Neeson was born inBallymena, County Antrim,[6] the son of primary school caretaker Bernard "Barney" Neeson and cook Katherine "Kitty" Neeson (née Brown).[7] His mother was born and raised inWaterford in thesouth-east of Ireland.[8] Brought up Catholic,[9] he was named Liam after a local priest.[10] He has three sisters, Elizabeth, Bernadette, and Rosaleen.[11] He attendedSt Patrick's College, Ballymena, from 1963 to 1967, and later recalled that his love of drama began there.[12]
He said that growing up as a Catholic in a predominantly Protestant town made him cautious,[13] and once said he felt like a "second-class citizen" there,[14] but has also said he was never made to feel "inferior or even different" at the town's predominantly Protestant technical college.[15] "It would be colourful to imagine I had a rebellious, uproarious Irish background," he has said, "but the facts were much greyer. Irish, yes. But all that nationalistic stuff, crying into yourGuinness and singing rebel songs—that was never my scene."[16] He has described himself as "out of touch" with thepolitics and history of Northern Ireland until becoming aware of protests by fellow students afterBloody Sunday, a massacre inDerry in 1972 duringthe Troubles, which encouraged him to learn more local history.[15][17] In a 2009 interview, he said, "I never stop thinking about [the Troubles]. I've known guys and girls who have been perpetrators of violence and victims. Protestants and Catholics. It's part of my DNA."[18]
At age nine, Neeson began boxing lessons at the All Saints Youth Club, and went on to win a number of regional titles before quitting at 17.[19] He acted in school productions during his teens.[20] His interest in acting and decision to become an actor were also influenced byIan Paisley, founder of theDemocratic Unionist Party (DUP), into whoseFree Presbyterian Church of Ulster he sneaked. He said, "[Paisley] had a magnificent presence and it was incredible to watch him just Bible-thumping away... it was acting, but it was also great acting and stirring too."[21] In 1971, he joined a physics and computer science course atQueen's University Belfast before leaving to work for theGuinness Brewery.[22] At Queen's, he discovered a talent forfootball and was spotted bySeán Thomas atBohemian FC. There was a club trial inDublin and Neeson played one game as a substitute againstShamrock Rovers FC, but was not offered a contract.[23]
Career
1976–1993: Rise to prominence
After leaving university, Neeson returned to Ballymena, where he worked in a variety of casual jobs, such as aforklift operator at Guinness and a lorry driver.[24][25] He also attended teacher training college for two years inNewcastle upon Tyne before again returning to his hometown. In 1976, he joined theLyric Players Theatre inBelfast, where he performed for two years. He got his first film experience in 1977, playingJesus Christ and The Evangelist in the religious filmPilgrim's Progress (1978). He moved to Dublin in 1978 when he was offered a part in Ron Hutchinson'sSays I, Says He, a drama aboutThe Troubles, at theProject Arts Centre. He acted in several other Project productions and joined theAbbey Theatre (the National Theatre of Ireland).[26] In 1980, he performed with Stephen Rea, Ray McAnally and Mick Lally, playing Doalty in Brian Friel's playTranslations, the first production of Friel's and Rea's Field Day Theatre Company, first presented in the Guildhall inDerry on 23 September 1980.[27]
In 1980, filmmakerJohn Boorman saw him on stage as Lennie Small inOf Mice and Men and offered him the role ofSir Gawain in theArthurian filmExcalibur. After the role, Neeson moved to London, where he continued working on stage, and in small-budget films and television. He lived with actressHelen Mirren, whom he met working onExcalibur.[28] Between 1982 and 1987, he starred in five films, most notably withMel Gibson andAnthony Hopkins in 1984'sThe Bounty andRobert De Niro andJeremy Irons in 1986'sThe Mission. Neeson guest-starred in the third season of the television seriesMiami Vice in 1986, and moved toHollywood the next year to take higher-profile roles.[28] He starred withCher andDennis Quaid inSuspect, which brought him critical acclaim. In 1988, he starred with Clint Eastwood in the fifthDirty Harry film,The Dead Pool, as Peter Swan, a horror film director. In 1990, he had a starring role inSam Raimi'sDarkman. Although the film was successful, Neeson's subsequent years did not bring him the same recognition. He also starred in the eponymous role for the filmEthan Frome (1993).
1993–2000: Breakthrough and acclaim
Steven Spielberg offered Neeson the role ofOskar Schindler in hisholocaust filmSchindler's List[29] after seeing him inAnna Christie on Broadway.Kevin Costner,Mel Gibson andWarren Beatty all expressed interest in the part[30][31] (Beatty even auditioned),[30] but Neeson was cast in December 1992 after auditioning for the role.[31] He read the Keneally book and concluded that his character "enjoyed fookin' [sic] with the Nazis. In Keneally's book, it says he was regarded as a kind of a buffoon by them... if the Nazis were New Yorkers, he was fromArkansas. They don't quite take him seriously, and he used that to full effect."[32] His critically acclaimed performance earned him a nomination for aBest Actor Oscar, and helped the film earnBest Picture of 1993. He also receivedBAFTA andGolden Globes nominations for the performance. He soon became an in-demand leading actor.
In 1999, Neeson starred asJedi MasterQui-Gon Jinn inStar Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. DirectorGeorge Lucas cast Neeson because he considered him a "master actor, who the other actors will look up to, who has got the qualities of strength that the character demands."[41] As the firstStar Wars film to be released in 16 years, it was surrounded by media anticipation. Neeson's connection toStar Wars started in theCrown Bar,Belfast. He toldRicki Lake, "I probably wouldn't have taken the role if it wasn't for the advice of Peter King in the Crown during a Lyric reunion."[clarification needed] Despite mixed reviews from critics and fans,[42]The Phantom Menace was an enormous box-office success and remained the most financially successfulStar Wars film (unadjusted for inflation) untilStar Wars: The Force Awakens (2015).[43]
Neeson's performance as Qui-Gon received positive reviews[44][45] and aSaturn Award nomination. A stock recording of his voice fromThe Phantom Menace can be heard during a scene inStar Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002).[46] Neeson was later reported to be appearing inStar Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005),[47] but ultimately did not. In the animated television seriesStar Wars: The Clone Wars (2008–20), he voiced Qui-Gon in two episodes of the third season and one episode of the sixth season,[46] and he also made a voice cameo as Qui-Gon inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).[48] Neeson appeared as Qui-Gon in the final episode ofObi-Wan Kenobi (2022), appearing as a force ghost toObi-Wan, in an uncredited cameo, marking his first live-action portrayal of Qui-Gon sinceThe Phantom Menace. He later voiced Qui-Gon again for an episode of the animatedStar Wars: Tales of the Jedi (2022).
Neeson narrated the 2001 documentariesJourney into Amazing Caves, a short film about two scientists who travel around the world to search for material for potential cures; andThe Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Adventure. The latter won awards at a number of film festivals including Best Documentary from both theChicago Film Critics Association and theNational Board of Review. Neeson returned to Broadway in the revival of theArthur Miller playThe Crucible acting oppositeLaura Linney. For his performance as John Proctor he received a nomination for theTony Award for Best Actor in a Play.[49]Charles Isherwood ofVariety praised Neeson writing, "In his thoughtful performance as Proctor, the effortlessly charismatic Neeson subtly delineates a man’s moral evolution as Proctor moves from casual scorn for the proceedings to outrage to soul-stricken despair" adding, "Perhaps the finest aspect of Neeson’s performance is its admirable restraint".[50] That same year Neeson acted withHarrison Ford inKathryn Bigelow's 2002 submarine thrillerK-19: The Widowmaker as Captain Mikhail Polenin. He was also on the cast ofMartin Scorsese's historical dramaGangs of New York withDaniel Day-Lewis,Leonardo DiCaprio, andCameron Diaz.[51]
In 2007, he starred in theAmerican Civil War epicSeraphim Falls. Neeson voiced the main character's father, James, in the video gameFallout 3.[64] Executive producerTodd Howard said, "This role was written with Liam in mind, and provides the dramatic tone for the entire game".[65]Fallout 3, the third game in theFallout series, was extremely well received by critics and shipped 4.7 million copies by the end of 2008, the year it was released.[66] In the director's commentary of the 2007Transformers DVD,Michael Bay said he had told the animators to seek inspiration from Neeson in creatingOptimus Prime'sbody language. Neeson appeared as Alistair Little in theBBC Northern Ireland/Big Fish Films television dramaFive Minutes of Heaven, which tells the true story of a young Protestant man convicted of murdering a Catholic boy duringThe Troubles.[67]
2008–present: Action stardom
Neeson at the Deauville American Film Festival in 2012.
In 2008, Neeson starred in the action filmTaken, a French-produced film also starringFamke Janssen andMaggie Grace, based on a script byLuc Besson andRobert Mark Kamen and directed byPierre Morel. Neeson plays a retiredCIA operative from the eliteSpecial Activities Division who sets about tracking down his teenage daughter after she is kidnapped.Taken was a worldwide box-office hit, grossing $223.9 million worldwide, making almost $200 million more than its production budget. Neeson has said in interviews that he believed thatTaken had put some people off the idea of actually travelling to Europe.[68]Taken brought Neeson back into the centre of the public eye and resulted in his being cast in many more big-budget Hollywood movies. That year he also narrated the documentaryBlack Holes: The Other Side of Infinity and again lent his voice to Aslan inThe Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008).[69] He also provided a voice forHayao Miyazaki's anime filmPonyo on the Cliff by the Sea, which received an August 2009 release.[70]
In 2011, he played himself in BBC2's seriesLife's Too Short starringRicky Gervais,Stephen Merchant andWarwick Davis.[79] In late 2011, Neeson was cast to play the lead character, a journalist, in a new album recording and arena production ofJeff Wayne's War of the Worlds. He replacedRichard Burton, who had posthumously appeared in the arena production throughCGI animation. Neeson did not physically appear on the stage, instead playing the role through the use of 3Dholography. In 2012, Neeson starred inJoe Carnahan'sThe Grey. The film received mostly positive reviews and Neeson's performance received critical acclaim. He also starred inTaken 2 (2012), a successful sequel to his 2008 blockbuster.[80] That year, he once again appeared as Ra's al Ghul in a cameo appearance inThe Dark Knight Rises (2012), the third and final film inChristopher Nolan'sThe Dark Knight Trilogy. Dialogue from his role as Ra's al Ghul inBatman Begins was featured in the first trailer for the film.
Neeson had a supporting role as the henchman Bad Cop/Good Cop in the animated filmThe Lego Movie, which was a critical and commercial success. Neeson later played Bill Marks in the 2014 action filmNon-Stop. The film was released on 28 February 2014. He also appeared, uncredited, as God in theBBC2 seriesRev.. Neeson stars in the 2014 filmA Walk Among the Tombstones, an adaption of the best-sellingnovel of the same name, in which he plays former cop Matthew Scudder, a detective hired to hunt the killers of a drug dealer's wife. DuringSuper Bowl XLIX,Supercell did aClash of Clans commercial with Neeson playing the game as "AngryNeeson52" and vowing revenge on his opponent "BigBuffetBoy85" while waiting for his scone at a bakery.[81] The appearance was a parody of his role inTaken. In 2016, Neeson narrated theRTÉ One three-part documentary on theEaster Rising,1916.[82] Following the success of theTaken films, Neeson has become increasingly known as a star ofaction thriller films.[83] BesidesThe A-Team,Unknown,The Grey,Non-Stop,A Walk Among the Tombstones,Run All Night,The Commuter and Retribution, other recent action films starring Neeson have includedCold Pursuit (2019),Honest Thief (2020),The Marksman (2021),The Ice Road (2021),Blacklight (2022),Memory (2022),In the Land of Saints and Sinners (2024) andAbsolution (2024). Neeson has indicated a desire to retire from the action genre though the films have taken his acting career in a new direction.
Neeson opposes what he sees as the unrestricted right to own firearms in the U.S.[94] and has made calls forgun control.[95] In January 2015, he repeated his views, callingU.S. gun laws a "disgrace" in an interview with Emirati newspaperGulf News when replying to a question about theCharlie Hebdo shootings earlier that month.[96] In response, U.S. gun manufacturerPara USA, which provided the prop weapons used by Neeson in theTaken film series, stated: "We will no longer provide firearms for use in films starring Liam Neeson and ask that our friends and partners in Hollywood refrain from associating our brand and products with his projects."[96]
In 2014, Neeson protested against the anti-carriage horse campaign of New York City MayorBill de Blasio, who said he would outlaw horse-drawn carriages inCentral Park once he took office. He wrote an opinion page published inThe New York Times citing the carriage trade as a safe one for employees, horses, and tourists, and noted it was a livelihood for many immigrants.[97]
Neeson was opposed toBrexit, stating in 2016 that it would be truly "a shame to sacrifice all the progress that has been made by the peace process regarding border controls".[99]
In September 2017, Neeson compared the U.S. presidency ofDonald Trump to theWatergate scandal ofRichard Nixon: "Democracy works and no man—and certainly not the president—is above the law. He has to be accountable."[100]
Neeson holds Irish[111] and American citizenship, having beennaturalised as an American citizen in 2009.[112] He primarily identifies as Irish.[113][3] After taking up American citizenship, he was adamant he was not turning his back on his Irish roots.[114] In 2009, nearly four decades after he was an undergraduate in physics and computer science atQueen's University, Belfast, the university awarded him an honorary doctorate which was presented to him in New York by Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Gregson.[115] In March 2011, he was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador forUNICEF.[116] He is a patron ofBelfast-based charity and film festivalCineMagic, which helps young people get involved in the movie industry.[117]
A heavy smoker earlier in his career, Neeson quit smoking in 2003 while working onLove Actually. When he took the role ofHannibal for the2010 film adaptation ofThe A-Team, he had reservations about smoking cigars (a signature trait of the character), but agreed to do it for the film.[118]
In June 2012, Neeson's publicist denied reports that Neeson was converting toIslam. Neeson has expressed an affection for theadhan, the Islamic call to prayer, that he grew accustomed to while filmingTaken 2 inIstanbul: "By the third week, it was like I couldn't live without it. It really became hypnotic and very moving for me in a very special way. Very beautiful."[119] He also expressed admiration for theSpiritual Exercises ofSaint Ignatius of Loyola.[120]
Neeson is a long-term supporter of the need for moreintegrated education in Northern Ireland; that is, educating Catholics and Protestants together. In 2017 he said, "As Northern Ireland moves forward from division, who do we look to for a future we can share? Our children - so why do we continue to educate them apart? Different religions, different backgrounds, different schools. There is another way. Protestants and Catholics, other beliefs and none, learning and working together every day."[122] He has praised schools where parents have voted to transform segregated schools into integrated schools, and fronted television adverts to encourage more parents to integrate their children's schools.[123][124]
In February 2019, Neeson gained public and media controversy after apress junket interview he conducted withThe Independent while promotingCold Pursuit, a film about a father seeking revenge for his son's murder.[127][128] He said that he generated his character's "primal" anger by recounting an experience he had 40 years ago, in which a female friend of his had been raped by a stranger. After learning the attacker was ablack man, Neeson said that he spent a week going "up and down areas with acosh, hoping some 'black bastard' would come out of a pub and have a go" so that he "could kill him". In the interview, he also said he was ashamed of the experience and that the things he did and said were "horrible". He said, "It's awful [...] but I did learn a lesson from it, when I eventually thought, 'What the fuck are you doing?'"[129][130]
In an appearance onGood Morning America, Neeson elaborated on his comments while denying being a racist, stating that he asked for physical attributes of the rapist other than his race and that he would have done the same if the rapist was "a Scot or a Brit or a Lithuanian".[131] He also said that he had purposely gone into "black areas of the city" but that he "did seek help" and counselling from his friends and a priest after coming to his senses. He said that the lesson of his experience was "to open up [and] to talk about these things", includingtoxic masculinity and the underlying "racism and bigotry" in both the U.S. and Northern Ireland. The controversy following his comments led to cancellation of the red carpet event for the premiere ofCold Pursuit.[132][133] Neeson was publicly defended byMichelle Rodriguez,[134]Whoopi Goldberg,[135]John Barnes,[136]Trevor Noah,[137] andRalph Fiennes.[138]Donald Glover later convinced him to appear in hisFX seriesAtlanta episode "New Jazz" as a fictionalised version of himself, to examine the controversy.[139]
In 2000, Neeson was offered the "Freedom of the Town of Ballymena" by theBallymena Borough Council, but because of objections made by members of theDemocratic Unionist Party regarding his comments that he had felt like a "second-class citizen" growing up as a Catholic in the town, he declined the award, citing tensions.[140] Following the controversy, Neeson wrote a letter to the council, stating; "I will always remain very proud of my upbringing in, and association with, the town and my country of birth, which I will continue to promote at every opportunity. Indeed, I regard the enduring support over the years from all sections of the community in Ballymena as being more than sufficient recognition for any success which I may have achieved as an actor."[141] Subsequently, on 28 January 2013, Neeson received the Freedom of the Borough from Ballymena Borough Council at a ceremony in the town.[141]
^abWilson, Jamie (31 December 1999). "Top billing at last for veteran entertainers; Showbusiness Awards for Elizabeth Taylor and Shirley Bassey".The Guardian. London. p. 4.
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