The Naked Gun, also known as Police Squad!, is an American crime spoof-comedy franchise. Having started in 1982 with the TV series Police Squad! aired on the ABC Network, the franchise includes one TV series and three movies, adapted from an original story written by the comedy filmmaking trio Jim Abrahams, and brothers David and Jerry Zucker.
The lead role of Detective Sergeant Franklin ‘Frank’ Drebin in The Naked Gun is played by the late actor Leslie Nielsen. Several other characters appear in the films. One of them is Detective Fred Nordberg, who is portrayed by O. J. Simpson. Recently, creator David Zucker revealed why he had Simpson play the role of Nordberg.
David Zucker on Why O. J. Simpson Was Cast in the Role of Detective Nordberg
O. J. Simpson is a former football running back who played in the NFL for 11 seasons. He played for the Buffalo Bills and is considered to be one of the best running backs known to date. He pursued an acting career when he retired with the San Francisco 49ers in 1979. Although his success as a footballer and actor is overshadowed due to his legal troubles, he is well-known for his portrayal of Detective Nordberg in The Naked Gun.
O. J. Simpson played the role in all three installments of The Naked Gun trilogy. The movies, namely, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear, and Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult, were released in 1988, 1991, and 1994, respectively.
On the occasion of the completion of 35 years of the original The Naked Gun film, The Hollywood Reporter interviewed director David Zucker and co-writer Pat Proft, who had worked on the script with Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams.
When asked what made O. J. Simpson right for the role of Nordberg, Zucker said:
“We always cast people in our movies precisely because they had not been in a comedy… As a person, he was a very nice guy, a great actor, a prankster, kind of a closet anarchist.”
Zucker also said that when they cast Leslie Nielsen as the main protagonist in Airplane!, he was the fourth choice because other actors turned down the role, and he was not famous.
Liam Neeson to Star in The Naked Gun Reboot
Paramount Pictures is moving ahead with a reboot of The Naked Gun. The movie will be directed by Akiva Schaffer, known for projects like Hot Rod and Pop Star: Never Stop Stopping with Dan Gregor, Doug Man, and Schaffer working on the script (via The Hollywood Reporter).
Schindler’s List star Liam Neeson is going to star as the lead character of Detective Frank Drebin. The actor is taking over the role after the unfortunate demise of Leslie Nielsen in 2010 at the age of 84. The fourth installment is set for release in 2025.
