Jump to content

Liam Neeson

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Liam Neeson
OBE
Neeson in 2008
Born
William John Neeson

(1952-06-07) 7 June 1952 (age 72)
Ballymena, Northern Ireland
OccupationActor
Years active1976–present
WorksFull list
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1994; died 2009)​
PartnerHelen Mirren (1980–1985)[1][2]
Children2, including Micheál Richardson
AwardsFull list

William John Neeson OBE (born 7 June 1952) is a Northern Irish actor.[3] He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed seventh on The Irish Times list of Ireland's 50 Greatest Film Actors.[4] Neeson was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2000.[5]

Neeson made his film debut in 1978 with Pilgrim's Progress followed by early roles in Excalibur (1981), The Bounty (1984), The Mission (1986), The Dead Pool (1988), and Husbands and Wives (1992). He rose to prominence portraying Oskar Schindler in Steven Spielberg's Holocaust drama Schindler's List (1993) for which he earned an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination. He played leading man roles in drama films such as Nell (1994), Rob Roy (1995), Michael Collins (1996), and Les Misérables (1998). He took blockbuster roles portraying Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), Ra's al Ghul in Batman Begins (2005), and Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia trilogy (2005–2010).

He acted in films such as the historical drama Gangs of New York (2002), the romantic comedy Love Actually (2003), the biographical drama Kinsey (2004), the erotic thriller Chloe (2009), the religious drama Silence (2016), the fantasy film A Monster Calls (2016), the crime thriller Widows (2018), the anthology film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018), and the romantic drama Ordinary Love (2019). Beginning in 2009, Neeson cemented himself as an action star with the action thriller series Taken (2008–2014), The A-Team (2010), The Grey (2011), Wrath of the Titans (2012), A Walk Among the Tombstones (2014), and Cold Pursuit (2019). He is known for his collaborations in the genre with the director Jaume Collet-Serra and starred in four of his films: Unknown (2011), Non-Stop (2014), Run All Night (2015), and The Commuter (2018).

On stage, Neeson joined the Lyric Players' Theatre in Belfast in 1976 for two years. On Broadway he earned two Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play nominations for his performances as Matt Burke in the revival of Eugene O'Neill's Anna Christie (1992) and John Proctor in the Arthur Miller revival of The Crucible (2002). He portrayed Oscar Wilde in David Hare's The Judas Kiss (1998).

Early life

Neeson[6] was born in Ballymena, 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 in Waterford in the south-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 attended St 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 your Guinness and singing rebel songs—that was never my scene."[16] He has described himself as "out of touch" with the politics and history of Northern Ireland until becoming aware of protests by fellow students after Bloody Sunday, a massacre in Derry in 1972 during the 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 by Ian Paisley, founder of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), into whose Free 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 at Queen's University Belfast before leaving to work for the Guinness Brewery.[22] At Queen's, he discovered a talent for football and was spotted by Seán Thomas at Bohemian FC. There was a club trial in Dublin and Neeson played one game as a substitute against Shamrock 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 a forklift operator at Guinness and a lorry driver.[24][25] He also attended teacher training college for two years in Newcastle upon Tyne before again returning to his hometown. In 1976, he joined the Lyric Players Theatre in Belfast, where he performed for two years. He got his first film experience in 1977, playing Jesus Christ and The Evangelist in the religious film Pilgrim's Progress (1978). He moved to Dublin in 1978 when he was offered a part in Ron Hutchinson's Says I, Says He, a drama about The Troubles, at the Project Arts Centre. He acted in several other Project productions and joined the Abbey 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 play Translations, the first production of Friel's and Rea's Field Day Theatre Company, first presented in the Guildhall in Derry on 23 September 1980.[27]

In 1980, filmmaker John Boorman saw him on stage as Lennie Small in Of Mice and Men and offered him the role of Sir Gawain in the Arthurian film Excalibur. After the role, Neeson moved to London, where he continued working on stage, and in small-budget films and television. He lived with actress Helen Mirren, whom he met working on Excalibur.[28] Between 1982 and 1987, he starred in five films, most notably with Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins in 1984's The Bounty and Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons in 1986's The Mission. Neeson guest-starred in the third season of the television series Miami Vice in 1986, and moved to Hollywood the next year to take higher-profile roles.[28] He starred with Cher and Dennis Quaid in Suspect, which brought him critical acclaim. In 1988, he starred with Clint Eastwood in the fifth Dirty Harry film, The Dead Pool, as Peter Swan, a horror film director. In 1990, he had a starring role in Sam Raimi's Darkman. 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 film Ethan Frome (1993).

1993–2000: Breakthrough and acclaim

Steven Spielberg offered Neeson the role of Oskar Schindler in his holocaust film Schindler's List[29] after seeing him in Anna Christie on Broadway. Kevin Costner, Mel Gibson and Warren 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 from Arkansas. They don't quite take him seriously, and he used that to full effect."[32] His critically acclaimed performance earned him a nomination for a Best Actor Oscar, and helped the film earn Best Picture of 1993. He also received BAFTA and Golden Globes nominations for the performance. He soon became an in-demand leading actor.

In 1993, Neeson made his Broadway debut playing Mat Burke in the revival of the Eugene O'Neill play Anna Christie starring opposite his Ellis Island co-star and future wife Natasha Richardson. For his performance he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play[33] The following year they also worked together in Nell (1994) starring Jodie Foster. He then took leading roles in the period piece drama films including playing the lead role of Rob Roy MacGregor in the historical drama Rob Roy (1995) opposite Jessica Lange, Brian Cox, and Tim Roth. Critic Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun-Times praised his ability to be a leading man writing, "Neeson, tall and grand, makes an effortless hero as Rob Roy".[34]

The following year he acted in Neil Jordan's historical drama Michael Collins (1996) acting alongside Julia Roberts, and Alan Rickman. Neeson portrayed the title role as the Irish revolutionary leading the fight for Irish independence. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival where it received the Golden Lion with Neeson earning the Volpi Cup for Best Actor.[35] He later earning nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama.[36] Todd McCarthy of Variety praised his performance writing, "Neeson is a compulsive dynamo as Collins, with the actor seizing his part with a passion and boldness utterly in keeping with the character’s approach to life and his cause".[37]

Neeson portrayed Jean Valjean in the 1998 adaptation of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables directed by Bille August. He starred alongside Uma Thurman, Geoffrey Rush, and Claire Danes. Writing of Neeson's performance, Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote, "[He] plays the role with the sure physical authority and profound decency that are fundamental to Valjean's character" adding, "With a first-rate cast and a venerable storytelling style, it fluently condenses Victor Hugo's epic novel and retrieves some of its suspenseful momentum."[38] That same year he returned to the stage in the David Hare play The Judas Kiss (1998) portraying Oscar Wilde which ran at both the Almeida Theatre in the West End and the Broadhurst Theatre on Broadway.[39] He acted alongside Tom Hollander and Peter Capaldi.[40] In 1999 he acted in the supernatural horror film The Haunting (1999) opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones.

1999–2007: Blockbuster roles

Wax figures of Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn fighting Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menance

In 1999, Neeson starred as Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Director George 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 first Star Wars film to be released in 16 years, it was surrounded by media anticipation. Neeson's connection to Star Wars started in the Crown Bar, Belfast. He told Ricki 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 successful Star Wars film (unadjusted for inflation) until Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015).[43]

Neeson's performance as Qui-Gon received positive reviews[44][45] and a Saturn Award nomination. A stock recording of his voice from The Phantom Menace can be heard during a scene in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002).[46] Neeson was later reported to be appearing in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005),[47] but ultimately did not. In the animated television series Star 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 in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).[48] Neeson appeared as Qui-Gon in the final episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022), appearing as a force ghost to Obi-Wan, in an uncredited cameo, marking his first live-action portrayal of Qui-Gon since The Phantom Menace. He later voiced Qui-Gon again for an episode of the animated Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (2022).

Neeson narrated the 2001 documentaries Journey into Amazing Caves, a short film about two scientists who travel around the world to search for material for potential cures; and The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Adventure. The latter won awards at a number of film festivals including Best Documentary from both the Chicago Film Critics Association and the National Board of Review. Neeson returned to Broadway in the revival of the Arthur Miller play The Crucible acting opposite Laura Linney. For his performance as John Proctor he received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.[49] Charles Isherwood of Variety 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 with Harrison Ford in Kathryn Bigelow's 2002 submarine thriller K-19: The Widowmaker as Captain Mikhail Polenin. He was also on the cast of Martin Scorsese's historical drama Gangs of New York with Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Cameron Diaz.[51]

In 2003, he played a recently widowed writer in Richard Curtis's romantic comedy ensemble Love Actually (2003) acting alongside Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, and Laura Linney.[52] The film was a commercial success and has since become a cult classic and holiday favorite.[53][54][55] The following year he portrayed Alfred Kinsey in the biographical drama Kinsey reuniting with Laura Linney and Peter Sarsgaard and John Lithgow.[56] Neeson received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama losing to Leonardo DiCaprio for The Aviator (2004).[57] That year Neeson hosted an episode of the NBC sketch show Saturday Night Live. He starred as a redneck trucker, Marlon Weaver, in an "Appalachian Emergency Room" sketch and as a hippie in a one-off sketch about two stoners (the other played by Amy Poehler) who attempt to borrow a police dog to find their lost stash of marijuana. Despite vowing not to play any Irish stereotypes, Neeson did play an Irish man named Lorcan McArdle in the home makeover show parody "You Call This A House, Do Ya?"[58]

Neeson (left) and Ralph Fiennes at a U2 concert in Madison Square Garden, October 2005

In 2005, Neeson took multiple roles in mainstream blockbuster films. He portrayed Godfrey of Ibelin in Ridley Scott's epic adventure Kingdom of Heaven, Ra's al Ghul, one of the main villains in Christopher Nolan's action film Batman Begins;[59] and Father Bernard in Neil Jordan's adaptation of Patrick McCabe's novel Breakfast on Pluto.[60] That same year he replaced Brian Cox playing Aslan the Lion in the fantasy adventure film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) an adpatation of the C. S. Lewis book of the same name.[61] In The Simpsons episode "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star" (2005), he voiced the kindly priest who (briefly) converts Bart and Homer to Catholicism.[62] That same year, he gave his voice to the lion Aslan in the blockbuster fantasy film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.[63]

In 2007, he starred in the American Civil War epic Seraphim Falls. Neeson voiced the main character's father, James, in the video game Fallout 3.[64] Executive producer Todd 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 the Fallout 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 2007 Transformers DVD, Michael Bay said he had told the animators to seek inspiration from Neeson in creating Optimus Prime's body language. Neeson appeared as Alistair Little in the BBC Northern Ireland/Big Fish Films television drama Five Minutes of Heaven, which tells the true story of a young Protestant man convicted of murdering a Catholic boy during The Troubles.[67]

2008–present: Action stardom

Neeson at the Deauville American Film Festival in 2012.

In 2008, Neeson starred in the action film Taken, a French-produced film also starring Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace, based on a script by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen and directed by Pierre Morel. Neeson plays a retired CIA operative from the elite Special 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 that Taken 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 documentary Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity and again lent his voice to Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008).[69] He also provided a voice for Hayao Miyazaki's anime film Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, which received an August 2009 release.[70]

In 2010, Neeson played Zeus in the remake of the 1981 film, Clash of the Titans. The film was a huge box-office hit, grossing $475 million worldwide.[71] Neeson also starred in Atom Egoyan's erotic thriller Chloe, theatrically released by Sony Pictures Classics on 26 March 2010. Chloe had enjoyed commercial success and became the Canadian director's biggest money maker ever.[72] Later the same year, he played John "Hannibal" Smith in the spin-off movie from the television series The A-Team.[73][74] Neeson voiced Aslan once more in the 2010 sequel The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. That same year he made a guest-star appearance on the Showtime series The Big C with Laura Linney.[75] In 2011, Neeson starred in the action-thriller Unknown, a German-British-American co-production of a French book filmed in Berlin in early 2010, and directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. This film led to a collaboration between Neeson and Collet-Serra (as director and/or producer) on a series of similar action films including Non-Stop (2014), Run All Night (2015), The Commuter (2018) and Retribution (2023). Neeson reunited with Steven Spielberg with plans to star as Abraham Lincoln in the 2012 film Lincoln, based on the book Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin.[76] In preparation for the role, Neeson visited the District of Columbia and Springfield, Illinois, where Lincoln lived before being elected, and read Lincoln's personal letters.[77] Neeson eventually declined the role, claiming he was "past his sell date" and had grown too old for the role and was replaced by Daniel Day-Lewis (who won his third Academy Award for Best Actor for playing Lincoln).[78]

Liam Neeson, Deauville Film Festival, 2012

In 2011, he played himself in BBC2's series Life's Too Short starring Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Warwick Davis.[79] In late 2011, Neeson was cast to play the lead character, a journalist, in a new album recording and arena production of Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds. He replaced Richard Burton, who had posthumously appeared in the arena production through CGI animation. Neeson did not physically appear on the stage, instead playing the role through the use of 3D holography. In 2012, Neeson starred in Joe Carnahan's The Grey. The film received mostly positive reviews and Neeson's performance received critical acclaim. He also starred in Taken 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 in The Dark Knight Rises (2012), the third and final film in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy. Dialogue from his role as Ra's al Ghul in Batman 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 film The Lego Movie, which was a critical and commercial success. Neeson later played Bill Marks in the 2014 action film Non-Stop. The film was released on 28 February 2014. He also appeared, uncredited, as God in the BBC2 series Rev.. Neeson stars in the 2014 film A Walk Among the Tombstones, an adaption of the best-selling novel 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. During Super Bowl XLIX, Supercell did a Clash 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 in Taken. In 2016, Neeson narrated the RTÉ One three-part documentary on the Easter Rising, 1916.[82] Following the success of the Taken films, Neeson has become increasingly known as a star of action thriller films.[83] Besides The 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 included Cold Pursuit (2019), Honest Thief (2020), The Marksman (2021), The Ice Road (2021), Blacklight (2022), Memory (2022), In the Land of Saints and Sinners (2024) and Absolution (2024). Neeson has indicated a desire to retire from the action genre though the films have taken his acting career in a new direction.

In 2016, Neeson reunited with director Martin Scorsese with the drama an adaptation of the novel Silence starring alongside Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver.[84] That same year, he did the voice and motion capture for the Monster in the Spanish film A Monster Calls.[85] In 2018 he acted in the Coen brothers western anthology film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs[86] and the Steve McQueen crime thriller Widows acting opposite Viola Davis.[87] He portrayed Mark Felt in Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House (2017) directed by Peter Landesman[88] and Philip Marlowe in Marlowe (2022) directed by Neil Jordan.[89] He acted in the romantic drama Ordinary Love (2019) with Lesley Manville[90] and the biographical drama Wildcat starring Maya Hawke.[91] On television he played Chief Constable Byers in Derry Girls (2022), and portrayed a fictional version of himself in Atlanta (2022).[92][93]

Activism

Neeson opposes what he sees as the unrestricted right to own firearms in the U.S.[94] and has made calls for gun control.[95] In January 2015, he repeated his views, calling U.S. gun laws a "disgrace" in an interview with Emirati newspaper Gulf News when replying to a question about the Charlie Hebdo shootings earlier that month.[96] In response, U.S gun manufacturer Para USA, which provided the prop weapons used by Neeson in the Taken 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 Mayor Bill de Blasio, who said he would outlaw horse-drawn carriages in Central Park once he took office. He wrote an opinion page published in The 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 narrated a video for Amnesty International in favour of the legalisation of abortion in Ireland, which some conservative and pro-life commentators claimed was "anti-Catholic".[98]

Neeson was opposed to Brexit, 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 of Donald Trump to the Watergate scandal of Richard Nixon: "Democracy works and no man—and certainly not the president—is above the law. He has to be accountable."[100]

Personal life

Marriage and relationships

Neeson lived with actress Helen Mirren during the early 1980s. They met while working on Excalibur (1981). Interviewed by James Lipton for Inside the Actors Studio, Neeson said Mirren was instrumental in him getting an agent. He dated Barbra Streisand for about nine months between 1991–1992.[101]

Neeson then met actress Natasha Richardson while performing in a revival of the play Anna Christie on Broadway in 1993.[102] They were married on 3 July 1994[103] and had two sons together, Micheál (b. 1995) and Daniel (b. 1996).[104][105] In October 1998, they won £50,000 ($85,370) in libel damages after the Daily Mirror wrongly claimed that their marriage was suffering. They donated the money to victims of the August 1998 Omagh bombing.[106] In August 2004, they purchased an estate in Millbrook, New York.[107][108][109] On 18 March 2009, Richardson died when she suffered a severe head injury in a skiing accident at the Mont Tremblant Resort, northwest of Montreal. Neeson donated her organs following her death.[110]

Citizenship

Neeson holds Irish[111] and American citizenship, having been naturalised as an American citizen in 2009.[112] He primarily identifies as Irish.[113][114] After taking up American citizenship, he was adamant he was not turning his back on his Irish roots.[115] In 2009, nearly four decades after he was an undergraduate in physics and computer science at Queen's University, Belfast, the university awarded him an honorary doctorate which was presented to him in New York by Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Gregson.[116] In March 2011, he was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF.[117] He is a patron of Belfast-based charity and film festival CineMagic, which helps young people get involved in the movie industry.[118]

A heavy smoker earlier in his career, Neeson quit smoking in 2003 while working on Love Actually. When he took the role of Hannibal for the 2010 film adaptation of The A-Team, he had reservations about smoking cigars (a signature trait of the character), but agreed to do it for the film.[119]

In June 2012, Neeson's publicist denied reports that Neeson was converting to Islam. Neeson has expressed an affection for the adhan, the Islamic call to prayer, that he grew accustomed to while filming Taken 2 in Istanbul: "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."[120] He also expressed admiration for the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola.[121]

Neeson's mother, Kitty, died in June 2020. He was unable to return to his hometown for her funeral due to travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[122]

Social views

Neeson is a long-term supporter of the need for more integrated 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."[123] 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.[124][125]

Neeson was criticised for his comments on Ireland's Late Late Show in January 2018, during which he described the Me Too movement as a "witch hunt"[126] and cited Garrison Keillor's dismissal from Minnesota Public Radio as an example.[127]

In February 2019, Neeson gained public and media controversy after a press junket interview he conducted with The Independent while promoting Cold Pursuit, a film about a father seeking revenge for his son's murder.[128][129] 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 a black man, Neeson said that he spent a week going "up and down areas with a cosh, 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?'"[130][131]

In an appearance on Good 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".[132] 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", including toxic 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 of Cold Pursuit.[133][134] Neeson was publicly defended by Michelle Rodriguez,[135] Whoopi Goldberg,[136] John Barnes,[137] Trevor Noah,[138] and Ralph Fiennes.[139] Donald Glover later convinced him to appear in his FX series Atlanta episode "New Jazz" as a fictionalised version of himself, to examine the controversy.[140]

Acting credits and accolades

Main articles: Liam Neeson filmography and List of awards and nominations received by Liam Neeson

In 2000, Neeson was offered the "Freedom of the Town of Ballymena" by the Ballymena Borough Council, but because of objections made by members of the Democratic 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.[141] 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."[142] Subsequently, on 28 January 2013, Neeson received the Freedom of the Borough from Ballymena Borough Council at a ceremony in the town.[142]

Neeson was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in her 2000 New Year Honours.[5] The American Ireland Fund honoured Neeson with their Performing Arts Award for the great distinction he has brought to Ireland at their 2008 Dinner Gala in New York City.[143] In 2009, at a ceremony in New York, Neeson was awarded an honorary doctorate by Queen's University, Belfast.[144] On 9 April 2016, he was honoured with the Outstanding Contribution to Cinema Award by the Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) at the Mansion House, Dublin, with Irish President Michael D. Higgins presenting the award.[145] In 2017, Neeson was listed by UK-based company Richtopia at number 74 in the list of 200 Most Influential Philanthropists and Social Entrepreneurs Worldwide.[146][147] In January 2018, he was awarded the Distinguished Service for the Irish Abroad Award by Irish President Michael D. Higgins, who described it as an award "for Irish people abroad who are making a contribution to humanity".[148]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Helen Mirren Says She and Ex Liam Neeson 'Loved Each Other' But 'Were Not Meant to Be Together'". 22 November 2022. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Liam Neeson Recalls First Falling for Former Flame Helen Mirren: 'I Was Smitten'". 19 January 2018. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  3. ^ "Liam Neeson promotes Northern Ireland tourism". BBC News. 10 March 2014. Archived from the original on 30 May 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  4. ^ Clarke, Donald; Brady, Tara (13 June 2020). "The 50 greatest Irish film actors of all time – in order". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  5. ^ a b Wilson, Jamie (31 December 1999). "Top billing at last for veteran entertainers; Showbusiness Awards for Elizabeth Taylor and Shirley Bassey". The Guardian. London. p. 4.
  6. ^ a b Morales, Tatiana (15 December 2004). "Liam Neeson on Kinsey". CBS News. Archived from the original on 24 May 2011.
  7. ^ "Liam Neeson Biography". Tiscali. Archived from the original on 18 January 2007. Retrieved 18 April 2007.
  8. ^ "Liam Neeson reveals he still talks to late wife Natasha Richardson 'every day'". September 2023. Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Liam Neeson: Bloody Sunday made me learn my history". Belfast Telegraph. 1 April 2010. Archived from the original on 25 December 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2010.: (Commentary;"Hollywood superstar Liam Neeson has told how he grew up in a religious Catholic background untouched by the Troubles.")
  10. ^ Mansfield, Stephanie (December 1993). "Liam Neeson Puts the Kettle On". GQ.
  11. ^ "Liam Neeson's mother dies at the age of 94". The Irish Times. 8 June 2020. Archived from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  12. ^ Coleman, Maureen (7 October 2009). "Liam Neeson's special movie for his old Ballymena school". Belfast Telegraph. Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  13. ^ Anderson, Brett (27 December 2016). "Liam Neeson's Catholic faith has waned but mum still devout at 90". Belfast Telegraph. Archived from the original on 28 December 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  14. ^ "Star Wars actor rattles sabres". BBC News. 9 July 1999. Archived from the original on 12 March 2004. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  15. ^ a b "Liam Neeson: Bloody Sunday made me learn my history". Belfast Telegraph. 1 April 2009. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  16. ^ Ingrid Millar, Liam Neeson: The First Biography (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1995), p. 45
  17. ^ Haynes, Kenneth (6 May 2009). "Liam Neeson speaks in public for first time since Natasha's death". IrishCentral.com. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  18. ^ Fincham, Kelly (12 August 2009). "Liam Neeson: 'I will never get over the Troubles'". IrishCentral.com. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  19. ^ "Liam Neeson Digs into His Own Boxing Past For 'Manny' Documentary, About Ring Legend Manny Pacquiao". www.huffingtonpost.co.uk. 17 November 2014. Archived from the original on 31 December 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  20. ^ Dewson, Lisa (June 1986). "A Man With a Mission". Photoplay (UK).
  21. ^ "Neeson Reveals Paisley Influence". BBC News. 5 December 2007. Archived from the original on 9 July 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2007.
  22. ^ "Liam Neeson graduates 40 years on". BBC News. 7 May 2009. Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2009.
  23. ^ Keane, Trevor (2010). Gaffers: 50 years of Irish football managers. Cork: Mercier Press. ISBN 978-1-85635-666-4.
  24. ^ Independent, The (29 January 2013). "Liam Neeson returns to home town of Ballymena, Northern Ireland | The Independent". The Independent. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  25. ^ Harte, Lauren (5 June 2022). "Liam Neeson's career to date as actor prepares to turn 70". Belfast Live. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  26. ^ "BFI Screenonline: Neeson, Liam (1952-) Biography". www.screenonline.org.uk. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  27. ^ Friel, B. (1981). Translations. London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0-57111-742-0.
  28. ^ a b McHugh, Fionnuala (September 1988). "Neeson Easy: Tall, Dark and Phantom". Elle (UK).
  29. ^ de Vries, Hilary (3 July 1993). "Liam Neeson". Newsday.
  30. ^ a b Royal, Susan. "An Interview with Steven Spielberg". Inside Film Magazine Online. Archived from the original on 24 October 2008. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
  31. ^ a b Thompson, Anne (21 January 1994). "Spielberg and 'Schindler's List': How it came together". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 15 October 2007. Retrieved 8 August 2007.
  32. ^ "Liam Neeson joins the A-List after 'Schindler's List'". Entertainment Weekly. 21 January 1994. Archived from the original on 15 October 2007. Retrieved 8 August 2007.
  33. ^ "Anna Christie (Broadway, 1993)". Playbill. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  34. ^ "Rob Roy movie review". Rogerebert.com. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  35. ^ "The awards of the Venice Film Festival". Labiennale.org. Archived from the original on 14 February 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  36. ^ "Golden Globe Nominations". Variety. 19 December 1996. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  37. ^ "Michael Collins review". March 21, 2024. 3 September 1996.
  38. ^ "'Les Miserables': A Cat-And-Mouse Game Amid Epic Turbulence". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  39. ^ "The Judas Kiss at The Almeida Theatre". Abouttheartists. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  40. ^ "The Judas Kiss (Broadway, 1998)". Playbill. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  41. ^ "Star Wars Episode I: Production Notes". LucasFilm. 1 May 1999. Archived from the original on 23 October 2004. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  42. ^ "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. 19 May 1999. Archived from the original on 15 May 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  43. ^ "All Time Worldwide Box Office Grosses". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 27 April 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2009.
  44. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (21 May 1999). "Movie Review: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 5 March 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2009.
  45. ^ Kennedy, Colin. "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace". Empire. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  46. ^ a b "The Real Qui-Gon Jinn Returns!". Tor.com. 26 January 2011. Archived from the original on 29 March 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  47. ^ Keck, William (10 January 2005). "Movie-star night in Palm Springs". USA Today. Archived from the original on 20 April 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  48. ^ Breznican, Anthony; Robinson, Joanna (20 December 2019). "25 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Cameos You Might Have Missed". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  49. ^ "The Crucible (Broadway, 2002)". Playbill. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  50. ^ "The Crucible". Variety. 8 March 2002. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  51. ^ "'Gangs of New York's Opening Sequence Is Scorsese at His Finest". Collider. 10 January 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  52. ^ Lee, Alana (13 November 2003). "Liam Neeson Love Actually interview". BBC. Archived from the original on 3 May 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2007.
  53. ^ "23 Things You Never Knew About 'Love Actually'". March 21, 2024.
  54. ^ "The 45 Best Christmas Movies of All Time". Variety. 17 November 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  55. ^ "Love Actually". Boxofficemojo. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  56. ^ "Kinsey". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  57. ^ "2004 Golden Globe Awards". USA Today. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  58. ^ "Liam Neeson: 13 November 2004: You Call This A House, Do Ya?". SNL Transcripts. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  59. ^ "Batman Begins". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  60. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  61. ^ "Liam Neeson to Voice Aslan the Lion in The Chronicles of Narnia". MovieWeb. 18 July 2005. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  62. ^ Hiatt, Brian (5 November 2004). "What's coming up on "The Simpsons"". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 8 June 2007. Retrieved 18 April 2007.
  63. ^ "Liam Neeson Will Voice Aslan". NarniaWeb. 15 July 2005. Archived from the original on 23 August 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2007.
  64. ^ Gaudiosi, John (8 May 2007). "'Fallout 3' recruits Neeson". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 25 October 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2007.
  65. ^ Gibbon, David (9 May 2007). "Liam Neeson to lead 'Fallout 3'". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 17 May 2007. Retrieved 9 May 2007.
  66. ^ Thang, Jimmy. "Fallout 3 Expanding to More Markets". IGN. Archived from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  67. ^ Holmwood, Leigh (8 May 2008). "Nesbitt and Neeson set for Ulster drama". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2008.
  68. ^ Hutch, Eleanore (30 December 2014). "Kidnap epic Taken has put people off travelling to Europe, says Liam Neeson". Evoke.ie. Archived from the original on 7 January 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  69. ^ Martin, Paul (4 December 2006). "Exclusive Prince Caspian Updates with Douglas Gresham". NarniaFans. Archived from the original on 15 December 2006. Retrieved 5 December 2006.
  70. ^ Child, Ben (27 November 2008). "English-language cast announced for Miyazaki's Ponyo on the Cliff". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 30 September 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
  71. ^ "Clash of the Titans (2010)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 18 June 2010. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
  72. ^ Pevere, Geoff (7 December 2010). "The Digital Revolution: Part 1". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  73. ^ Hewitt, Chris (9 June 2009). "Neeson And Cooper Are The A-Team". Empire. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2009.
  74. ^ "Cooper in A-Team film?". Teletext. Archived from the original on 9 September 2009. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
  75. ^ Eng, Joyce (26 July 2010). "Liam Neeson to Appear on The Big C". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  76. ^ Fleming, Michael (11 January 2005). "Lincoln logs in at DreamWorks: Spielberg, Neeson eye Abe pic". Variety. Archived from the original on 10 October 2007. Retrieved 24 January 2007.
  77. ^ Evry, Max (24 January 2007). "Liam Neeson Talks Lincoln". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on 30 June 2007. Retrieved 2 May 2007.
  78. ^ "Neeson quits Spielberg's Lincoln biopic". Digital Spy. 30 July 2010. Archived from the original on 28 January 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  79. ^ "'Life's Too Short' Series Premiere: Liam Neeson Tries His Hand At Improv Comedy (VIDEO)". HuffPost. 20 February 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  80. ^ "Luc Besson's EuropaCorp Reports Strong Growth in Third Quarter Results". The Hollywood Reporter. 2 February 2013. Archived from the original on 6 May 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  81. ^ Frankel, Todd C. (2 February 2015). "With Kate Upton and Liam Neeson ads, mobile gaming has its Super Bowl moment". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 4 February 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  82. ^ Brosnan, Seán (10 March 2016). "RTÉ secures multiple international deals for Liam Neeson narrated '1916' documentary". Irish Film & Television Network. Archived from the original on 15 April 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  83. ^ "Is Liam Neeson Really Quitting Action Movies? What The Blacklight Actor Has To Say". Cinemablend. 12 February 2022. Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  84. ^ "Liam Neeson Set To Star in Martin Scorsese's 'Silence'". Deadline. 31 January 2014. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  85. ^ McClintock, Pamela (8 May 2014). "Cannes: Liam Neeson Joins 'A Monster Calls'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 3 February 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  86. ^ "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs: 14 things you might have missed". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  87. ^ "A Heist, And A Whole Lot More, As Viola Davis Delivers In 'Widows'". NPR. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  88. ^ "Liam Neeson Says He's 'Unretired' From Action Movies at the 'Mark Felt' Premiere". Variety. 27 September 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  89. ^ "Marlowe". Rogerebert.com. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  90. ^ "Ordinary Love". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  91. ^ "'Wildcat' Review: Maya Hawke Embodies Not Just Flannery O'Connor but the Spirit of Her Characters". Variety. 2 September 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  92. ^ Ambrose, Tom (12 April 2022). "Liam Neeson makes surprise cameo in new series of Derry Girls". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  93. ^ "Donald Glover Had Jordan Peele Convince Liam Neeson to Poke Fun at 2019 Racism Controversy on 'Atlanta': 'Liam Poured His Heart Out'". Variety. 4 April 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  94. ^ Dinan, Stephen. "U.S. gun manufacturing soars as Americans worry about security". The Washington Times. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  95. ^ Pringle, Gill (12 September 2014). "Liam Neeson interview: Hard man actor on Bono, Ralph Fiennes and his fear of guns". The Independent. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  96. ^ a b "Liam Neeson under fire from Taken 3 gun makers". BBC News. 21 January 2015. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  97. ^ Neeson, Liam (14 April 2014). "Carriages Belong in Central Park". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  98. ^ Stanley, Tim (21 October 2015). "Amnesty International's pro-abortion campaign is shamelessly anti-Catholic". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  99. ^ Agence France-Presse; Guillaume Lavallée (21 June 2016). Written at London. "Liam Neeson warns Brexit would damage Ireland". Pasig, Philippines: Rappler. Archived from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  100. ^ "Liam Neeson slams Donald Trump at TIFF: 'The President is not above the law'". The Independent. 12 September 2017. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  101. ^ Campbell, Hope (10 August 2021). "The Truth About Barbra Streisand And Liam Neeson's Relationship". The List. Archived from the original on 28 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  102. ^ Huguenin, Patrick (17 March 2009). "Magical marriage takes a tragic turn". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  103. ^ "Neeson, Liam". Film Reference. Archived from the original on 1 August 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  104. ^ Lynn, Allison (10 July 1995). "Passages". People. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  105. ^ Helligar, Jeremy (9 September 1996). "Passages". People. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  106. ^ "Film stars give libel win to Omagh". BBC News. Archived from the original on 9 April 2003. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  107. ^ Pringle, Gill (12 September 2014). "Liam Neeson interview: Hard man actor on Bono, Ralph Fiennes and his fear of guns". The Independent. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  108. ^ Blaney, Retta. "Natasha Richardson and Liam Neeson house profile". Celebrity Detective. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
  109. ^ Chiatella, Tom (15 February 2011). "The hard luck and beautiful life of Liam Neeson". Esquire. pp. 106–13. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
  110. ^ "Liam Neeson has spoken openly about donating his late wife Natasha Richardson's organs following her death in a skiing accident five years ago". evoke.ie. 21 February 2014. Archived from the original on 26 March 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  111. ^ Carruthers, Mark (April 2014). Alternative Ulsters: Conversations on Identity. Dublin: Liberties Press. ISBN 978-1909718494.
  112. ^ "Actor Neeson becomes US citizen". BBC News. 26 August 2009. Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
  113. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Is Liam Neeson British? I am Irish". Youtube/Wired. 9 January 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  114. ^ "I am very proud to be Irish". independent.ie. 12 January 2018. Archived from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  115. ^ "I'm still a proud Irishman". independent.ie. 27 August 2009. Archived from the original on 15 November 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  116. ^ "Liam Neeson graduates 40 years on". 7 May 2009. Archived from the original on 11 May 2009. Retrieved 1 November 2012 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
  117. ^ Niles, Chris (29 March 2011). "Liam Neeson becomes UNICEF's newest Goodwill Ambassador". UNICEF. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  118. ^ "Festival Patrons". CineMagic. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  119. ^ "The A Team". PTC Challenge. 1 June 2010. Archived from the original on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  120. ^ "Is Liam Neeson converting to Islam?". UK Screen. 1 October 2012. Archived from the original on 24 April 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  121. ^ Blaney, Retta. "Acting Is a Form of Prayer". BeliefNet. Archived from the original on 29 May 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2007.
  122. ^ "Funeral of Liam Neeson's mother Kitty held in Ballymena". Belfasttelegraph. Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020 – via www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk.
  123. ^ "Actor Liam Neeson calls for Catholic and Protestant school integration in Northern Ireland". The Tablet. Archived from the original on 15 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  124. ^ "Liam Neeson 'proud' of new integrated school Seaview Primary". BBC News. 30 March 2021. Archived from the original on 15 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  125. ^ "Watch: Liam Neeson fronts new integrated education advert". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 24 October 2023. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 15 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  126. ^ "Liam Neeson on sexual harassment in Hollywood". YouTube. 12 January 2018. Archived from the original on 28 July 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  127. ^ Midkiff, Sarah (14 January 2018). "Liam Neeson Called The Me Too Movement A "Witch Hunt"". Refinery29. Archived from the original on 18 October 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  128. ^ "Liam Neeson sparks race row over rape comments". BBC News. Archived from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  129. ^ Rodrigo, Chris (4 February 2019). "Liam Neeson faces accusations of racism after rape comments". The Hill. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  130. ^ Michallon, Clémence (4 February 2019). "Liam Neeson: 'I walked the streets with a cosh, hoping I'd be approached by a "black bastard" so that I could kill him'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  131. ^ Michallon, Clémence (4 February 2019). "Liam Neeson interview: Rape, race and how I learnt revenge doesn't work". The Independent. Archived from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  132. ^ Blistein, Jon (5 February 2019). "Liam Neeson Talks Racist Revenge Fantasy on 'Good Morning America'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 6 February 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  133. ^ Sherpard, Jack. "Liam Neeson interview: Actor denies being racist after admitting wanting to kill a black man". The Independent. Archived from the original on 5 February 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  134. ^ "Red carpet nixed after Liam Neeson reveals racist thoughts". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 6 February 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  135. ^ Pasquini, Maria (7 February 2019). "Michelle Rodriguez Defends Liam Neeson: 'He's Not a Racist. He's a Loving Man'". People. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  136. ^ Horton, Helena (6 February 2019). "Whoopi Goldberg insists friend Liam Neeson is 'not a bigot'". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 8 March 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2019 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  137. ^ Peplow, Gemma (12 February 2019). "John Barnes: Liam Neeson deserves a medal for race admission". Sky News. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  138. ^ "Trevor Noah says Liam Neeson deserves credit for 'powerful admission' on racism". The Independent. 9 February 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  139. ^ Beresford, Jack (4 March 2019). "'Certainly not a racist' – Ralph Fiennes comes to the defence of Liam Neeson". The Irish Post. Archived from the original on 8 March 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  140. ^ Sharf, Zack (6 May 2022). "Liam Neeson Joined 'Atlanta' to Poke Fun at His 2019 Racism Controversy and Say He's Sorry". Variety. Archived from the original on 8 May 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  141. ^ "Neeson refuses hometown honour". BBC News. 21 March 2000. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  142. ^ a b "Liam Neeson arrives in Ballymena to receive award". BBC News. 28 January 2013. Archived from the original on 14 June 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  143. ^ Lombardo, Delinda (13 May 2008). "Liam Neeson Honored by American Ireland Fund". Look to the Stars. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  144. ^ "Liam Neeson graduates 40 years on". BBC News. 7 May 2009. Archived from the original on 11 May 2009. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  145. ^ "Liam Neeson to be honoured in Dublin at the 2016 Ifta Awards on April 9th". The Irish Film & Television Academy. Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  146. ^ "Philanthropists & Social Entrepreneurs Top 200: From Elon Musk to Melinda Gates, These Are the Most Influential Do-Gooders in the World". Richtopia. Archived from the original on 30 March 2017. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  147. ^ "Top 200 Global Philanthropists, Social Entrepreneurs". ThisDayLive. Archived from the original on 1 April 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  148. ^ "President honours 'splendid Irish man abroad' Liam Neeson". The Irish Times. 12 January 2018. Archived from the original on 28 February 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Liam Neeson.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Liam Neeson.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Liam_Neeson&oldid=1258185241"