Every Major Actor from ‘The Naked Gun’ Movies Who Died

The ‘Naked Gun’ trilogy packed its slapstick with a surprisingly deep bench of memorable performers. Beyond the gags and sight jokes, the films brought together veteran character actors, stage stars, and rising names who gave every bit part a kick. Many of those faces are now gone, but their work still carries the jokes in repeat viewings.

This list gathers the major actors from across ‘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’ who have died. For each name you will find the character they played, the film or films where they appeared, and a quick snapshot of what defined their career beyond the series.

Leslie Nielsen

Leslie Nielsen played Lt. Frank Drebin in all three films, turning the granite delivery he perfected in ‘Police Squad!’ into big screen comedy that never winked. His deadpan timing anchors the first movie’s baseball climax, the second film’s energy plot, and the third film’s awards show finale, keeping the chaos focused.

Before ‘The Naked Gun’, Nielsen worked for decades in straight roles that ranged from ‘Forbidden Planet’ to disaster epics. He died in 2010 after a late career where he became the face of gag-a-minute comedies and helped define the modern spoof.

George Kennedy

George Kennedy portrayed Captain Ed Hocken across the trilogy, the steady sergeant who sets up Drebin’s wild solutions and sells the procedural stakes. His chemistry with Nielsen gives the jokes a partner to bounce off and keeps the precinct scenes brisk.

An Oscar winner for ‘Cool Hand Luke’, Kennedy brought serious-movie heft to absurd situations and that contrast is a big part of why the films land. He died in 2016 after a long career in film and television.

O. J. Simpson

O. J. Simpson returned as Nordberg in all three films, playing the perpetually unlucky detective whose injuries escalate the physical comedy. The opening mishaps in the first movie and his hospital bits became running gags that the series kept building on.

His screen work sits alongside a well known athletic and legal history that the films never reference. Simpson died in 2024, leaving the ‘Naked Gun’ films as his most widely seen acting credits.

Ricardo Montalbán

Ricardo Montalbán played Vincent Ludwig in ‘The Naked Gun’, a polished villain whose plan rides in on baseball pageantry and mind control. His suave menace made a perfect foil for Drebin’s blunders and gave the first film a clean narrative spine.

Montalbán’s career spanned studio musicals, ‘Fantasy Island’, and ‘Star Trek’ with performances that emphasized control and presence. He died in 2009 after more than half a century on screens.

Robert Goulet

Robert Goulet appeared in ‘The Naked Gun 2½’ as energy magnate Quentin Hapsburg, the smarmy public face of a plot to derail a clean energy push. The character’s charm and double dealing fit Goulet’s stage baritone persona and gave the sequel its corporate villain.

Goulet’s Broadway breakthrough in ‘Camelot’ led to concerts, television work, and frequent comic cameos that played on his polished image. He died in 2007 while awaiting a lung transplant.

Richard Griffiths

Richard Griffiths took a dual role in ‘The Naked Gun 2½’ as Dr. Albert S. Meinheimer and his impostor Earl Hacker, a gag the script uses to twist the energy policy plot. His switch between earnest scientist and schemer helps the movie’s set pieces click.

Griffiths was a celebrated British character actor known for ‘Withnail and I’ and later ‘Harry Potter’. He died in 2013 after a career noted for warmth, precision, and wit.

Fred Ward

Fred Ward played Rocco Dillon in ‘Naked Gun 33 1/3’, the hardened bomber who drags Drebin into an undercover prison break and an over the top awards show climax. His straight faced grit lets the third film parody action beats without losing shape.

Ward’s work stretched from ‘The Right Stuff’ to ‘Tremors’, often bringing blue collar authenticity to genre pieces. He died in 2022, leaving a run of sturdy leads and scene stealing support turns.

Anna Nicole Smith

Anna Nicole Smith appeared in ‘Naked Gun 33 1/3’ as Tanya Peters, a key player in Rocco’s plan who tangles with Drebin during the investigation. Her scenes connect the clinic setup to the finale’s backstage scramble.

Smith worked as a model and actress during the period and her role here is one of her most recognized film credits. She died in 2007, with her pop culture footprint tied to both television and movies.

Kathleen Freeman

Kathleen Freeman showed up in ‘Naked Gun 33 1/3’ as Muriel Dillon, Rocco’s tough mother who turns family logistics into comic complications. Her seasoned timing adds snap to the hideout and chase sequences.

Freeman’s decades of character work included classics like ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ and a long stretch in television and voice roles. She died in 2001 after a career built on reliable, funny support parts.

Nancy Marchand

Nancy Marchand played Mayor Barkley in ‘The Naked Gun’, the civic authority whose meetings and stadium duties frame the first film’s plot. Her presence grounds the farce in a recognizable city hall world.

Marchand’s stage and television résumé ran from ‘Lou Grant’ to ‘The Sopranos’, where she became a defining presence in drama. She died in 2000 after a lifetime of award winning work.

Tiny Ron Taylor

Ronald “Tiny Ron” Taylor returned as Al, the towering officer whose head is often out of frame, a visual bit that the series revisits to quick effect. His size becomes a sight gag that needs only a cut to land.

Beyond the films he moved from professional basketball to acting and turned height into a specialty across adventure and sci fi roles. He died in 2019.

Earl Boen

Earl Boen appeared in ‘Naked Gun 33 1/3’ as Dr. Eisendrath, crossing paths with Drebin during the fertility clinic stretch that kicks off the plot. The scenes add the medical setup that later pays off in the finale.

Boen worked widely in film, television, and voice acting, including memorable turns in the ‘Terminator’ films and long running game roles. He died in 2023.

Raquel Welch

Raquel Welch showed up as herself during the awards show chaos in ‘Naked Gun 33 1/3’, a cameo that ties the film’s bomb plot to the onstage pandemonium. Her appearance is part of the movie’s parade of celebrity cutaways.

Welch’s career spanned adventure hits, television, and stage, and she remained a frequent pop culture reference for decades. She died in 2023.

Jacqueline Brookes

Jacqueline Brookes played Police Commissioner Brumford in ‘The Naked Gun 2½’, giving the sequel a firm administrative counterweight during the investigation. Her scenes situate the case inside city leadership.

A respected stage performer and teacher, Brookes worked steadily in film and television and brought authority to procedural roles. She died in 2013.

Lloyd Bochner

Lloyd Bochner appeared in ‘The Naked Gun 2½’ as Baggett, one of the executives tangled in the energy plot that drives the sequel. His boardroom presence helps sketch the corporate stakes.

Bochner’s credits reach back to ‘The Twilight Zone’ and a long list of television dramas where he specialized in patrician antagonists. He died in 2005.

Anthony James

Anthony James turned up in ‘The Naked Gun 2½’ as Hector Savage, a hitman whose scenes spark several of the sequel’s bigger slapstick set pieces. His angular look and quiet menace make the gags pop.

James worked often as a villain in westerns and crime stories and later shifted to painting after retiring from acting. He died in 2020.

Jeannette Charles

Jeannette Charles portrayed Queen Elizabeth II in ‘The Naked Gun’, a casting choice that made the baseball sequence even more outrageous. Her appearance capped a career built on one of the most famous lookalike performances.

Charles spent decades playing the Queen in films and television while carefully protecting the image she portrayed. She died in 2024.

Share the names you think we missed and your favorite scene from the trilogy in the comments.