Leslie Nielsen

I'd like to share some information on celebrities or well known people who have dealt with hearing loss and/or tinnitus.  It is estimated that at least 20% of Americans experience hearing loss, so chances are you know someone who does! 

Leslie Nielsen - Actor

He was a good, solid actor who spent 30+ years in movies and on TV playing good, meaty roles before achieving significant success in slapstick comedy. The Canadian born actor, a nephew of character actor Jean Hersholt, was a radio announcer and disk jockey before turning to acting. He played an impassive spaceship commander in Forbidden Planet, Debbie Reynolds' love interest in Tammy and the Bachelor , a Howard Hughes prototype in Harlow , the ill-fated captain in The Poseidon Adventure, and more cops, doctors and attorneys than you can count. Prior to 1980 history would view him as a dramatist. That all changed in 1980, when he was one of several solid actors (along with Robert Stack, Lloyd Bridges and Peter Graves---also a spokesperson for better hearing) hired for the hit spoof Airplane! He enjoyed it so much that he signed on to play bumbling cop Frank Drebin in the cult TV series Police Squad! and in the ever popular The Naked Gun series of films. Nielsen, who overcame his sensorineural hearing loss with hearing aids stated to the Better Hearing Institute (BHI), "I have no goals or ambitions. I do, however wish to work enough to maintain whatever celebrity status I have so that they will continue to invite me to golf tournaments". Among his many media appearances on behalf of BHI to educate the public on hearing loss and its treatment, Mr. Nielsen was one of many celebrities to participate in BHI's "Help America Hear" golf tournament.

Information obtained from the Better Hearing Insitute: www.betterhearing.org