Leslie Nielsen : 'Naked Gun' Funnyman Dead At 84

The funnyman Roger Ebert once referred to as the "Laurence Olivier  of spoofs" passed away after suffering complications from pneumonia .

News of Nielsen's death was reported on Canadian radio station CJOB  Sunday .

Nielsen's nephew told CJOB that the actor had been in the hosiptal  in Ft. Lauderdale , Florida for 12 days  and  with family and friends  by his side at 5:30pm Sunday , "he  just fell asleep and passed away."

The Canadian-born Nielsen came to Hollywood in the mid 1960's after performing in 150 live television dramas in New York . With a craggily handsome face , blond hair and 6-foot-2 in height , he seemed ideal for a movie leading man.

Nielsen was indeed a lead actor for decades in Hollywood , appearing in the 1966 sci-fi classic  'Forbidden Planet' as well as 'The Poseidon Adventure.' But his turn came in the 1980's  classic comedy 'Airplane' as a deadpan docror on a doomed flight  changed his career forever as he switched gears to become one of Hollywood's top comic talents.

His turn as detective Frank Drebin in  'The Naked Gun'  was a smash and was followed by two sequels . The role in the actual film was born in the short-lived TV series   'Police Squard' which had followed on the heels of Nielsen's success in 'Airplane !'

My spin : Like Nielsen or not ...he was a great actor and a very funny actor ... he made you laugh , I mean laugh out loud and laughter is  is good for what ails you , even if it's just for a little while.