Interview Interview Last man standing Liam Neeson on his surprise at the success of the Taken franchise, his love of the physical side of life and why he’d love to pick up a light sabre again. By Owen Blackhurst n 2009’s Taken, Liam to DVD, but on reflection most notably as the titular lead Pictured: Actor Liam Neeson Neeson delivered one of the the brooding Irishman under- in Rob Roy, the taciturn priest in has changed the face of the I most memorable monologues stands why it was a hit. Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New typical Hollywood action hero of the past quarter of a century “I knew we had made a tight York and the Irish revolutionary in his role as retired C.I.A little European thriller, but leader in Michael Collins – it was operative Bryan Mills. “I don’t when it became a hit we were his Academy Award-nominated know who you are. I don’t all surprised, I more than performance as Oskar Schindler know what you want. If you are anybody,” he says. in Steven Spielberg’s haunting looking for ransom I can tell you “But when it came out in Schindler’s List that made the I don’t have money, but what America it was 2009, and world sit up and notice both his I do have are a very particular the world was turned upside- presence and sensitivity. set of skills,” he hisses to his down financially, we were in a “It was one of the most daughter’s Albanian kidnappers. crisis. Everybody felt vulnerable beautiful scripts I ever read,” “Skills I have acquired over a and scared and nervous and he says. “But you know, it was very long career. Skills that when you feel that, you seek only after the film came out make me a nightmare for people entertainment and I think that we saw the really profound like you. If you let my daughter when they see films like Taken, effect it had on audiences. And go now that’ll be the end of it. where it’s someone who’s not continues to have.” I will not look for you, I will not going to call a figure of authority “When Liam is playing a pursue you, but if you don’t, I when he’s in trouble, he’s character, he ceases to be Liam will look for you, I will going to do something about Neeson,” says Steven Spielberg. find you and I will kill you.” it himself… I think that gave “Behind the scenes, or coming If you haven’t seen Taken or its pleasure in saying, ‘Yes, I out of the makeup trailer, pair of sequels – that combined wish I could do that.’” he is completely disengaged have made over US$900m Not only did the success of the from forward or reverse in worldwide at last count – let’s franchise send Neeson’s career his personality. When you just say he made good on his in a whole different direction – say ‘Action,’ he lights up the promise. Remarkably, Neeson at he’s since played similar roles in world, and when you say ‘Cut,’ first thought it would go straight Non Stop and A Walk Amongst he goes back into the holding the Tombstones – it has also pattern. It’s his process. It’s not spawned a sub-genre of cinema; antisocial. He just doesn’t that of the ageing action hero. spend his talent where ‘I DON’T KNOW WHO YOU ARE, I DON’T KNOW WHAT Since Taken’s release we’ve nobody can appreciate it.” YOU WANT. IF YOU ARE had The Expendables series and Neeson agrees, saying he has LOOKING FOR RANSOM I CAN TELL YOU I DON’T HAVE everyone from Sean Penn to little time for method acting. “I MONEY, BUT WHAT I DO Kevin Costner taking up have to be truthful, whether I’m HAVE ARE A VERY arms to wreak vengeance. wielding a lightsabre or talking PARTICULAR SET OF SKILLS’ BRYAN MILLS (LIAM NEESON) Although Neeson had played to a bank manager, I don’t like to hard men before on screen – add bells and bows to my acting.”➤ 14 Upward Curve October-December 2015 October-December 2015 Upward Curve 15 Interview they vividly would remember me because we shared something ON RECEIVING ACTION ROLES IN LATER LIFE on the edge – actual physical ‘ I STARTED TO GET SENT combat, albeit with rules and THESE ACTION SCRIPTS IN MY FIFTIES. IT WAS VERY regulations, but you’re still kind of FLATTERING, AND I FELT a gladiator, a warrior.” LIKE A KID IN A TOY SHOP’ Despite his amazement at LIAM NEESON suddenly being offered action scripts, it comes as no surprise was a kid,” he says. “It was a who his own cinematic heroes great honour to play the King of are. “I started to get sent these the Gods, it was pretty intense.” action scripts in my fifties. There’s nobody currently It was very flattering, and I working in Hollywood who does felt like a kid in a toy shop,” intense quite like Neeson. With he says. “I’ve always been his imposing figure, piercing attracted to that type of cinema blue eyes and cast-iron jaw line hero as an adolescent. Robert there’s a bristling physicality to Mitchum springs to mind, Steve the way he carries himself McQueen, Charles Bronson. that can be traced back to his “There’s just something very time as an Ulster amateur noble and damaged about those boxing champion. sort of American cinematic “I got so into it, but it always heroes, those types of grizzled scared the living daylights out characters, who have one foot of me,” Neeson says. “Even on the side of law and order, and smelling gloves now, it’s a real one foot in the bad guy’s camp. love/fear thing. I loved and feared All these little heroic battles they the nakedness of it, the purity have, they fight with and against It’s a pragmatic approach and, perhaps most memorably, of it. There’s nothing to hide every day of their lives.” ➤ rooted in his upbringing. Neeson ‘released the kraken’ as Zeus behind. It’s an extraordinary was born in Ballymena, Northern in the massive hit Clash of the discipline, and a kind of poetry Above: Neeson and his late Ireland, in 1952. “What I Titans, a role he loved. can develop with someone, a wife, actress Natasha learned growing up was a work “I’ve always had an interest real communication. There’s Ricardson Below: With the cast ethic,” he says. “That’s a real in Greek Mythology and in guys I boxed in my teens that I from the The A-team, the hit characteristic in the North, and Arthurian legends from when I remember vividly, and I know that comedy remake my parents drilled it into my sisters and myself: Get a job no matter what your profession is going to be. Get a job and provide for yourself and provide for your family.” Aside from the current high- octane curve of his career path, he’s starred in his fair share of family films and blockbusters in roles that have called on his presence. As Aslan in the Narnia films he was basically the voice of God; he mentored the boy who would become Darth Vadar as Jedi Master Qui Gon-Jinn in The Phantom Menace; did a similar job with Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins October-December 2015 Upward Curve 17 Interview Neeson is no stranger to a whole mixture of stuff. I do a playing a Jesuit Priest in Martin personal battles. He struggled lot of power walking. I use a lot Scorsese’s Silence. with a morphine addiction after of kettlebells,” he says. “Making His most important role, a near-fatal motorcycle accident a film, you do need stamina, though, is being a father to his in 2000, and recently gave up whether you’re doing fight sons, Micheál and Daniel. “As drinking. “Well, I was just – I scenes or not. I’m not talking a parent your life is changed was drinking too much. It started about having perfect abs and forever. You carry that like a since my wife died, he says. stuff, but you’ve got to be on smell with you. In your work, “So last year, I just thought – top of your game. You have to in your acting, when you’re they’ve been throwing these be there and be committed. That crossing the road, when action movies at me, and I takes stamina. You have you’re eating in a restaurant, thought, “Okay, let’s just to look after yourself.” everything is informed by the change it a little bit.” And it’s There is, of course, more than fact that you’re a dad,” he says. been great. I love it.” one string to Neeson’s bow. As for his approach to life, it As well as his pugilistic history, A passionate theatre lover who could easily be that of Taken’s Neeson was a promising soccer has spent plenty of time treading Bryan Mills. “A man should be Neeson has recently said he’d player as a teenager and relishes the boards, he shone as true to his word and should love to pick up the light sabre getting into shape. “I step up Hannibal Smith in The A-Team, defend his viewpoint, even if again and reprise his role as the regime a little bit a couple provided the voice of a Bad everyone else is against him,” Qui-Gon Jinn in a Star Wars of months before we start.