Getty Composite
Liam Neeson is still saving the day onscreen — even at the ripe age of 69 — which is something he can’t believe … but might need a history lesson on, ’cause it’s been done before.
The legendary actor — whose legend only continues to grow with each new action flick he’s cast in, including his latest for Netflix, “The Ice Road” — did an interview with EW, in which he dissected the phenomenon of him getting tapped to play the hero time and time again.
He says, in part … “I just turned 69 years of age, and the conversations I have with my agent now are, ‘Liam, have you read this script? It’s an action script,’ and I say, ‘Chris, let me ask you this, they do know what age I am, right?’ ‘Yes, they do.’ ‘Okay, that’s all I want to know, thank you.'” So, yeah … everyone seems to be in on the secret — he’s a senior citizen!
Liam adds, “That being said, I keep reasonably fit, and you just have to for some of these films. If you’re playing the lead in any film, you have the responsibility; you’re in practically every scene, it behooves you to be fit. You don’t have to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger at the age of 35, but you have to have stamina.”
Of course, Liam as the modern-day Stallone/Willis/Schwarzenegger can largely be attributed to his standout action film, “Taken,” which became a cultural hit … and apparently led to Hollywood honchos thinking LN would be THE perfect guy to whoop on baddies going forward.
And, hey … the dude’s not complaining either. Seems like he’s taking this bizarro typecasting in stride — but he’d be far from the first mainstream actor to be playing an older gun blazer.
Yes, we’re aware Harrison Ford is once again donning the brown fedora for “Indiana Jones 5” — and he’s 78, so he might be the king in this convo — but the one and only Charles Bronson seems to have been one of the early few to pave the way for both HF and Liam.
The man was acting in action flicks — including a fifth installment of ‘Death Wish’ in 1994 at age 72/73 — until he was in his late 70s, before passing in the early 2000s at age 81.
Luckily, Liam and Harrison are still kicking (ass) … and we love to see it. Take it away, boys!
News
“Liam Neeson’s Surprise: Shocking Appearance Raises Eyebrows on the Street”
Liam Neeson, 63 years old, famous actor with a series of roles in action movies: “Taken”, “Non-stop”… appeared thin and haggard on the streets of New York…
“Liam Neeson on Embracing Action Roles at 70: ‘I’m Getting Away with It’”
Liam Neeson is looking back at becoming an unlikely action star with 2008’s Taken Liam Neeson’s age isn’t getting in the way of his status as an action…
Liam Neeson refuses superhero movies, still acts in action movies
Although Liam Neeson has no plans to star in any more superhero movies, he said he will continue to participate in action movies. (Photo: The Playlist) Liam…
“Liam Neeson Delves into ‘Honest Thief’, Reflects on ‘Darkman’ Memories, and Addresses the Star Wars Reunion Rumors”
He also reveals which of his films he’d love to have revisited with a sequel. From writer/director Mark Williams (co-creator of the Netflix series Ozark), the crime drama Honest Thief tells the…
Liam Neeson’s action thriller suffers due to predictable twists, rushed ending
Liam Neeson’s Retribution is strictly a one-time watch for action star’s fans. However, a few of them might get disheartened as well. Liam Neeson’s films of late…
“Is ‘Made In Italy’ Worth the Watch? Analyzing Liam Neeson’s Movie Reviews and Rotten Tomatoes Scores”
The Liam Neeson movie Made In Italy is currently proving surprisingly popular on Netflix, but is this largely forgotten 2020 dramedy worth watching? SUMMARY Made In Italy…
End of content
No more pages to load