Arguably the best role was that of Dr. Rumack, played by the guy no one wanted or ever suspected would be funny, much less go on to have a second career starring in feature films as a goofball comic. Leslie was great in the role because he never “winked†– let on that he knew he was in a comedy. This was essential to the style, and Leslie had a natural instinct for it.
David Zucker, who, along with his brother Jerry and Jim Abrahams, cast Leslie Nielsen in his first comedic role in Airplane!, penned a great tribute to the late actor for the Hollywood Reporter.