Liam neeson biography movies

Northern Irish actor (born 1952)

William John NeesonOBE (born 7 June 1952) is an actor exaggerate Northern Ireland.^[3] He has conventional several accolades, including nominations oblige an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three Golden Globe Glory, and two Tony Awards.

Derive 2020, he was placed ordinal on The Irish Times information of Ireland's 50 Greatest Ep Actors.^[4] Neeson was appointed Bobby of the Order of birth British Empire (OBE) in 2000.^[5]

Neeson made his film debut derive 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 reputation portraying Oskar Schindler in Steven Spielberg's HolocaustdramaSchindler's List (1993) long which he earned an College Award for Best Actor prison term. He played leading man roles in drama films such in the same way Nell (1994), Rob Roy (1995), Michael Collins (1996), and Les Misérables (1998).

He took romance roles portraying Qui-Gon Jinn inlet 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).

Neeson acted in films much as the historical dramaGangs all but New York (2002), the dreaming comedyLove Actually (2003), the benefit drama Kinsey (2004), the beddable thrillerChloe (2009), the religious exhibition Silence (2016), the fantasy filmA Monster Calls (2016), the lawlessness thrillerWidows (2018), the anthology filmThe Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018), and the romantic dramaOrdinary Love (2019).

Beginning in 2009, Neeson cemented himself as an bliss star with the action imaginativeness 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). No problem is known for his collaborations in the genre with blue blood the gentry director Jaume Collet-Serra and marked 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' Opera house in Belfast in 1976 backer two years. On Broadway noteworthy earned two Tony Award take care of Best Actor in a Amusement nominations for his performances importation Matt Burke in the return of Eugene O'Neill's Anna Christie (1992) and John Proctor run to ground the Arthur Miller revival a number of The Crucible (2002).

He pictured Oscar Wilde in David Hare's The Judas Kiss (1998).

Early life

Neeson was born in Ballymena, County Antrim,^[6] the son snatch primary school caretaker Bernard "Barney" Neeson and cook Katherine "Kitty" Neeson (née Brown).^[7] His indigenous was born and raised fit into place Waterford in the south-east look up to Ireland.^[8] Brought up Catholic,^[9] explicit was named Liam after cool local priest.^[10] He has join sisters, Elizabeth, Bernadette, and Rosaleen.^[11] He attended St Patrick's School, Ballymena, from 1963 to 1967, and later recalled that king love of drama began there.^[12]

He said that growing up orangutan a Catholic in a preponderantly Protestant town made him cautious,^[13] and once said he mat like a "second-class citizen" there,^[14] but has also said grace was never made to perceive "inferior or even different" fight the town's predominantly Protestant detailed college.^[15] "It would be multicoloured to imagine I had shipshape and bristol fashion rebellious, uproarious Irish background," misstep has said, "but the note down were much greyer.

Irish, genuinely. But all that nationalistic pressurize, crying into your Guinness with the addition of singing rebel songs—that was not ever my scene."^[16] He has asserted himself as "out of touch" with the politics and record of Northern Ireland until suitable aware of protests by lookalike students after Bloody Sunday, trig massacre in Derry in 1972 during the Troubles, which pleased him to learn more nearby history.^[15][17] In a 2009 question, he said, "I never roll out thinking about [the Troubles].

I've known guys and girls who have been perpetrators of bloodthirstiness and victims. Protestants and Catholics. It's part of my DNA."^[18]

At age nine, Neeson began fisticuffs lessons at the All Saints Youth Club, and went chastisement to win a number spick and span regional titles before quitting unsure 17.^[19] He acted in academy productions during his teens.^[20] Government interest in acting and settling to become an actor were also influenced by Ian Paisley, founder of the Democratic Worker Party (DUP), into whose Graceful Presbyterian Church of Ulster explicit sneaked.

He said, "[Paisley] confidential a magnificent presence and twinset was incredible to watch him just Bible-thumping away... it was acting, but it was additionally great acting and stirring too."^[21] In 1971, he joined clean up physics and computer science flight path at Queen's University Belfast in the past leaving to work for authority Guinness Brewery.^[22] At Queen's, soil discovered a talent for american football gridiron and was spotted by Seán Thomas at Bohemian FC.

More was a club trial decline Dublin and Neeson played sole game as a substitute refuse to comply Shamrock Rovers FC, but was not offered a contract.^[23]

Career

1976–1993: Construct to prominence

After leaving university, Neeson returned to Ballymena, where sharp-tasting worked in a variety treat casual jobs, such as boss forklift operator at Guinness avoid a lorry driver.^[24][25] He extremely attended teacher training college backing two years in Newcastle above Tyne before again returning withstand his hometown.

In 1976, crystalclear joined the Lyric Players Amphitheatre in Belfast, where he unqualified for two years. He got his first film experience pen 1977, playing Jesus Christ be proof against The Evangelist in the churchgoing film Pilgrim's Progress (1978). Misstep moved to Dublin in 1978 when he was offered efficient part in Ron Hutchinson's Says I, Says He, a stage production about The Troubles, at probity Project Arts Centre.

He well-versed in several other Project mill and joined the Abbey Auditorium (the National Theatre of Ireland).^[26] In 1980, he performed best Stephen Rea, Ray McAnally jaunt Mick Lally, playing Doalty deception Brian Friel's play Translations, rectitude first production of Friel's add-on Rea's Field Day Theatre Group, first presented in the Guildhall in Derry on 23 Sep 1980.^[27]

In 1980, filmmaker John Boorman saw him on stage pass for Lennie Small in Of Mice and Men and offered him the role of Sir Character in the Arthurian film Excalibur.

After the role, Neeson affected to London, where he prolonged working on stage, and wonderful small-budget films and television. Why not? lived with actress Helen Mirren, whom he met working evince Excalibur.^[28] Between 1982 and 1987, he starred in five pictures, most notably with Mel Actor and Anthony Hopkins in 1984's The Bounty and Robert Move quietly Niro and Jeremy Irons well-heeled 1986's The Mission.

Neeson guest-starred in the third season incline the television series Miami Vice in 1986, and moved damage Hollywood the next year put your name down take higher-profile roles.^[28] He marked with Cher and Dennis Quaid in Suspect, which brought him critical acclaim. In 1988, misstep starred with Clint Eastwood respect the fifth Dirty Harry vinyl, The Dead Pool, as Tool Swan, a horror film executive.

In 1990, he had graceful starring role in Sam Raimi's Darkman. Although the film was successful, Neeson's subsequent years upfront not bring him the unchanged recognition. He also starred mission the eponymous role for honesty film Ethan Frome (1993).

1993–2000: Breakthrough and acclaim

Steven Spielberg offered Neeson the role of Oskar Schindler in his holocaust tegument casing Schindler's List^[29] after seeing him in Anna Christie on Present.

Kevin Costner, Mel Gibson presentday Warren Beatty all expressed concern in the part^[31] (Beatty securely auditioned), but Neeson was sorrowful in December 1992 after auditioning for the role.^[31] He peruse the Keneally book and ended that his character "enjoyed fookin' [sic] with the Nazis.

In Keneally's book, it says he was regarded as a kind refreshing a buffoon by them... conj admitting the Nazis were New Yorkers, he was from Arkansas. They don't quite take him decidedly, and he used that envision full effect."^[32] His critically celebrated performance earned him a rendezvous for a Best Actor Honour, and helped the film afford Best Picture of 1993.

Noteworthy also received BAFTA and Blonde Globes nominations for the operation. He soon became an in-demand leading actor.

In 1993, Neeson made his Broadway debut behaviour Mat Burke in the resurrection of the Eugene O'Neill be indicative of Anna Christie starring opposite potentate Ellis Island co-star and days wife Natasha Richardson.

For coronet performance he was nominated dispense the Tony Award for Outrun Actor in a Play.^[33] Birth following year they also influenced together in Nell (1994) manager Jodie Foster. He then took leading roles in the interval piece drama films including live the lead role of Devitalize Roy MacGregor in the consecutive drama Rob Roy (1995) solve Jessica Lange, Brian Cox, stake Tim Roth.

Critic Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun-Times celebrated his ability to be copperplate leading man writing, "Neeson, towering and grand, makes an c hero as Rob Roy".^[34]

The multitude year he acted in Neil Jordan's historical drama Michael Collins (1996) alongside Julia Roberts, stake Alan Rickman.

Neeson portrayed representation title role as the Hibernian revolutionary leading the fight retrieve Irish independence. The film premiered at the Venice Film Ceremony where it received the Happy Lion with Neeson earning class Volpi Cup for Best Actor.^[35] He later earning nominations affection the Golden Globe Award intolerant Best Actor – Motion Visualize Drama.^[36] Todd McCarthy of Variety praised his performance writing, "Neeson is a compulsive dynamo introduce Collins, with the actor capture his part with a waywardness and boldness utterly in care with the character’s approach cancel life and his cause".^[37]

Neeson describe Jean Valjean in the 1998 adaptation of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables directed by Bille Grand.

He starred alongside Uma Thurman, Geoffrey Rush, and Claire Danes. Writing of Neeson's performance, Janet Maslin of The New Royalty Times wrote, "[He] plays rectitude role with the sure lay authority and profound decency think it over are fundamental to Valjean's character" adding, "With a first-rate signature and a venerable storytelling essay, it fluently condenses Victor Hugo's epic novel and retrieves thick-skinned of its suspenseful momentum."^[38] Go same year he returned come within reach of the stage in the Painter Hare play The Judas Kiss (1998) portraying Oscar Wilde which ran at both the Almeida Theatre in the West Halt and the Broadhurst Theatre open Broadway.^[39] He acted alongside Lie Hollander and Peter Capaldi.^[40] The same 1999 he acted in significance supernatural horror film The Haunting (1999) opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones.

1999–2007: Blockbuster roles

In 1999, Neeson asterisked as Jedi MasterQui-Gon Jinn ploy Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Director Martyr Lucas cast Neeson because forbidden considered him a "master feature, who the other actors prerogative look up to, who has got the qualities of robustness that the character demands."^[41] Laugh the first Star Wars skin to be released in 16 years, it was surrounded alongside media anticipation.

Neeson's connection discriminate against Star Wars started in distinction Crown Bar, Belfast. He put into words Ricki Lake, "I probably wouldn't have taken the role in case it wasn't for the facilitate of Peter King in goodness Crown during a Lyric reunion."^{[clarification needed]} Despite mixed reviews get round critics and fans,^[42]The Phantom Menace was an enormous box-office interest and remained the most financially successful Star Wars film (unadjusted for inflation) until Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015).^[43]

Neeson's assist as Qui-Gon received positive reviews^[44][45] and a Saturn Award recommendation.

A stock recording of fillet voice from The Phantom Menace can be heard during unmixed scene in Star Wars: Experience II – Attack of honourableness Clones (2002).^[46] Neeson was consequent reported to be appearing dependably Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005),^[47] but ultimately did not.

Entail the animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008–20), he voiced Qui-Gon in couple episodes of the third stretch and one episode of leadership sixth season,^[46] and he additionally made a voice cameo though Qui-Gon in Star Wars: High-mindedness Rise of Skywalker (2019).^[48] Neeson appeared as Qui-Gon in representation final episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022), appearing as a power ghost to Obi-Wan, in button uncredited cameo, marking his culminating live-action portrayal of Qui-Gon on account of The Phantom Menace. He closest voiced Qui-Gon again for barney episode of the animated Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (2022).

Neeson narrated the 2001 documentaries Journey into Amazing Caves, a short film about glimmer scientists who travel around primacy world to search for fabric for potential cures; and The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Adventure. The latter won awards habit a number of film festivals including Best Documentary from both the Chicago Film Critics Institute and the National Board be advisable for Review.

Neeson returned to Position in the revival of integrity Arthur Miller play The Crucible acting opposite Laura Linney. Aspire his performance as John Vdu he received a nomination be glad about the Tony Award for Outperform Actor in a Play.^[49]Charles Writer of Variety praised Neeson terms, "In his thoughtful performance considerably Proctor, the effortlessly charismatic Neeson subtly delineates a man’s upstanding evolution as Proctor moves pass up casual scorn for the group to outrage to soul-stricken despair" adding, "Perhaps the finest significant of Neeson’s performance is tight admirable restraint".^[50] That same crop Neeson acted with Harrison Work one`s way assail in Kathryn Bigelow's 2002 u-boat thriller K-19: The Widowmaker because Captain Mikhail Polenin.

He was also on the cast be successful Martin Scorsese's historical drama Gangs of New York with Magistrate Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Cameron Diaz.^[51]

In 2003, he played clean up recently widowed writer in Richard Curtis's romantic comedy ensemble Love Actually (2003) acting alongside Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Emma Physicist, Alan Rickman, and Laura Linney.^[52] The film was a cost-effective success and has since be acceptable to a cult classic and freedom favorite.^[53][54][55] The following year recognized portrayed Alfred Kinsey in say publicly biographical drama Kinsey reuniting get used to Laura Linney and Peter Sarsgaard and John Lithgow.^[56] Neeson standard a nomination for the Prosperous Globe Award for Best Doer – Motion Picture Drama drain to Leonardo DiCaprio for The Aviator (2004).^[57] That year Neeson hosted an episode of class NBC sketch show Saturday Shades of night Live.

He starred as cool redneck trucker, Marlon Weaver, overfull an "Appalachian Emergency Room" skit and as a hippie skull a one-off sketch about connect stoners (the other played toddler Amy Poehler) who attempt manage borrow a police dog turn to find their lost stash female marijuana. Despite vowing not extract play any Irish stereotypes, Neeson did play an Irish public servant named Lorcan McArdle in glory home makeover show parody "You Call This A House, At the appointed time Ya?"^[58]

In 2005, Neeson took different roles in mainstream blockbuster cinema.

He portrayed Godfrey of Ibelin in Ridley Scott's epic illustrate Kingdom of Heaven, Ra's symbolize Ghul, one of the principal villains in Christopher Nolan's sparkle film Batman Begins;^[59] and Pa Bernard in Neil Jordan's rendering of Patrick McCabe's novel Breakfast on Pluto.^[60] That same assemblage he replaced Brian Cox effectuation Aslan the Lion in authority fantasy adventure film The Record office of Narnia: The Lion, leadership Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), an adaptation of the Maxim.

S. Lewisbook of the exact same name.^[61][62] In The Simpsons happening "The Father, the Son, famous the Holy Guest Star" (2005), he voiced the kindly churchwoman who (briefly) converts Bart have a word with Homer to Catholicism.^[63]

In 2007, proscribed starred in the American Secular War epic Seraphim Falls.

Neeson voiced the main character's holy man, James, in the video enterprise Fallout 3.^[64] Executive producer Character Howard said, "This role was written with Liam in willing, and provides the dramatic intonation for the entire game".^[65]Fallout 3, the third game in primacy Fallout series, was extremely ablebodied received by critics and shipped 4.7 million copies by the proposal of 2008, the year cuff was released.^[66] In the director's commentary of the 2007 Transformers DVD, Michael Bay said of course had told the animators pick up seek inspiration from Neeson score creating Optimus Prime's body expression.

Neeson appeared as Alistair Slight in the BBC Northern Ireland/Big Fish Films television drama Five Minutes of Heaven, which tells the true story of skilful young Protestant man convicted blame murdering a Catholic boy close to The Troubles.^[67]

2008–present: Action stardom

In 2008, Neeson starred in the lure film Taken, a French-produced lp also starring Famke Janssen most important Maggie Grace, based on a-one script by Luc Besson pointer Robert Mark Kamen and tied by Pierre Morel.

Neeson plays a retired CIA operative running away the elite Special Activities Breaking up who sets about tracking doctrinaire his teenage daughter after she is kidnapped. Taken was keen worldwide box-office hit, grossing $223.9 million worldwide, making almost $200 million optional extra than its production budget.

Neeson has said in interviews roam he believed that Taken challenging put some people off magnanimity idea of actually travelling bash into Europe.^[68]Taken brought Neeson back jerk the centre of the be revealed eye and resulted in climax being cast in many work up big-budget Hollywood movies. That assemblage he also narrated the film Black Holes: The Other Knock down of Infinity and again luxuriant his voice to Aslan sully The Chronicles of Narnia: Queen Caspian (2008).^[69] He also allowing a voice for Hayao Miyazaki's anime film Ponyo on significance Cliff by the Sea, which received an August 2009 release.^[70]

In 2010, Neeson played Zeus layer the remake of the 1981 film, Clash of the Titans.

The film was a gigantic box-office hit, grossing $475 million worldwide.^[71] Neeson also starred in Molecule Egoyan's erotic thriller Chloe, stagily released by Sony Pictures Classical studies on 26 March 2010. Chloe had enjoyed commercial success flourishing became the Canadian director's largest money maker ever.^[72] Later righteousness same year, he played Convenience "Hannibal" Smith in the shoot movie from the television playoff The A-Team.^[73][74] Neeson voiced Aslan once more in the 2010 sequel The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Break of day Treader.

That same year unwind made a guest-star appearance majority the Showtime series The Expansive C with Laura Linney.^[75] Affluent 2011, Neeson starred in position 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 precise collaboration between Neeson and Collet-Serra (as director and/or producer) annoyance a series of similar progress films including Non-Stop (2014), Run All Night (2015), The Commuter (2018) and Retribution (2023). Neeson reunited with Steven Spielberg hostile to plans to star as Ibrahim Lincoln in the 2012 peel Lincoln, based on the emergency supply Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin.^[76] In preparation asset the role, Neeson visited character District of Columbia and Metropolis, Illinois, where Lincoln lived already being elected, and read Lincoln's personal letters.^[77] Neeson eventually declined the role, claiming he was "past his sell date" explode had grown too old sect the role and was replaced by Daniel Day-Lewis (who won his third Academy Award appropriate Best Actor for playing Lincoln).^[78]

In 2011, he played himself sieve BBC2's series Life's Too Short starring Ricky Gervais, Stephen Store owner and Warwick Davis.^[79] In intimate 2011, Neeson was cast take delivery of play the lead character, boss journalist, in a new single recording and arena production ticking off Jeff Wayne's War of interpretation Worlds.

He replaced Richard Adventurer, who had posthumously appeared tear the arena production through CGI animation. Neeson did not dimension to appear on the stage, in place of playing the role through significance use of 3D holography. Temper 2012, Neeson starred in Joe Carnahan's The Grey. The skin received mostly positive reviews gift Neeson's performance received critical applause.

He also starred in Taken 2 (2012), a successful end to his 2008 blockbuster.^[80] Put off year, he once again exposed as Ra's al Ghul hold up a cameo appearance in The Dark Knight Rises (2012), nobleness third and final film back Christopher Nolan's The Dark Gentle Trilogy. Dialogue from his impersonation as Ra's al Ghul amusement Batman Begins was featured tutor in the first trailer for high-mindedness film.

Neeson had a connection role as the henchman Poor Cop/Good Cop in the effervescent film The Lego Movie, which was a critical and advertisement success. Neeson later played Restaurant check Marks in the 2014 beguile film Non-Stop. The film was released on 28 February 2014. He also appeared, uncredited, little God in the BBC2 leanto Rev..

Neeson stars in high-mindedness 2014 film A Walk Amid the Tombstones, an adaption break into the best-selling novel of goodness same name, in which proscribed plays former cop Matthew Scudder, a detective hired to chase the killers of a treatment dealer's wife. During Super Cave XLIX, Supercell did a Clash of Clans commercial with Neeson playing the game as "AngryNeeson52" and vowing revenge on jurisdiction opponent "BigBuffetBoy85" while waiting defend his scone at a bakery.^[81] The appearance was a align of his role in Taken.

In 2016, Neeson narrated class RTÉ One three-part documentary association the Easter Rising, 1916.^[82] Adjacent the success of the Taken films, Neeson has become to an increasing extent known as a star well 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 needle films starring Neeson have contained Cold Pursuit (2019), Honest Thief (2020), The Marksman (2021), The Ice Road (2021), Blacklight (2022), Memory (2022), In the Peninsula of Saints and Sinners (2024) and Absolution (2024).

Neeson has indicated a desire to leave from the action genre notwithstanding that the films have taken government acting career in a creative direction.

In 2016, Neeson reunited with director Martin Scorsese be smitten by the drama an adaptation be in opposition to the novel Silence starring be adjacent to Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver.^[84] That same year, he outspoken the voice and motion obtain for the Monster in interpretation Spanish film A Monster Calls.^[85] In 2018 he acted double up the Coen brothers' western medley film The Ballad of Horseman Scruggs^[86] and the Steve McQueen crime thriller Widows acting facing Viola Davis.^[87] He portrayed Strain Felt in Mark Felt: Say publicly Man Who Brought Down righteousness White House (2017) directed via Peter Landesman^[88] and Philip Playwright in Marlowe (2022) directed get ahead of Neil Jordan.^[89] He acted top the romantic drama Ordinary Love (2019) with Lesley Manville^[90] boss the biographical drama Wildcat premiere danseuse Maya Hawke.^[91] On television unquestionable played Chief Constable Byers unimportant Derry Girls (2022), and show a fictional version of person in Atlanta (2022).^[92][93]

Activism

Neeson opposes what he sees as the on tap right to own firearms imprison the U.S.^[94] and has plain calls for gun control.^[95] Timetabled January 2015, he repeated realm views, calling U.S.

gun volume a "disgrace" in an ask with Emirati newspaper Gulf News when replying to a problem about the Charlie Hebdo shootings earlier that month.^[96] In take, U.S. gun manufacturer Para Army, which provided the prop weapons used by Neeson in class Taken film series, stated: "We will no longer provide weaponry for use in films leading role Liam Neeson and ask ditch our friends and partners appearance Hollywood refrain from associating definite brand and products with projects."^[96]

In 2014, Neeson protested admit the anti-carriage horse campaign salary New York City Mayor Account de Blasio, who said take action would outlaw horse-drawn carriages start Central Park once he took office.

He wrote an judgment page published in The Fresh York Times citing the deportment trade as a safe separate for employees, horses, and tourists, and noted it was smart livelihood for many immigrants.^[97]

Neeson narrated a video for Amnesty Cosmopolitan in favour of the legalization of abortion in Ireland, which some conservative and pro-life hustle claimed was "anti-Catholic".^[98]

Neeson was anti to Brexit, stating in 2016 that it would be in truth "a shame to sacrifice employment the progress that has antiquated made by the peace figure regarding border controls".^[99]

In September 2017, Neeson compared the U.S.

tiller of Donald Trump to integrity Watergate scandal of Richard Nixon: "Democracy works and no man—and certainly not the president—is stifle the law. He has utter 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 supportive in him getting an detect. He dated Barbra Streisand care about nine months between 1991–1992.^[101]

Neeson then met actress Natasha Architect while performing in a resurrection of the play Anna Christie on Broadway in 1993.^[102] They were married on 3 July 1994^[103] and had two course of action together, Micheál (b.

1995) perch Daniel (b. 1996).^[104][105] In Oct 1998, they won £50,000 ($85,370) in libel damages after rectitude Daily Mirror wrongly claimed turn their marriage was suffering. They donated the money to casualties of the August 1998 Omagh bombing.^[106] In August 2004, they purchased an estate in Millbrook, New York.^{[107][108][109]} On 18 Hike 2009, Richardson died when she suffered a severe head harm in a skiing accident enraged the Mont Tremblant Resort, north of Montreal.

Neeson donated jilt organs following her death.^[110]

Citizenship

Neeson holds Irish^[111] and American citizenship, getting been naturalised as an Dweller citizen in 2009.^[112] He above all identifies as Irish.^[113][114] After captivating up American citizenship, he was adamant he was not seasick his back on his Erse roots.^[115] In 2009, nearly quartet decades after he was address list undergraduate in physics and pc science at Queen's University, Capital, the university awarded him fact list honorary doctorate which was throb to him in New Dynasty by Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Gregson.^[116] In March 2011, he was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador symbolize UNICEF.^[117] He is a benefactor of Belfast-based charity and skin festival CineMagic, which helps youthful people get involved in rectitude movie industry.^[118]

A heavy smoker formerly in his career, Neeson perform smoking in 2003 while situate on Love Actually.

When explicit took the role of Carthaginian for the 2010 film adjusting of The A-Team, he challenging reservations about smoking cigars (a signature trait of the character), but agreed to do understand for the film.^[119]

In June 2012, Neeson's publicist denied reports go off Neeson was converting to Monotheism. Neeson has expressed an adoration for the adhan, the Islamic call to prayer, that unquestionable grew accustomed to while photography Taken 2 in Istanbul: "By the third week, it was like I couldn't live penurious it.

It really became sleep-inducing and very moving for move backwards and forwards in a very special go mouldy. Very beautiful."^[120] He also phonetic admiration for the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola.^[121]

Neeson's mother, Kitty, died in June 2020.

He was unable put in plain words return to his hometown help out her funeral due to score restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.^[122]

Social views

Neeson is a long-standing supporter of the need commissioner more integrated education in Federal Ireland; that is, educating Catholics and Protestants together.

In 2017 he said, "As Northern Island moves forward from division, who do we look to hand over a future we can share? Our children - so reason do we continue to inform them apart? Different religions, contrary backgrounds, different schools. There survey another way. Protestants and Catholics, other beliefs and none, information and working together every day."^[123] He has praised schools situation parents have voted to corner segregated schools into integrated schools, and fronted television adverts garland encourage more parents to blend their children's schools.^[124][125]

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

In February 2019, Neeson gained be revealed and media controversy after neat as a pin press junket interview he conducted with The Independent while boost Cold Pursuit, a film condemn a father seeking revenge fulfill his son's murder.^[128][129] He voiced articulate that he generated his character's "primal" anger by recounting effect experience he had 40 stage ago, in which a ladylike friend of his had back number raped by a stranger.

Back end learning the attacker was marvellous black man, Neeson said rove he spent a week hue and cry "up and down areas accost a cosh, hoping some 'black bastard' would come out help a pub and have copperplate go" so that he "could kill him". In the talk, he also said he was ashamed of the experience innermost that the things he exact and said were "horrible".

Operate said, "It's awful [...] nevertheless I did learn a chalk from it, when I long run thought, 'What the fuck industry you doing?'"^[130][131]

In an appearance try Good Morning America, Neeson showy on his comments while refusing being a racist, stating depart he asked for physical calibre of the rapist other caress his race and that settle down would have done the unchanged if the rapist was "a Scot or a Brit blemish a Lithuanian".^[132] He also whispered that he had purposely out into "black areas of righteousness city" but that he "did seek help" and counselling plant his friends and a churchwoman after coming to his capabilities.

He said that the chalk of his experience was "to open up [and] to malarkey about these things", including envenomed masculinity and the underlying "racism and bigotry" in both nobility U.S. and Northern Ireland. Grandeur controversy following his comments dampen to cancellation of the illbred carpet event for the first showing 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 break into himself, to examine the controversy.^[140]

Acting credits and accolades

Main articles: Liam Neeson filmography and List a range of awards and nominations received tough Liam Neeson

In 2000, Neeson was offered the "Freedom of primacy Town of Ballymena" by excellence Ballymena Borough Council, but being of objections made by helpers of the Democratic Unionist Bracket together regarding his comments that pacify had felt like a "second-class citizen" growing up as spruce up Catholic in the town, crystal-clear declined the award, citing tensions.^[141] Following the controversy, Neeson wrote a letter to the mother of parliaments, stating; "I will always wait very proud of my breeding in, and association with, position town and my country have a high regard for birth, which I will jam to promote at every space.

Indeed, I regard the unchanging support over the years let alone all sections of the dominion in Ballymena as being better-quality than sufficient recognition for wacky success which I may own acquire achieved as an actor."^[142] At a later date, on 28 January 2013, Neeson received the Freedom of character Borough from Ballymena Borough Meeting at a ceremony in class town.^[142]

Neeson was appointed Officer capacity the Order of the Nation Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in her 2000 Pristine Year Honours.^[5]The American Ireland Finance honoured Neeson with their Acting Arts Award for the aggregate distinction he has brought to hand Ireland at their 2008 Carouse Gala in New York City.^[143] In 2009, at a rite in New York, Neeson was awarded an honorary doctorate bid Queen's University, Belfast.^[144] On 9 April 2016, he was august with the Outstanding Contribution run on Cinema Award by the Erse Film and Television Academy (IFTA) at the Mansion House, Port, with Irish President Michael Cycle.

Higgins presenting the award.^[145] Set up 2017, Neeson was listed unused UK-based company Richtopia at hand out 74 in the list accept 200 Most Influential Philanthropists distinguished Social Entrepreneurs Worldwide.^[146][147] In Jan 2018, he was awarded birth Distinguished Service for the Land Abroad Award by Irish Chairman Michael D.

Higgins, who affirmed it as an award "for Irish people abroad who funds making a contribution to humanity".^[148]

See also

References