'Taken feels like a lifetime ago': Liam Neeson on getting 'too old' for action films, Entertainment News
The Taken star has moved away from his typical genre in the new comedy flick The Naked Gun and admits that he doesn't want to "insult" viewers by taking on parts that are unsuitable for his age.
In an interview with Variety, Liam said: "The first Taken was 18 years ago, I was 54. Feels like a lifetime ago. I still get offered the occasional one.
"But I'm 73, for f***'s sake. I don't want to insult audiences if they're watching whole fight scenes and it's not me. I just wouldn't do it.
"Up until recently, I liked doing my own fight stuff. But I don't want to be doing that stuff with a Zimmer frame or walking stick. Sure, there might be another out there, but nothing definite on the horizon."
Neeson stars in The Naked Gun as Frank Drebin Jr. — the son of the late Leslie Nielsen's hapless detective in the original movies — and explained that he did not rewatch the previous flicks after taking the lead role in Akiva Schaffer's legacy sequel.
He said: "No, I just trusted the script. And knew it would get better the more they worked on it. Akiva was the co-writer but there was always another writer on set — a friend of Akiva's obviously — and they would supply alternate endings to scenes. Try this, try that."
Liam and his co-star Pamela Anderson have been at the centre of romance rumours during the promotion of the film and he believes that the pair's "chemistry" was useful for some of the sexual innuendo in the movie.
The Star Wars actor said: "Yeah, there's a couple of outlandish scenes. From day one we just seemed to have a nice chemistry together and I trusted that and didn't want to work on it.
"Like, there's something happening here, it's nice, so just leave it alone and it'll grow, you know?"
Liam added: "We had dinner a couple of times. She's a wonderful baker. She made me sourdough bread. And her assistant made some beautiful muffins. Gluten-free muffins. Terrific. She's very into her gardening back home.
"But yeah, we had a couple of meals together."
Neeson insists that it was "serious business" for the cast during the making of the movie despite the hilarity involved in the scenes.
Asked if the actors burst into laughter during takes, he explained: "No, that didn't happen. When we rehearsed stuff, we'd get rid of our personal giggles. And some of the scenes require certain choreography — sight gags and stuff like that.
"I don't want to say it was always serious, far from it. But it was serious business, of course, shooting any movie and keeping a sense of lightness. You know, that's very important."
ALSO READ: Pamela Anderson, reportedly dating Liam Neeson, says he puts her at ease during The Naked Gun filming
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Straits Times
16 hours ago
- Straits Times
Actor Liam Neeson's newest skill set? Making you giggle with The Naked Gun reboot
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox NEW YORK – There is a line from Welsh thespian Anthony Hopkins that Northern Irish actor Liam Neeson likes to share. Any time Neeson asks him how he is doing, Hopkins tells him: 'Great. I haven't been found out yet.' At 73, Neeson feels like he has not been found out yet either. Once dubbed the heir apparent to late Scottish movie star Sean Connery's sweeping romantic grandeur, Neeson, with his broad trajectory and catalogue of more than 100 Hollywood films, is arguably as interesting as any actor today. He can claim awards bait with Schindler's List (1993) and Michael Collins (1996); franchise blockbusters with Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) and Batman Begins (2005); and fan favourites with Love Actually (2003) and The Lego Movie (2014). 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