Thanks to his role in many action films over the past decade, Liam Neeson has shown that when it comes to bad guys and odds stacked heavily against him, that he can overcome any challenge despite being old enough for a Builder’s Warehouse pensioner’s discount. It appears Neeson has finally met his match though, as the actor has revealed that he intends to give up his action star mantle over the next year as he feels he is starting to get too old for the job.
For an actor who built his career on strong dramatic performances, Neeson’s transition to becoming a bonafide action star was surprising when he revealed just how good he was at it in 2008’s Taken. After that career shift, Neeson’s filmography eventually turned into parody with action movie roles piling on with no end in sight.
In a recent interview with ETOnline, Neeson revealed that he is finally planning to retire from the genre over the next year, once he wraps up his last few planned films – Covid-19 pending – and focuse on more dramatic roles once again:
I’m 68 and a half. 69 this year. There’s a couple more I’m going to do this year – hopefully, COVID allowing us – there’s a couple in the pipeline and, then I think that will probably be it.
It’s worth taking Neeson’s comments with a large dose of salt, as he added a caveat that he could return if he is (jokingly) “on a Zimmer frame or something.” Neeson said that he does still get a thrill out of beating up guys half his age, even if all the action leaves him breathless after filming a scene.
I personally don’t believe him and I think it’s only a matter of time before he is lured into yet another action film and an inevitable lucrative payday. After all, you can’t truly call yourself an action hero until you’ve appeared in an Expendables movie. Though I’m not sure how well Neeson’s action-heroics will go with sharing the limelight.
So along with what is hopefully an end to the Covid-19 pandemic, 2021 may finally give us the closing chapters to Neeson’s action career and bad guys making the mistake of underestimating his unique set of Hide-and-go-kill skills.
Last Updated: January 18, 2021
