Shifting Gears
From Schindler’s List and the Star Wars universe to his recent run as an action hero, Liam Neeson has done just about everything in his acting career. Now he’s trying his hand at comedy in a reboot of The Naked Gun.
If you were to describe Liam Neeson to someone who has been under a rock for the past 35 years, you could probably use three words: actor, Irishman, revenge.
Since his days as an assistant architect, amateur boxer, and truck and forklift operator for Guinness, Neeson has carved out what he calls an “unbelievable” career. He goes so far as saying that if someone had come up to him at school and showed him his future, he would have laughed and disregarded it.
Yet it has all come true—not without a bit of good fortune, he adds, but dedication and determination have born the fruit of his labors.
He built his foundation in the British TV and film circuit during the 1980s before trying his luck in Hollywood. He starred in a few low-key roles until Sam Raimi cast him as a leading man in the cult favorite Darkman in 1990, and then won credit from his peers in Woody Allen’s Husband and Wives.
That led to what many consider his standout performance as Oskar Schindler in Schindler’s List in 1993. He followed that up by going to Broadway and treading the boards where he starred opposite his future wife Natasha Richardson in the same year, getting married in July 1994. They were together up until her unfortunate passing in March 2009 as she suffered a fatal injury caused by a skiing accident, only two months after Taken was released.
Family life is a crucial thing for Neeson, who is the father of two sons with Richardson, Daniel and Michael, with the latter changing his surname to his mom’s as a lasting tribute to her.
Neeson, a prolific worker, has appeared in roles ranging from Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace to the holiday classic Love Actually. Now he is ready to show the world a somewhat leftfield take on the action hero he’s been portraying lately in the upcoming The Naked Gun reboot, in which he stars as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr.
You’re known for your serious action roles, so what drew you to a spoof like The Naked Gun?
It was the challenge, to be honest. For the past 15 years or so, I’ve been playing characters who are very intense, very driven, ex-CIA agents, fathers with a vendetta, people hunting other people through Europe. That’s all well and good, and I do enjoy it, but there’s something incredibly refreshing about a project like this where the entire point is to be absurd.
You’re known for your serious action roles, so what drew you to a spoof like The Naked Gun?
It was the challenge, to be honest. For the past 15 years or so, I’ve been playing characters who are very intense, very driven, ex-CIA agents, fathers with a vendetta, people hunting other people through Europe. That’s all well and good, and I do enjoy it, but there’s something incredibly refreshing about a project like this where the entire point is to be absurd.
When the script came in, my first instinct was, “Am I really the right person for this?” But that’s exactly what makes The Naked Gun style so effective—casting someone who doesn’t normally do comedy and letting them play it completely straight while the world around them spirals into nonsense.
I grew up watching Leslie Nielsen, who was a master of that. So to get the chance to play his son, Frank Drebin Jr., felt like an honor and a bit of a riot. I couldn’t say no.
Was it intimidating taking on a role with such a cult following?
Absolutely. There’s a real pressure because you’re stepping into something beloved. Fans of the original Naked Gun films—and Police Squad! before that—know those lines, those gags, inside out. They’re part of the comedy canon. I wasn’t just trying to play a funny character—I was trying to live up to a whole tradition of spoof done right. And believe me, that’s much harder than it looks.
The trick, I found, was to commit completely. Don’t try to be funny—just be serious in the most ridiculous situations. I approached it like I was playing Othello or Michael Collins. Whether I’m being hit in the face with a flying taco or sliding across a ballroom floor holding a live goose, I never break. That’s where the comedy lives: in the commitment.
How did it feel switching gears so drastically? Was it liberating in a way?
Yes, it really was. Comedy, especially of this kind, is incredibly freeing. You still have to hit your marks, but the energy is different—it’s lighter, faster. There’s something very joyful about working on a set where the whole point is to make people laugh. I found myself cracking up at my co-stars mid-scene, which I haven’t done in years.
Yes, it really was. Comedy, especially of this kind, is incredibly freeing. You still have to hit your marks, but the energy is different—it’s lighter, faster. There’s something very joyful about working on a set where the whole point is to make people laugh. I found myself cracking up at my co-stars mid-scene, which I haven’t done in years.
Paul Walter Hauser is outrageously funny, and Pamela Anderson brought this unexpected sharpness and timing that made every scene with her an adventure.
And physically, it’s demanding in a new way. I’ve done my fair share of stunt work, but this had me crashing through windows and ducking falling pianos.
And physically, it’s demanding in a new way. I’ve done my fair share of stunt work, but this had me crashing through windows and ducking falling pianos.
What’s important is we’ve kept the spirit—the visual gags, the puns, the deadpan delivery—but we’ve also added some more contemporary energy. If you loved Airplane! or the original Drebin films, I think this will hit the spot. And if you’ve never seen those? Well, get ready to watch me fall off a yacht while arresting a man dressed as a squirrel. That should just about sum it up.
As you said, so many of your roles take on action characters, yet you are far from that as a personality—you’re warm, personable, tactile. That seems just a strange juxtaposition sometimes.
I have to admit, everywhere I go there seems to be someone snatched off the streets [laughs]. Ultimately, I know I have a genre that people liken to me, and truth be known I don’t think I could ever move away from that, even if I wanted to. I’m like a kid in a candy store on these movies, with stunt guys and throwing punches and all that great stuff. I love it. And they keep asking me to do it, so where is the logic in bowing out now? I get a buzz from these movies. They speak to my 14-year-old child from within.
I have to admit, everywhere I go there seems to be someone snatched off the streets [laughs]. Ultimately, I know I have a genre that people liken to me, and truth be known I don’t think I could ever move away from that, even if I wanted to. I’m like a kid in a candy store on these movies, with stunt guys and throwing punches and all that great stuff. I love it. And they keep asking me to do it, so where is the logic in bowing out now? I get a buzz from these movies. They speak to my 14-year-old child from within.
So you’re not quitting action?
I’m not, you’re right, [but] I’m always making some joke about it. Depends on my mood. I’m not throwing in the towel in [laughs]. Not everything is meant to be translated as literate [laughs].
I’m not, you’re right, [but] I’m always making some joke about it. Depends on my mood. I’m not throwing in the towel in [laughs]. Not everything is meant to be translated as literate [laughs].
And maybe I can keep going until I’m 75 or 80! But all jokes aside, I’m going to have to stop at some point when the knees are going to go out from under me and it’ll all come crashing down. Now the question is, do I wait until that day, or bow out with some grace and whatever dignity I have left? That’s the big question.
I know you still get asked about Taken—will we ever see your return?
Who are they going to take this time? My second cousin? My dog? My accountant? We’re running out of options here. My grandchild? Let me pop the teeth bank in, alright, “[adopts Taken voice] I’ll look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.”
Who are they going to take this time? My second cousin? My dog? My accountant? We’re running out of options here. My grandchild? Let me pop the teeth bank in, alright, “[adopts Taken voice] I’ll look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.”
The fans love to quote that at you. Where has been the strangest place you’ve heard it?
At a urinal in the men’s bathroom. Mid-flow, I’ll add [laughs]. I’m standing there, just doing my thing and minding my own business. And I hear it, from the guy next to me. And I think, “Ah, now, here, really?!” And I of course, make the mistake of looking at the guy who then makes the gesture to shake my hand. In the men’s bathroom [laughs].
At a urinal in the men’s bathroom. Mid-flow, I’ll add [laughs]. I’m standing there, just doing my thing and minding my own business. And I hear it, from the guy next to me. And I think, “Ah, now, here, really?!” And I of course, make the mistake of looking at the guy who then makes the gesture to shake my hand. In the men’s bathroom [laughs].
Did you shake his hand?
I sort of ducked and weaved, smiled and got out of there as quick as I could.
I sort of ducked and weaved, smiled and got out of there as quick as I could.
Are you a fighter in real life? As in, would you take someone on in a fight?
I would turn on my heel and go. No, no, I’ve maybe learned a few things from those movies but I’ve never nor will I ever need to put them to use because I would be out of there. Best thing you can do—I mean, what are you trying to prove?! Make for the doorway and run [laughs].
I would turn on my heel and go. No, no, I’ve maybe learned a few things from those movies but I’ve never nor will I ever need to put them to use because I would be out of there. Best thing you can do—I mean, what are you trying to prove?! Make for the doorway and run [laughs].
You’ve always been a boxer. Do you still train?
I do, I very much enjoy it but purely punching bags. I don’t spar with anyone. I don’t want to get injured. There’s too many guys who take it too far, maybe because they can say, “Guess who I hurt today?”
I do, I very much enjoy it but purely punching bags. I don’t spar with anyone. I don’t want to get injured. There’s too many guys who take it too far, maybe because they can say, “Guess who I hurt today?”
When you’re not acting, do you still love to travel?
I think it’s the ultimate pleasure, travel, isn’t it? Whether alone or with someone, that whole idea of venturing somewhere is special—how many times do we say it’s the journey not the end destination that gives us the greatest satisfaction?
I think it’s the ultimate pleasure, travel, isn’t it? Whether alone or with someone, that whole idea of venturing somewhere is special—how many times do we say it’s the journey not the end destination that gives us the greatest satisfaction?
And life is still there. I can’t stop moving forward, exploring, filling my head with experiences and ideas. I can’t stop. A lot of it comes from my admiration for pioneers and adventurers. When I hear the word pioneer I always think of Americans, explorers and cutting trails through America’s extraordinary country.
When I travel, I am engaged by the differences between different races and nationalities—there are so many slightly altered conventions, traditions and processes.
And yet, through it all, the way two people across different sides of the worlds go about their daily lives is actually incredibly similar.
So, I think travel broadens the horizons, of course, but it also makes you realize what a unified world looks like. Now, if someone could give me something to sort out my terrible jetlag—which I have never got even close to conquering—I really would be a happy man!
It’s a long and varied career—despite your thriller-film-actor tag—that you have had. Was this what you wanted to do when you were young?
If I was sitting in a physics class when I was 15 and someone showed me a crystal ball of what I’d be doing now, I wouldn’t have believed them. It’s just too far-fetched, too unbelievable.
If I was sitting in a physics class when I was 15 and someone showed me a crystal ball of what I’d be doing now, I wouldn’t have believed them. It’s just too far-fetched, too unbelievable.
I’ve had an incredible life, but I wouldn’t say that it is all about luck—you do have to put in the hard work yourself as well, nothing is given in this life. But there has been a bit of good fortune along the way.
I don’t have to prompt myself that when I walk past something like a construction site, or another manual labor job, that that is “real work.” I will always be very respectful of that. Regardless of how successful I am for myself and my family, I will never be disrespectful of other people’s hard work.
If 50 is the new 40, on a personal level, getting beat up in all the movies, can you tell me what being 73 means to you?
It’s a number. … It doesn’t bother me at all. It really doesn’t.
It’s a number. … It doesn’t bother me at all. It really doesn’t.
Photo by Real_Java / Shutterstock.com
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, August 2025.
