The tributes to Leslie Nielsen (R.I.P.) are everywhere, and rightfully so. He gave us some of the funniest memories in movie history.
But he started out as a serious actor. And in this Jitterbuggingforjesus.com exclusive (well, sort of exclusive–it’ll be all over the place by Tuesday noon, I’m sure), we’ve got his screen test for the role of Mesalla in “Ben Hur” that he didn’t get. Stephen Boyd, who won the part over Nielsen, went on to have a less than illustrious career.
Nielsen went on to deadpan one of the most hilarious lines ever–and lots of others to-boot.
I had no idea about “Ben Hur.” However, when ever I feel down, I pull out my DVD of Airplane and. . .
and uh, lemme guess, Dan Man.