Liam Neeson, reflecting on his unexpected pivot to action stardom, admitted he initially believed his role in the 2008 film Taken would be a minor detour from his established career and likely head straight to video. However, Taken defied expectations, grossing nine times its $25 million budget and effectively launching the “dad action” genre, characterized by thrillers with leads in late middle age. The film is now arguably Neeson’s most defining role, paving the way for subsequent action films like Unknown, non-Stop, The Ice Road, and Retribution.
Neeson’s transformation into an action star occurred during a period of profound personal loss. In 2009,his wife,Natasha Richardson,tragically died in a skiing accident. The couple, who met in 1993 while co-starring in a Broadway production of Eugene O’Neill’s Anna christie, married the following year. Neeson later revealed that his grief over Richardson’s death contributed to his decision to withdraw from the lead role in Steven Spielberg‘s 2012 biopic of Abraham Lincoln, a role ultimately filled by Daniel Day-Lewis.
His role in the Steven Spielberg-directed Schindler’s List was Oscar nominated. Photograph: Atlas Photography/JB Ent
More recently, Neeson faced significant criticism and afterward issued an apology for remarks made during the press tour for his 2019 action film Cold Pursuit. He recounted an incident from his youth where he sought out a random Black man to kill in retaliation for a sexual assault on a friend. Neeson stated, “The horror of what happened to my friend ignited irrational thoughts that do not represent the person I am. In trying to explain those feelings today, I missed the point and hurt many people.”
Despite this controversy, and his 2018 comment that the recent surge of sexual misconduct allegations in the entertainment industry was “a bit of a witch-hunt,” Neeson’s career appears to have remained largely unaffected. With the upcoming film The Naked Gun generating considerable media attention, partly due to speculation surrounding Neeson’s personal life, the actor’s professional standing is reportedly as strong as it has ever been.
