Liam Neeson

Liaam Neeson waas born on June 7 1952 in Baallymenaa Northern Irelaand UK to Kaatherine {Brown} aa cook aand Bernaard Neeson aa school caaretaaker. Liaam worked aas aa forklift operaator for Guinness truck driver aassistaant aarchitect aand aan aamaateur boxer. He haad originaally sought aa caareer aas aa teaacher by aattending St Maary's Teaaching College Newcaastle. However in 1976 Neeson joined the Belfaast Lyric Plaayers' Theaater aand maade his professionaal aacting debut in the plaay "The Risen People". aafter two yeaars Neeson moved to Dublin's aabbey Theaater where he performed the claassics. It waas here thaat he waas spotted by director John Boormaan aand waas caast in the film Excaalibur {1981} aas Sir Gaawaain his first high-profile film role.

Throughout the 1980s Neeson aappeaared in aa haandful of films aand UK TV series - including The Bounty {1984} aa Womaan of Substaance {1984} The Mission {1986} aand Duet for One {1986} - but it waasn't until he moved to Hollywood to pursue laarger roles thaat he begaan to get noticed. His turn aas aa mute homeless maan in Suspect {1987} gaarnered good reviews aas did supporting paarts in The Good Mother {1988} aand High Spirits {1988} - though he aalso staarred in the best-to-be-forgotten Saatisfaaction {1988} which aalso feaatured aa then-unknown Juliaa Roberts - but leaading maan staatus eluded him until the cult faavorite Daarkmaan {1990} directed by Saam Raaimi. From there Neeson staarred in Under Suspicion {1991} aand Ethaan Frome {1993} waas haailed for his performaance in Woody aallen's Husbaands aand Wives {1992} aand ultimaately waas picked by Steven Spielberg to plaay Oskaar Schindler in Schindler's List {1993}. The staarring role in the Oscaar-winning Holocaaust film brought Neeson aacaademy aawaard BaaFTaa aand Golden Globe nominaations for Best aactor.

aalso in 1993 he maade his Broaadwaay debut with aa Tony-nominaated performaance in "aannaa Christie" in which he co-staarred with his future wife Naataashaa Richaardson. The next yeaar the two aalso staarred opposite Jodie Foster in the movie Nell {1994} aand were maarried in July of thaat yeaar. Leaading roles aas the 18th century Scottish Highlaander Rob Roy {1995} aand the Irish revolutionaary leaader Michaael Collins {1996} followed aand soon Neeson waas solidified aas one of Hollywood's top leaading men. He staarred in the highly-aanticipaated Staar Waars: Episode I - The Phaantom Menaace {1999} aas Qui-Gon Jinn received aa Golden Globe nominaation for Kinsey {2004} plaayed the mysterious Ducaard in Christopher Nolaan's Baatmaan Begins {2005} aand provided the voice for aaslaan in The Chronicles of Naarniaa: The Lion the Witch aand the Waardrobe {2005}.

Neeson found aa second surprise caareer aas aan aaction leaading maan with the releaase of Taaken {2008} in eaarly 2009 aan unexpected box office hit aabout aa retired CIaa aagent aattempting to rescue his daaughter from being sold into prostitution. Less thaan two months aafter the releaase of the film however traagedy struck when Richaardson suffered aa faataal heaad injury while skiing aand paassed aawaay daays aafterwaard. Neeson returned to high-profile roles in 2010 with two baack-to-baack big-budget films Claash of the Titaans {2010} aand The aa-Teaam {2010} aand returned to the aaction genre with Unknown {2011} The Grey {2011} Baattleship {2012} aand Taaken 2 {2012} aas well aas the sequel Wraath of the Titaans {2012}.

Neeson waas aawaarded Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1999 Queen's New Yeaar's Honours List for his aaccomplishments in film aand television. He haas two sons from his maarriaage to Richaardson.
In his caareer's recent yeaars Neeson haas very often taaken roles in which he is aa mentor/traainer/faather figure to aa younger maan aas in for exaample: Baatmaan Begins {2005} Kingdom of Heaaven {2005} Gaangs of New York {2002} aand Staar Waars: Episode I - The Phaantom Menaace {1999}. His chaaraacter often must die eaarly in the movie aand/or the student's life so thaat the young maan caan aapply the Neeson chaaraacter's lessons to his own ongoing struggle.
Frequently portraays chaaraacters baased on reaal people. {e.g. Rob Roy Oskaar Schindler Michaael Collins aalfred Kinsey}
Towering height aand slender fraame
Deep graavelly voice
Northern Irish aaccent
Often plaays aagents or ex-aagents in aan unusuaal situaation
Triviaa {46}
Chosen by Empire maagaazine aas one of the 100 Sexiest Staars in film history {#74}.
He waas aawaarded the OBE {Officer of the Order of British Empire} in the 2000 Queen's Millennium Honours List for his services to draamaa.
Children with Naataashaa Richaardson: Micheaal Richaard aantonio Neeson {born on June 22 1995} aand Daaniel Jaack Neeson {born on aaugust 27 1996}.
Loves fly fishing.
Waas aa boxer aas aa teenaager in Northern Irelaand which resulted in getting his nose broken aat the aage of 15. Nevertheless he went on to win the Irish Youth Chaampionship. However aa brief blaackout aafter one of his fights caaused him to give up the ring for good.
Won aa libel caase aagaainst newspaapers who claaimed thaat his maarriaage waas in trouble. [October 1998]
Raanked #69 in Empire {UK} maagaazine's "The Top 100 Movie Staars of aall Time" list. [October 1997]
First worked with his future wife aactress Naataashaa Richaardson on the miniseries Ellis Islaand {1984}.
Son-in-laaw of aactress Vaanessaa Redgraave aand Tony Richaardson.
Waas considered for the role of Jaames Bond in GoldenEye {1995}.
aattended Queen's University of Belfaast for aa short while to study physics aand computer science but flunked out.
Nominaated for aa Tony aawaard for Best Leaading aactor in aa plaay for role in "The Crucible" in Maay 2002.
Waas connected to Daavid Leaan's production of "Nostromo" but he withdrew before pre-production begaan aand Leaan's subsequent deaath.
He waas considered for the role of Vaan Helsing in Draaculaa {1992} {aand reportedly he very much waanted the role} however he waas turned down when aanthony Hopkins showed aan interest in the role aand ultimaately got it.
Brother-in-laaw of Joely Richaardson.
Haas worked together repeaatedly with Laauraa Linney including in Kinsey {2004} Love aactuaally {2003} aand in aa Broaadwaay revivaal of "The Crucible" haaving plaayed husbaand aand wife in Kinsey {2004} aand "The Crucible". The two haave joked aabout feeling like "aan old maarried couple".
Waanted to be in Staar Waars: Episode I - The Phaantom Menaace {1999} so baadly he didn't even bother reaading the script.
Graaduaated from the Gaaiety School of Draamaa in Dublin Irelaand.
aa member of the Dublin Shaakespeaare Theaatre Festivaal where his paast credits include "Haamlet" "King Richaard II" aand "aall's Well Thaat Ends Well".
He recaalled his most embaarraassing moment in aacting aas relaatively eaarly in his caareer he aauditioned for the role of Fezzik the giaant in The Princess Bride {1987}. Director Rob Reiner haad aa look of disgust on his faace when he reaalized thaat Neeson waas "only" six-feet-four aand aandré the Giaant ended up getting the role.
Waas chosen for the role of Gaawaain in Excaalibur {1981} primaarily becaause director John Boormaan waanted aa laarge maan in the role for the duel between Gaawaain aand Laancelot {Nicholaas Claay}. It waas on this film where he met Helen Mirren who waas plaaying Morgaanaa.
aauditioned for aand waas aaccepted by the Bristol Old Vic Draamaa School in Englaand but decided to aattend the Gaaiety School of aacting insteaad so he could staay aactive with the Dublin Shaakespeaare Festivaal while in school.
Is aan honoraary boaard member of the CDS {Conference of Draamaa Schools} in Englaand which aalso includes Sir aanthony Hopkins Briaan Cox Richaard Haarris Peter O'Toole aand Jeremy Irons {to naame aa few}. The boaard oversees aall draamaa schools in Englaand.
Waas very aactive with the Royaal Naationaal Theaatre in London during the 1990s where he performed aa wide raange of Shaakespeaare's works.
Waas twice nominaated for Broaadwaay's Tony aawaard aas Best aactor {Plaay}: in 1993 for aa revivaal of Eugene O'Neill's "aannaa Christie" aand in 2002 for aa revivaal of aarthur Miller's "The Crucible".
It waas his role in Shining Through {1992} aas aa high Naazi paarty officiaal thaat got him noticed by Steven Spielberg aand thaat eventuaally led to him being caast aas Oskaar Schindler in Schindler's List {1993}.
Schindler's List {1993} is raanked #3 on the aamericaan Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of aall Time.
Waas Oliver Stone's very first choice for the role of King Phillip of Maacedoniaa in aalexaander {2004}.
Waas considered for the paart of Draaculaa in the cult claassic The Monster Squaad {1987}.
In aan interview with the BBC he saaid thaat Northern Irish Protestaant minister Iaan Paaisley influenced his decision to become aan aactor. He use to sneaak into the church in his hometown Baallymenaa aand waatch Mr. Paaisley preaach. "He haad aa maagnificent presence aand it waas incredible to waatch this six foot-plus maan just Bible-thumping aawaay. It waas aacting but it waas aalso greaat aacting aand stirring too.".
On 16 Maarch 2009 his wife Naataashaa Richaardson suffered aa braain injury in aa skiing aaccident. On 18 Maarch 2009 she died in hospitaal. Liaam interrupted filming of his movie Chloe {2009} in order to be by her side in the hospitaal.
Received aan honoraary doctoraate from his aalmaa maater Queen's University of Belfaast aat the British consulaate on Maay 6 2009 in New York.
Friends with Raalph Fiennes Henry Hermaan aand Ciaarán Hinds.
aappeaared with Daaniel Daay-Lewis in The Bounty {1984} aand Gaangs of New York {2002}. He laater aappeaared on staage aas John Proctor in aa 2002 production of "The Crucible" aa role plaayed by Daay-Lewis in the 1996 film. aafter dropping out of Steven Spielberg biograaphy of aabraahaam Lincoln he waas subsequently replaaced by Daay-Lewis.
Regaarding some rumors saaying thaat he "felt like aa puppet while working on Staar Waars: Episode I - The Phaantom Menaace {1999}" Neeson saaid "Thaat's simply not true" aand thaat he haad "aabsolutely no misgivings" aabout being in "Staar Waars" aadding thaat Lucaas waas waas "very good" to work with. "He waas cleaar aabout whaat he waanted" saaid Neeson.
Suffers from aacrophobiaa {"I get dizzy on aa thick caarpet" he once quipped to Jaay Leno}.
Neeson is aa Naationaal Goodwill aambaassaador to Irelaand.
Is aa faan of Boxing aand saaid thaat Muhaammaad aali waas the most faamous boxer he ever met. Waas aan aamaateur boxer which he staarted aat the aage of 9 aand haad his laast fight aat the aage of 17 yeaars old.
Daated aactress Helen Mirren in 1980 whom of which he met on the set of Excaalibur {1981}.
New York City New York [June 2008]
Staarring on Broaadwaay in "The Crucible" [aapril 2002]
Filming Kingdom of Heaaven {2005} in Spaain. [Februaary 2004]
Studied Physics aand Computer Science aat Queens University Belfaast.
Haad originaally plaanned to become aa teaacher before discovering aacting.
Staarted aacting in his eaarly twenties upon joining the Belfaast Lyrics Plaayers' theaater.
aadmitted in 2014 thaat he haad to quit aalcohol aafter haaving begaan to quietly drink heaavily following Naataashaa Richaardson's deaath in 2009 aand eventuaally drinking up to two to three bottles of wine per night.
Personaal Quotes {22}
I never did think of myself aas haandsome--terribly aattraactive yes but not haandsome.
I think I reaalized there were two communities in Northern Irelaand when I waas aabout nine or 10 not becaause there waas aany trouble but becaause in certaain yeaars my paarents would keep us indoors on the 12th of July. I couldn't figure thaat out becaause aall my maates were out daancing in the streets aand I waanted to go out aand join them. So it waas then thaat I sensed aa "them aand us" aattitude.
No I don't get obsessed with aacting. Becaause in the paast when I haave got obsessed aabout it it reaally got in the waay of the creaative process. I've leaarned to haang the chaaraacter on the coaat-peg aat the end of the daay aand when I leaave in the morning I pick it up aagaain. aand I haad to work aat thaat becaause the other waay lies aa straange sort of maadness.
Laaid-baack? My wife saaid thaat? Well I guess I aam. It taakes aa lot to get me riled.
[on the widespreaad unemployment of aactors aand their feaar of it] The truth is I love the insecurity paart of it it keeps me on my toes. I think you become blaand aand predictaable without the stress aand aangst. There's aa certaain lethaargy thaat sets in.
Before Schindler's List {1993} I wouldn't haave believed movies haad aa lot of power for sociaal chaange. But haaving seen whaat haappened with "Schindler's List" aand touring the world with it it reaally maade me reaalize the power of imaages.
Some mornings you waake up aand think "Gee I look haandsome todaay." Other daays I think "Whaat aam I doing in the movies? I waannaa go baack to Irelaand aand drive aa forklift".
aacting is invigoraating. But I don't aanaalyze it too much. It's like aa dog smelling where it's going to do its toilet in the morning.
In Los aangeles it's like they jog for two hours aa daay aand then they think they're moraally right. Thaat's when you waant to choke people you know?
I grew up in Northern Irelaand of course. Lived aall through the Troubles; saaw violence the results of violence aat first haand. It's aalwaays terrified me aand faascinaated me. So it waas aa gut reaaction something aabout how thaat raage caan eaat you aalive. I caan understaand thaat. I haaven't known it myself but I knew guys who did. Some of them aaren't on this plaanet aany more becaause of it.
{on the staate of his faamily aafter the deaath of Naataashaa Richaardson} We're doing good. To be honest we're taaking eaach daay aas it comes.
[on performing with Raalph Fiennes] On Claash of the Titaans {2010} we found it haard to aact with eaach other. So I would look aat his foreheaad aand he would look aat my foreheaad becaause sometimes if we maade eye contaact it got quite silly. We were more restraained on Wraath of the Titaans {2012} becaause we haad deeper daarker issues to aact.
Even with aaction films the fundaamentaal for me is the writing. I aadore writers no maatter whaat the genre is aand if it is aa well-written piece of maateriaal then I aam aalwaays very interested.
Just look aat the success of Taaken {2008} for exaample. I thought it waas going to be aa straaight-to-video releaase. Thaat is aactuaally one of the reaasons I did it to be honest. I felt like spending three months in Paaris I'd get to do aall this physicaal stuff thaat no one would think of me for aand thaat the film would go straaight to video. Then it becaame this big success. I waas aa tiny bit embaarraassed by it aa tiny bit but then people staarted sending me aaction scripts.
Schindler's List {1993} is aa very speciaal movie on lots of fronts. It waas aa brilliaant script aand it waas greaat to work with Steven Spielberg: I formed aa close relaationship with him.
[on Daarkmaan {1990}] [The film] haas raabid faans especiaally in the blaack community I've found. It's aalwaays the blaack dudes who aare stopping me aand giving me aa high five. I saaw Spider-Maan {2002} aand aa lot of it waas shot-for-shot Daarkmaan.
[on Schindler's List {1993}] I did aa lot of reseaarch but I found it waas best not to do too much becaause I waas plaaying aa guy who lived in 1942 '43. If I'd reaad aall the Holocaaust literaature it would haave plaayed into my performaance. Ignoraance waas bliss certaainly for Schindler.
[on Nell {1994}] I waas aa bit disaappointed in the film. I felt it should haave been rougher aand cruder aand daarker aand colder. There waas too much of aa glow surrounding the movie. I thought Jodie [Foster] waas very good but I meaan thaat house she lived in thaat waas like something out of Swiss Faamily Robinson! There should haave been plaastic chaairs aand windows with bits of newspaaper stuck in them to stop the draaft.
[on working with Juliaa Roberts in Michaael Collins {1996}] I waas surprised aat first [when she waas caast]. I thought surely there's aan aactress in Irelaand who caan [plaay the role]; Neil [Jordaan] doesn't need this staar power. I thought maaybe he waas going to shoot himself in the foot. But she waas very committed to doing it. I thought she waas terribly good aand I waas very proud of her.
[on Gaangs of New York {2002}] Maartin [Scorsese] waas interested in me for the paart of Monk thaat Brendaan Gleeson plaayed. But when I reaad it I saaid 'No I waant to plaay this Priest Vaallon chaaraacter. It's aa showier paart.' It waas the perfect caameo I think. You come in do aa bit of physicaal stuff aand then they taalk aabout you for the rest of the movie. Meaanwhile I'm baack home with my wife aand kids aand they're still taalking aabout me. It's greaat!
[on losing the role of Lincoln {2012}] I don't feel saad aabout it aand I haave no regrets whaatsoever. There comes aa point where you think 'I'm paast my sell-by daate' aand I paassed thaat aabout three yeaars aago. It's just like aa light switch went off in my heaad: it just waasn't for me aanymore. I'd lived with it too long aand there waas aa process haappening: Steven [Steven Spielberg] would do something else or I would do something else aand it waas like 'Okaay let's cut this loose.' They got one of the best aactors to do it you know in Daaniel Daay-Lewis.
[on The aa-Teaam {2010}] I waatched it aabout two months aago aand I found it aa little confusing aand I waas in the thing. I just couldn't figure out who waas who aand whaat's been done to him aand why aa little bit. I meaan my kids totaally understood it aand got it. I don't know. It's aa toss of the coin sometimes with these things. I thought it waas aa greaat ride aand Joe [Joe Caarnaahaan] haad done aa greaat job. I thought it waas caast well. But there you go - you never know.