He saved his best joke for his own funeral. Leslie Nielsen’s niece shares the hilarious family secret

"The Naked Gun" actor Leslie Nielsen had a great sense of humor, both on and offscreen. For over six decades, he played several iconic characters, beginning with serious dramatic ones and later transitioning to deadpan comedy. In 2010, however, Nielsen left earthly life for his journey to the heavens above, following complications from pneumonia. His departure did create a void in his family, friends, and fans, but his funeral was anything but sad. Rather, it was a celebration of a pure soul who knew nothing but how to make everybody around laugh. On December 10, Kyoko (@kyokoandrudy on TikTok), his niece, shared a hilarious family secret from Nielsen's funeral that had everyone ROFLing.

Nielsen loved carrying his fart machine everywhere. So, his wife put one in his coffin, too. The actor's funeral was held at a hotel, mostly used for weddings, and the ceremony was nothing less than a "gigantic party." Kyoko, his niece, who was a little girl at the time, recalled how people flew in from all over the world, stayed at the hotel, met each other over meals, and even spent time on the beach. Nielsen's family had booked several rooms for his funeral, and one of them had his open casket with a live farting machine. The event had an open bar where the actor's wife had kept the farting machine's remote. "The idea was that when you went up to get a drink, you could press the buttons, which would then, two enormous rooms away, create a fart noise from his casket," Kyoko explained. "I never asked my aunt if this was one of his explicit wishes, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if that was the case," she added. Nielsen's niece confessed that it was one of her favorite stories about her uncle, because it demonstrates his sense of humor as well as the legacy he left behind.

It's not every day that you see such light-hearted funerals like Nielsen's. However, celebration-of-life funerals are becoming increasingly common in America. In fact, a study by Dignity Memorial National Opinion Index found that 37% of residents in Atlanta would prefer a "non-traditional" memorial over a traditional funeral service. The trend of choosing non-traditional funerals is more prevalent among age groups under 35. Another research, "Funeral & Cemetery Consumer Behavior Study," found that people are now more inclined towards hosting memorials for their loved ones in venues outside the funeral homes. More than half (51%) reported their desire to host funerals in a more relaxed atmosphere.

Meanwhile, the video went viral, leaving netizens in fits of laughter. For instance, @katflores.83 commented, "This is the most Leslie Nielsen thing I’ve ever heard. He was so iconic, and I'm a huge fan of him." @damatos3001 recalled, "I saw him as a kid at a Toronto airport. I waved at him, and he came over and said hello, and I got so nervous I cried, but he then 'farted,' and I laughed. What a legend."

Similarly, @idiot_chickens3 commented, "That is the funniest thing ever. My dad was a MASSIVE Leslie Nielsen fan. Like, possibly one of his biggest fans. I regret not putting a fart machine in his coffin now because this is genius. Omg!" @m3ggus wrote, "This is so iconic. When you want your funeral to be a celebration of your life and to continue to have as much fun with people as you did when you were alive. Beautiful!" @bigvelvet495 wrote, "God, now I want a fart machine in my casket. Your uncle was a legendary talent, and his movies helped shape my sense of humor."

You can follow Kyoko (@kyokoandrudy) on TikTok for lifestyle content.

More On Scoop Upworthy

Person lists 9 rules for their own funeral and it's absolutely hilarious: 'Keep it cute, or on mute'

Woman with terminal cancer laughs in the face of fear and throws a party instead of a funeral

Man who planned his funeral 10 years before his death had a peculiar coffin in mind