Liam Neeson Quits From Doing Action Movies

We’ve all known Liam Neeson as the revengeful father when he called his daughter’s captors in “Taken.” In a deep, gravelly voice he says, “I will find you… and I will kill you.” Neeson has cemented himself as the mainstay actor for these kinds of revenge thrillers for quite some time now, and it’s kind of hard to imagine him not being in these films. However, things are changing as Neeson announces that he will be retiring from action movies.

Liam Neeson says buh-bye to serious action roles

Speaking to reporters at the Toronto International Film Festival, Sky News reports that Neeson is indeed a bit tired of starring in action roles. During the screening for his Mark Felt movie, Neeson announced that he’s ready to say goodbye to his action film front once and for all. He went on to call his action movie career as a “pure accident” and explained why he needed to stop doing it entirely.
“They’re still throwing serious money at me to do that stuff,” Neeson said. “I’m like: ‘Guy’s I’m sixty-f******-five.’ Audiences are eventually going to go: ‘Come on.'”

Liam Neeson in Taken (2008). Photo via 20th Century Fox

The role that started it all

It was when Neeson starred as Bryan Mills in “Taken” that made him into the action star that he is now. Bryan was a retired spy with a very particular set of skills ready to kill anyone who messes with his family and daughter. “Taken” grossed $226 million worldwide, launched a trilogy and rebranded Neeson into some kind of a Bruce Willis upgrade.
Neeson then starred in a number of other action films like “Non-Stop,” “Unknown,” “A Walk Among Tombstones,” and “Run All Night,” opposite Ed Harris. “The A-Team” also showed Neeson in his action movie prime and starred alongside Bradley Cooper and Jessica Biel.
Though Neeson said that he won’t be accepting action movie roles anymore, he still has two more action films left—”The Commuter” and a one similar to “Taken’s” storyline, “Hard Powder.” Both films will premiere in 2018.