“Liam Neeson Admits Nervousness About Comedy in Upcoming ‘Naked Gun’ Reboot”

“I’ve done a couple of skits before that were just very short TV things.”

Liam Neeson is an acclaimed dramatic actor and, in his later years, an icon for his work in the ‘geri-action’ genre but he’s taking a step into a world that will be unfamiliar to many of his fans.

Neeson is set to step into the iconic shoes of Leslie Nielsen‘s Frank Drebin in the highly anticipated reboot of The Naked Gun. For Neeson, the journey to reviving The Naked Gun has been filled with anticipation and a touch of apprehension, particularly given his relative lack of experience in the comedy field, as he explained to Collider’s Robert Taylor while promoting his new film, In the Land of Saints and Sinners.

Neeson has touched on comedy, of the sad and perhaps slightly maudlin kind, in his work on Love Actually for Richard Curtis, but for those skeptical of his comedic chops, they may wish to check out his appearance on Ricky Gervais‘ and Stephen Merchant‘s series, Life’s Too Short, with Warwick Davis. 

In the show, Neeson appears as a heightened version of himself, in which he pitches himself as an improvisational comic, to hysterically deadpan effect. That deadpan ability will prove vital if he wants to be the straight man in a comedy full of larger-than-life characters.

“Well, obviously, the script has got to be funny and have a kind of a theme, a kind of a story, albeit quite loose, going through the script rather than just a series of gags, which can get boring very, very quickly.

Yes, I’m honored to be offered the part of Frank Drebin, and a little bit nervous about it because I’ve done a couple of skits before that were just very short TV things, but this would be, I don’t know, 95, 100 minutes of a film.

They’re still casting it so hopefully my other cast members will be funny and sexy so that I could just be dead absolutely straight. There has to be lots of visual gags going on, too.”

Liam Neeson Pays Tribute to Leslie Nielsen

And of course, Neeson is following in the footsteps of a true comedy icon. The task of succeeding Leslie Nielsen is a daunting one, which is why Neeson will be walking his own path, although he will pay homage to Nielsen, whose career was transformed by his roles in The Naked Gun and Airplane! series.

“I’ll do my own thing. I remember Leslie very well,” said Neeson. “I love those films. Especially that first, Airplane! You know, “Don’t call me Shirley.” Just that line alone, I think, changed Leslie’s career up until he passed away.”

Stay tuned to Collider for updates on The Naked Gun, and check out Neeson in Life’s Too Short, down below.