Leslie Nielsen never made it anywhere near the top as a dramatic leading man, but as the world knows, he eventually found his niche as a brilliant comic actor in films such as Airplane!, Spy Hard, All I Want for Christmas, An American Carol, the Naked Gun series, Wrongfully Accused, Dracula: Dead and Loving It, and the fondly remembered comedy-police show Police Squad (canceled after only six episodes).

Nielsen gave a strong performance in the thoughtful 1956 science-fiction film Forbidden Planet (an update of Shakespeare’s The Tempest) and the crime film Ransom (which starred Glenn Ford) that same year, plus the 1972 disaster film The Poseidon Adventure, in which he plays the captain of the ill-fated ocean liner of the film’s title. Eight years later he would find his metier as Dr. Alan Rumack, in Airplane!

Nielsen’s brilliance at comedy is directly attributable to his skill at dramatic acting: he conveyed every moment with deadpan seriousness, making the comic distance between his characters’ actions and their inflated self-image as great as possible. In addition, his stolid persona effectively conveyed his characters’ continual desire to do the right thing (and hopes of becoming a hero), making them at least somewhat sympathetic in their absurdity. That is a difficult combination of effects to achieve.

Nielsen’s film comedy work was perfect for home video, and especially for broadcast and cable viewing. The movies were never deep or particularly absorbing, and hence could be enjoyed in fugitive moments briefly seen when nothing else was on. His best comic moments—the famous dialogue lines from Airplane!, his slapstick comedy in the Naked Gun films—remain entertaining after multiple viewings. That is a tribute to the man and his life’s work.