Liam Neesonbluntly addresses his future in the action genre, citing his age as a concern. Although he rose to prominence with his Oscar-nominated performance inSchindler’s List(1993) and went on to play Qui-Gon Jinn inStar Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace(1999), it was theTakenmoviesthat established Neeson as an action star, starting in 2008.
Since then,Neeson has starred in a litany of action movies, includingThe A-Team,Clash of the Titans(both 2010),The Grey(2011),A Walk Among the Tombstones(2014), andCold Pursuit(2019). Within the genre, Neeson is known for his four collaborations with director Jaume Collet-Serra onUnknown(2011),Non-Stop(2014),Run All Night(2015), andThe Commuter(2018).
However, his time as an action star may be coming to an end. During a recent interview withVariety,Neeson bluntly addressed his future in the genre, reflecting on how long it’s been sinceTakenlaunched his action career, acknowledging that while he still gets offers, his age makes it increasingly unrealistic. At 73, the actor is becoming conscious about maintaining authenticity.
Neeson doesn’t want to deceive audiences with stunt doubles or forced physicality. He admits to enjoying action work in the past, especially doing his own fight scenes, but he draws the line at continuing into his old age. While he remains open to more action, nothing definite is on the horizon. Read his full comments below:
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 fuck’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 one out there, but nothing definite on the horizon.
What This Means For Liam Neeson
Though he’s been talking about it for years,Neeson may finally be retiring from the action genre. Back in 2021, he said he would retire from action movies after making “a couple more,” though he went on to star inThe Marksman,The Ice Road(both 2021),Blacklight,Memory(both 2022),Retribution,In the Land of Saints and Sinners(both 2023),Absolution(2024), andIce Road: Vengeance(2025).
However, Neeson’s focus may finally be shifting away from action and, rather unexpectedly, into comedy. He’s received rave reviews for thenewNaked Gunreboot, with his deep and commanding presence turning out to be an ideal match for Frank Drebin’s straight-faced silliness.Comedy may become Neeson’s new career trend, ashe also stars inCold Storage, an upcoming apocalyptic horror-comedy.
Our Take On Liam Neeson Retiring From Action
Neeson has been talking about retiring from action for years, so it’s unclear if he will actually go through with it this time, especially since he has several more action movies, such asHotel TehranandThe Mongoose,either in post-production or currently filming. What seems certain, however, is that whenLiam Neesondoes finally retire from action, comedy will be the route that his career takes.
