Maura Nielsen Kaplan is the daughter of legendary Canadian-American actor and comedian Leslie Nielsen and his second wife, Alisande “Sandy” Ullman. Born on November 29, 1962, Maura grew up around Hollywood but chose a much quieter path than her famous father. She has worked in real estate, appeared in several movies connected with Leslie, earned acting and production-design credits, and remains involved in a family company with her sister, Thea Nielsen Disney. Her father became internationally famous through movies such as Airplane! and The Naked Gun. Leslie Nielsen
Maura Nielsen Kaplan Quick Bio
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Maura Nielsen Kaplan |
| Also Credited As | Maura Nielsen |
| Date of Birth | November 29, 1962 |
| Age in 2026 | 63 years old |
| Nationality | American/Canadian family background |
| Father | Leslie William Nielsen |
| Mother | Alisande “Sandy” Ullman |
| Sister | Thea Nielsen Disney |
| Stepmother | Barbaree Earl Nielsen |
| Profession | Real estate developer, actress, production designer |
| Known Films | Dracula: Dead and Loving It, Family Plan, Wrongfully Accused |
| Later Acting Credits | The Black Dot, Sonder |
| Business Connection | T & M Productions, Inc. |
| Current Public Lifestyle | Mostly private |
| Husband | Some secondary sources name Neil Kaplan, but strong verification is limited |
| Children | Not reliably documented |
| Net Worth | Not publicly verified |
Turner Classic Movies identifies Maura as Leslie Nielsen’s daughter, gives her birth date as November 29, 1962, and describes her professionally as a real estate developer. IMDb additionally lists her as an actress and production designer.
Who Is Maura Nielsen Kaplan?
Maura Nielsen Kaplan is one of Leslie Nielsen’s two daughters.
That simple description explains why many people search her name, but it does not tell her complete story.
Unlike Leslie, Maura did not spend decades trying to become a major Hollywood star. She made several screen appearances, including in movies starring her father, while building a life that remained largely outside celebrity culture.
Turner Classic Movies describes Maura as a real estate developer, suggesting that her main adult career was outside acting. At the same time, current film databases show that she has maintained some connection to entertainment over many years.
That mixture makes her story more interesting than simply calling her “Leslie Nielsen’s daughter.”
How Old Is Maura Nielsen Kaplan?
Maura was born on November 29, 1962.
That makes her 63 years old in September 2026. She will turn 64 on November 29, 2026.
Her younger-or-older sibling relationship is also clear.
Turner Classic Movies lists her sister Thea Nielsen as born on July 15, 1960, meaning Thea is the older of Leslie Nielsen’s two daughters.
Some newer biography sites do not give Maura’s age accurately, but TCM provides a particularly useful historical record because it lists both daughters and their professions.
Who Was Maura Nielsen Kaplan’s Father?
Maura’s father was Leslie William Nielsen, one of the most recognizable comedy actors of the late twentieth century.
Leslie was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, in 1926 and originally built a career playing serious dramatic roles.
His career changed dramatically after Airplane! in 1980.
That film took his naturally serious delivery and used it for absurd comedy.
Then came Detective Frank Drebin in Police Squad! and The Naked Gun movies.
Leslie eventually became so closely associated with deadpan comedy that younger audiences sometimes forgot he had spent decades as a dramatic actor first.
For Maura, though, he was not simply Frank Drebin or Dracula.
He was her father.
Who Is Maura Nielsen Kaplan’s Mother?
Maura’s mother is Alisande “Sandy” Ullman.
Leslie married Sandy in 1958.
They had two daughters together, Thea and Maura, before the marriage ended in divorce during the 1970s.
A surviving family photograph shows Leslie at home with Sandy and their two young daughters.
That picture is especially interesting because it captures Leslie outside the movie world, long before The Naked Gun made him an international comedy icon.
Maura therefore grew up during a very different period of her father’s career.
Maura Nielsen Kaplan’s Sister Thea Nielsen Disney
Maura’s only sister is Thea Nielsen Disney.
The sisters share both parents: Leslie Nielsen and Alisande Ullman.
Turner Classic Movies identifies Thea as a horse trainer, while IMDb records several acting appearances similar to Maura’s.
Thea appeared in Dracula: Dead and Loving It, Family Plan, and Wrongfully Accused, just as Maura did.
That means some of Leslie Nielsen’s later comedies became small family projects.
His daughters occasionally appeared.
His later wife Barbaree Earl also appeared.
The movies were still professional productions, but little family cameos were hidden inside them.
Did Maura Nielsen Kaplan Become an Actress?
Maura has legitimate acting credits, although acting does not appear to have been her primary full-time career.
IMDb lists five acting credits.
They include:
Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995) — Ballroom Guest
Family Plan (1998) — Ravishing Woman
Wrongfully Accused (1998) — Party Guest #1
The Black Dot (2020) — Woman
Sonder (2022) — CEO.
TV Guide also identifies Maura as an actress and lists her older credits in Dracula: Dead and Loving It, Family Plan, and Wrongfully Accused.
So it would be wrong to say she never acted.
But calling her a major Hollywood actress would also exaggerate her career.
Maura in Dracula: Dead and Loving It
One of Maura’s clearest early credits came in Mel Brooks’ 1995 comedy Dracula: Dead and Loving It.
Her father played Count Dracula.
Maura appeared as a Ballroom Guest, credited under the shorter name Maura Nielsen.
Her sister Thea also appeared as a ballroom guest.
So did Barbaree Earl, who later became Leslie’s fourth wife.
These were small roles, but they created a fun family connection inside one of Leslie’s films.
Maura Nielsen Kaplan in Family Plan
In Family Plan, Maura appeared as a character credited as Ravishing Woman.
Thea Nielsen Disney and Barbaree Earl also received the same type of cameo role in the movie.
Again, this was not the beginning of a giant acting career.
It was a small appearance in a movie connected with her father.
Still, the credit is real and remains part of her filmography today.
Maura in Wrongfully Accused
Maura also appeared in Leslie Nielsen’s 1998 comedy Wrongfully Accused.
IMDb lists her role as Party Guest #1.
The movie was another spoof built around Leslie’s famous deadpan comedy style.
By this stage, audiences knew exactly what to expect when they saw his name on a poster.
Maura’s cameo gave the project another family connection.
Maura Returned to Acting Years Later
An especially interesting part of Maura’s filmography is the long gap between her 1990s appearances and more recent work.
IMDb lists her in The Black Dot in 2020 and Sonder in 2022. In Sonder, she is credited as a CEO.
That is notable because it shows she did not completely disappear from acting after her father’s films.
She returned to the screen decades later.
Still, there is no evidence that she was trying to launch herself as a full-time celebrity.
Her career remained relatively low-profile.
Is Maura Nielsen Kaplan a Production Designer?
Yes.
IMDb lists Maura as both an actress and production designer.
Public databases give much more detail about her acting roles than about her production-design work, so it would be risky to invent a large list of projects.
But the professional category itself is useful.
It shows that Maura has worked behind the camera as well as in front of it.
That fits naturally with someone who grew up around film production but never seemed interested in becoming a major on-screen star.
Maura Nielsen Kaplan’s Real Estate Career
One of the strongest non-Hollywood descriptions of Maura comes from Turner Classic Movies.
TCM identifies her as a real estate developer.
This detail is important because it helps explain why her acting résumé is relatively small.
Film may have been part of her life, but it was apparently not the only—or even primary—career.
Real estate allowed Maura to build a professional identity separate from her famous father.
That may also explain why mainstream entertainment outlets rarely covered her day-to-day work.
Maura and T & M Productions
A more recent public business record gives another interesting clue about Maura’s life today.
California corporate information summarized from the Secretary of State registry listed Maura Nielsen Kaplan as CEO, CFO and secretary of T & M Productions, Inc., with her sister Thea Nielsen Disney listed as a director. The filing was still shown as active and in good standing in 2025.
That is one of the strongest recent records showing Maura professionally active.
The public filing does not explain exactly what every current activity of the company involves, so it would be wrong to guess.
But it clearly shows that Maura and Thea continue to share a formal business connection.
Is Maura Nielsen Kaplan Married?
The surname “Kaplan” has naturally led many readers to ask about Maura’s husband.
Some secondary biography websites identify a man named Neil Kaplan as her husband. However, reliable mainstream profiles such as TCM, IMDb and major obituary coverage of Leslie Nielsen do not provide a spouse name for Maura.
For that reason, it is safer to say:
Maura has publicly used the surname Kaplan, but detailed information about her marriage remains private and is not strongly confirmed through authoritative sources.
That is more accurate than turning a repeated secondary claim into unquestioned fact.
Does Maura Nielsen Kaplan Have Children?
There is no dependable major public source confirming whether Maura has children.
This is another example of where her privacy matters.
Leslie Nielsen’s obituaries consistently named Maura and Thea as his surviving daughters, but they generally did not provide detailed information about grandchildren through Maura.
Therefore, claims about Maura’s children should not be guessed.
If she has chosen to keep that part of her family life private, there is no reason to turn speculation into biography.
Maura’s Relationship With Leslie Nielsen
Very little detailed public interview material exists about Maura’s relationship with her father.
But several facts show that the family connection continued into adulthood.
She appeared in his films.
Her sister appeared alongside her.
And when Leslie died in November 2010, major obituary coverage named both Maura and Thea as his surviving daughters.
Leslie died at age 84 after being treated for pneumonia.
The Guardian and CBS both confirmed his two daughters from his marriage to Sandy Ullman.
Who Was Maura’s Stepmother Barbaree Earl Nielsen?
Leslie Nielsen married Barbaree Earl in 2001.
They remained married until Leslie’s death in 2010.
IMDb identifies Maura as Barbaree’s stepdaughter.
Interestingly, Barbaree also appeared alongside Maura and Thea in several Leslie Nielsen films.
That adds another unusual layer to the family story.
Instead of being connected only through private family events, the women occasionally shared movie credits too.
Maura Nielsen Kaplan’s Net Worth
Maura’s exact net worth is not publicly verified.
Some celebrity biography websites attach financial estimates to her name, but there is no strong public evidence showing a precise personal fortune.
Real net worth would require knowledge of:
her real estate assets,
business holdings,
income,
investments,
inheritance,
debts,
and taxes.
Those details are private.
It is reasonable to say that Maura has had professional involvement in real estate, entertainment and business, but it is not reasonable to invent a dollar figure.
Did Maura Inherit Leslie Nielsen’s Money?
The details of Leslie Nielsen’s private estate distribution are not publicly clear enough to calculate what Maura personally received.
Being his daughter does not mean websites can simply divide an estimated estate in half.
Estate planning can involve spouses, trusts, property, taxes, charities and other arrangements.
So any article claiming an exact inheritance amount without legal documentation should be treated cautiously.
The responsible answer is that Maura’s inheritance from her father is not publicly verified.
Where Is Maura Nielsen Kaplan Today in 2026?
Maura remains a private person, but she has not completely disappeared.
Her IMDb record includes acting work as recently as 2022.
More significantly for current information, corporate records summarized in 2025 listed her as an officer of the still-active T & M Productions, Inc., alongside her sister Thea.
That provides much stronger evidence than vague biography sites claiming that nobody knows anything about her.
She appears to remain involved in business while keeping her private life largely away from entertainment media.
Why People Search for Maura Nielsen Kaplan
The biggest reason is obviously Leslie Nielsen.
His comedy remains popular decades after movies such as Airplane! and The Naked Gun first appeared.
People discover him again.
Then they start reading about his family.
They see the name Maura Nielsen Kaplan and naturally wonder:
Who is she?
Did she become an actress?
Is she married?
What does she do today?
The answers are more interesting than expected because Maura did a little bit of everything.
She acted.
She worked behind the scenes.
She developed real estate.
And she has remained involved with a family business.
Final Thoughts on Maura Nielsen Kaplan
Maura Nielsen Kaplan grew up with one of film comedy’s most recognizable stars as her father, but she never allowed that connection to completely define her.
She was born on November 29, 1962, to Leslie Nielsen and Alisande “Sandy” Ullman. Her older sister, Thea Nielsen Disney, completed the family.
Maura followed a much quieter adult path than Leslie.
Turner Classic Movies describes her as a real estate developer, while IMDb documents her work as an actress and production designer.
She appeared in several of her father’s films, including Dracula: Dead and Loving It, Family Plan and Wrongfully Accused.
Then, after many years away from visible acting, she appeared again in The Black Dot and Sonder.
Her story also continues beyond Hollywood.
Recent corporate records show her holding senior officer positions in T & M Productions, with Thea serving as a director.
That makes Maura much more than simply a celebrity daughter.
She is someone who grew up around filmmaking, took part in it occasionally, built a separate real-estate and business identity, and managed to keep most of her personal life private.
In 2026, that privacy remains one of the most noticeable things about her.
She does not appear to chase fame.
She does not regularly give interviews about Leslie.
She does not build her identity around The Naked Gun.
Yet her small acting career, professional work and continuing bond with her sister keep her quietly connected to the Nielsen family legacy.
FAQs About Maura Nielsen Kaplan
Who is Maura Nielsen Kaplan?
Maura Nielsen Kaplan is the daughter of actor Leslie Nielsen and Alisande “Sandy” Ullman. She has worked as a real estate developer, actress and production designer.
When was Maura Nielsen Kaplan born?
She was born on November 29, 1962.
How old is Maura Nielsen Kaplan in 2026?
She is 63 years old as of September 2026 and turns 64 in November.
Who is Maura Nielsen Kaplan’s father?
Her father was actor and comedian Leslie Nielsen.
Who is Maura Nielsen Kaplan’s mother?
Her mother is Alisande “Sandy” Ullman.
Does Maura Nielsen Kaplan have a sister?
Yes. Her sister is Thea Nielsen Disney.
Is Thea older than Maura?
Yes. TCM lists Thea’s birth date as July 15, 1960 and Maura’s as November 29, 1962.
Is Maura Nielsen Kaplan an actress?
Yes, although acting has been only one part of her professional life.
What movies was Maura Nielsen Kaplan in?
Her credits include Dracula: Dead and Loving It, Family Plan, Wrongfully Accused, The Black Dot and Sonder.
Was Maura in Dracula: Dead and Loving It?
Yes. She played a ballroom guest and was credited as Maura Nielsen.
Was Maura in Wrongfully Accused?
Yes. IMDb credits her as Party Guest #1.
Did Maura act with her sister Thea?
Yes. Both sisters appeared in several movies connected with Leslie Nielsen.
What does Maura Nielsen Kaplan do for a living?
TCM describes her as a real estate developer, while IMDb also lists acting and production-design work.
Is Maura a production designer?
IMDb identifies her as both an actress and production designer.
Is Maura involved in a business today?
A 2025 corporate summary listed her as CEO, CFO and secretary of T & M Productions, Inc.
Is Maura Nielsen Kaplan married?
Her surname indicates that she has used Kaplan, and some secondary sources name Neil Kaplan as her husband, but strong mainstream confirmation of her marriage details is limited.
Does Maura Nielsen Kaplan have children?
No reliable major public source clearly confirms her children.
Who was Maura’s stepmother?
Leslie Nielsen’s fourth wife, Barbaree Earl Nielsen, was Maura’s stepmother.
When did Leslie Nielsen die?
He died on November 28, 2010, at age 84 after being treated for pneumonia.
Was Maura named in Leslie Nielsen’s obituary?
Yes. Major obituary coverage identified Maura and Thea as his surviving daughters.
What is Maura Nielsen Kaplan’s net worth?
Her exact net worth is not publicly verified.
Did Maura inherit Leslie Nielsen’s fortune?
Private estate records do not provide enough reliable public information to state an exact inheritance amount.
Is Maura Nielsen Kaplan still alive?
Recent acting and corporate records support that she has remained active in recent years, with a 2025 business filing listing her as a corporate officer.
Where is Maura Nielsen Kaplan now?
She keeps her present everyday life private. Recent corporate records show continued business involvement, but her precise residence should not be treated as public entertainment information.
Why is Maura Nielsen Kaplan famous?
She is best known as Leslie Nielsen’s daughter, but she also has her own acting, production-design, real-estate and business history.
For more celebrity biographies, family stories and personality profiles, visit Topper Magazine.
