William John Neeson aka Liam Neeson needs no introduction. The veteran actor, whose journey to stardom wasn’t an easy ride, has come a long way in his career and established himself as one of the best in Hollywood.

The Irish actor, who turns a year older today, started his acting career as a theatre artist in Belfast before bagging the role of Gawain in filmmaker John Boorman’s fantasy drama Excalibur.

But his real breakthrough came when Steven Spielberg offered him the role of Oskar Schindler in his Oscar-winning historical drama Schindler’s List. While the talented actor left no stone unturned and delivered in best in Spielberg’s directorial, Neeson proved everyone that he was here to stay.

With several award-winning projects to his credit, Neeson has carved a niche for himself in world cinema. From essaying the role of a Jedi Master in the Star Wars franchise to stepping into the shoes of the ominous supervillain Ra’s al Ghul in Batman Begins, the veteran superstar has dominated the screen with back-to-back powerful performances.

While Liam Neeson’s long and successful body of work makes the task of choosing the best not that easy, AskMen India has managed to narrow it down to six stellar performances of the veteran actor which are a must-watch.

Schindler’s List

Liam Neeson’s journey in Hollywood is an inspiration for all aspiring actors. The veteran star kickstarted his acting career with theatre in his hometown in Ireland and moved to London later to pursue his dream of becoming an actor.

After featuring in a series of small-budget feature films, Neeson finally hit the lottery when John Boorman roped him to star in his next project Excalibur.

But the best was yet to come and Neeson hard work finally paid off when he bagged the lead role in Steven Spielberg’s project Schindler’s List.

The talented actor reportedly beat the likes of Kevin Costner and Mel Gibson in the audition stage to win the titular role in the historical drama which won seven Academy Awards.

While Neeson’s character was appreciated by the critics as well as the audience, the film turned out to be a huge blockbuster at the box office.

Michael Collins

With producers eager to sign Liam Neeson, the latter teamed up with director Neil Jordan for a biographical film based on Irish revolutionary Michael Collins.

His portrayal of the iconic Irish figure, who led the struggle for independence in the early-20th century was bang on target, Neeson managed to prove his versatility as an actor.

Apart from impressing everyone, Neeson’s act in Michael Collins helped in win several prestigious accolades. The Jordan directorial also starred Julia Roberts, Alan Rickman and Aidan Quinn in pivotal roles, but it was Neeson’s thunderous performance that stole the show.

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace

The film that pushed Liam Neeson into the league of A-listed Hollywood stars was George Lucas’ Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.

The first instalment of the prequel trilogy of the popular film franchise featured Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn, an intelligent and rebellious Jedi Master.

While filmmaker George Lucas hailed Neeson strong personality as one of the reasons to offer him the important role, the veteran actor’s intense demeanour gave the character many more layers of intensity.

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace helped Neeson establish himself as one of the most prominent action heroes in Hollywood.

Batman Begins

After experimenting with a series of various on-screen roles, Liam Neeson stunned everyone by turning into an antagonist on the big screen. He essayed the part of Henri Ducard aka Ra’s al Ghul with such panache that the audience were head over heels with his character.

While Christian Bale too managed to impress everyone with his caped-crusader act, but the ease with which Neeson transitioned from a mentor to an antagonist was simply brilliant.

The first instalment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman franchise Batman Begins also starred other popular actors like Michael Caine, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy and Morgan Freeman but it was Bale and Neeson’s rivalry which got the audience on the edge of their seats. (PS. Liam Neeson aka Ra’s al Ghul makes a cameo in The Dark Knight Rises as well)

The Grey

After battling the Batman in Christopher Nolan’s directorial and establishing himself as one of the best action superstars in Hollywood, Liam Neeson teamed up with filmmaker Joe Carnahan for a survival project (the toughest project in his career).

Based on Ian MacKenzie Jeffers’ short story Ghost Walker, the film revolves around a group of men, led by Neeson, who are stuck in Alaska post a plane crash, battling the extreme cold climate and the continuous threat of Canadian Grey Wolves looming around.

Taken Franchise

Just like every other successful actor in Hollywood, Liam Neeson too has his own film franchise. Known for his on-screen action, the veteran actor stepped into the shoes of a former CIA operative in 2008 with Pierre Morel’s action-thriller Taken.

Neeson’s brave and emotional fatherly act, who takes down entire Albanian human traffickers to save his daughter struck a chord with the audience. Plus, the high-octane action sequences and realistic combat scenes added much-needed punch to the thriller film.

The remarkable success of the movie convinced the makers to go ahead with the sequels: Taken 2 and Taken 3 which featured Neeson reprising his popular role of Bryan Mills.

Post the phenomenal success of the trilogy, the makers came up with the idea of a prequel television series that stars Clive Standen as Bryan Mills.

Here’s wishing Liam Neeson a happy birthday and a great year ahead.