
Stan Helsing from Anchor Bay Films is available on DVD? now.
Follow hecklerspray on Twitter
goat says
what a horrible interview. try asking better questions next time.