It’s hard to believe it’s been over 35 years since The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! was released. The 1988 spoof film still holds up incredibly well, with its hilarious send-up of police procedurals.
The movie revolves around Leslie Nielsen’s bumbling detective Lt. Frank Drebin as he attempts to stop an assassination plot against Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Los Angeles. One of the most memorable aspects of the movie is the wide range of celebrity cameos, including Weird Al Yankovic, Dr. Joyce Brothers, and Leonard Nimoy, among many others. But the most iconic cameo is by baseball legend Reggie “Mr. October” Jackson, whose hilarious role is essential to the film’s plot.
In the film’s climax, Frank sneaks into the stadium during a California Angels vs. Seattle Mariners game, disguising himself as the home plate umpire. After he angers fans and players with some of the worst calls in baseball history, an argument breaks out among the umpires at the start of the seventh-inning stretch, and the assassin, revealed to be Reggie Jackson, retrieves a gun hidden under one of the bases and proceeds to walk towards the Queen. A brawl breaks out among the players, but Frank manages to get a shot off from his watch weapon, accidentally hitting a woman in the stands, who falls and saves the Queen’s life.
After Queen Elizabeth’s death in 2022, fans of the film shared memories and offered condolences, referencing The Naked Gun. Although it was actress Jeannette Charles, not the actual Queen, who portrayed the monarch in the film, the role was so memorable and ingrained in pop culture that fans couldn’t help but bring it up online. Reggie Jackson himself gave a sweet callback to his cameo, tweeting “Now we all know I was innocent! Amen! RIP Queen E!” just hours after the Queen’s death was announced. The tweet received 49K likes and 8.2K retweets, with many fans loving the tribute to the Queen and one of the best cameos of all time.
