Throughout his nearly 50-year career, Liam Neeson has played many memorable roles, including a Jedi Master, a kind-hearted man in a tough situation, a charming widower, and a protective father in the Taken movies, which made him a famous action star.
Now at 72, Neeson has shared that he’s not sure if he can still throw a punch like he used to and is thinking about retiring because “it has to end at some point.”
Keep reading to find out more about this news that might break the hearts of his fans!
Liam Neeson is a famous Irish actor who is really good at playing different kinds of characters in movies. He has done everything from serious dramas to exciting action films. He became well-known in the early 1990s when he played Oskar Schindler in the movie Schindler’s List, which got him a lot of attention and several award nominations.
In the following ten years, the Oscar-nominated actor took part in a variety of movies, ranging from sweet romantic roles to playing a Jedi Master in Star Wars, which is the biggest movie franchise ever.
Then, using his “very special set of skills,” Neeson became an action star with the film Taken (2008). This bold move in his career turned out to be a huge success.
The star of Love Actually surprising many people by diving into high-energy thrillers. At 56 years old, Neeson discovered a new side of himself as a leading man in action films, showing that he can adapt and stay popular across different types of movies and audiences.
Taken was a massive success, and the star’s performance of Bryan Mills, a retired CIA operative determined to rescue his kidnapped daughter, resonated with audiences.
“It just seemed to have touched something in the psychic nerve of moviegoing audiences,” the father of two tells People in an October 2024 interview.
Liam Neeson’s tough and serious role as a determined dad turned him into an unexpected but super effective action hero. One of the most famous moments in the movie is when Mills makes his unforgettable threat over the phone, which really changed the game for action movies.
The film did so well that it not only made Neeson a big name in action films later in his career but also led to two popular sequels and more roles like that in other action flicks.
Hans Petter Moland, who directed Neeson in Cold Pursuit (2019) and the upcoming movie Thug, said, “When he’s really into the character, you can see the hurt and pain. He truly becomes that person.”
Even though Neeson has had a lot of success in action movies and directors trust him to deliver powerful performances, the star of Absolution recently shared that he plans to step back from the genre because of his age.
At 72 years old, Neeson believes it’s time to slow down a bit. He still wants to do a lot of his own stunts and fight scenes, though. This is partly because he works closely with his longtime stunt coordinator and double, Mark Vanselow. Their teamwork started with the movie Taken and has been really important for Neeson’s action roles later in his career. Vanselow not only plans out the exciting fight scenes and stunts but also makes sure that Neeson can safely do as much of the action as he can, even at his age.
“You can’t fool audiences. I don’t want Mark to be fighting my fight scenes for me,” Neeson added.
The actor, who has been nominated for an Oscar, wrapped up by saying, “Maybe by the end of next year. I think that’s all.”
However, it looks like he’s getting ready for a big change in his career, this time aiming to be a comedy star.
He just wrapped up filming for The Naked Gun, which is a new version of the funny crime movie from 1988 that starred the late Leslie Nielson.
In the film, that’s due to hit theaters in 2025, Neeson stars as the cop Frank Drebin – previously played by Nielson – alongside Baywatch beauty Pamela Anderson.
I’m totally head over heels for her. I can’t say enough nice things about her. She’s really funny, Neeson shares, but he’s not too confident about his own sense of humor. “I really don’t know if I can pull it off,” he admits.
Anderson, on the other hand, tells People that her co-star is just being modest. “It was tough to stay serious during our scenes together.”
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