Nielsen's Fart Prank Made Airplane! Star Hays Laugh

Robert Hays, known for his role as Ted Striker in the 1980 film Airplane!, shared behind-the-scenes antics involving his late co-star Leslie Nielsen. Nielsen, who played Dr. Rumack, employed a discreet whoopee cushion to create fart sounds during filming.

Hays explained that Nielsen's pranks were particularly challenging during scenes where Hays had to maintain a serious demeanor. The specific filming order meant Hays was often the subject of Nielsen's auditory gags, forcing him to suppress laughter. He noted that this was the most difficult aspect of his performance in the entire movie.

Decades after its release, Hays still hears the film's famous line, 'Surely, you can't be serious,' from fans. He finds it humorous that many people incorrectly remember or recite the line with different opening words, missing the key word 'surely.'