Too old for that stuff: Liam Neeson says no more action films for him
The 72-year-old actor has become known for his tough guy roles over the years since starring in 2008 thriller Taken but Neeson fears his days of rough-and-tumble roles are coming to an end and he wants to bow out before heâs unable to convincingly throw a punch.
He told PEOPLE: âIâm 72 â it has to stop at some stage. You canât fool audiences. I donât want (longtime stunt collaborator Mark Vanselow) to be fighting my fight scenes for me.â
Neeson went on to set out a timetable for his action movie retirement, adding: âMaybe the end of next year. I think thatâs it.â
He is set to show off his comedy chops in his next movie â a reboot of Leslie Nielsenâs police comedy The Naked Gun â but Neeson isnât sure whether he will be able to swap action for funny roles going forward.
He said: âWhether I can carry it or not, I honestly donât know.â
In the interview, Neeson also revealed how his part in the Taken franchise has infiltrated every part of his life â confessing a clerk at a New York court started reciting his speech from the first film when releasing him from jury dury.
He said: â(The clerk is)calling, I donât know, 55, 60 of us. He gets to me, but all Iâm hearing is, âI have a particular set of skills. Skills that would make me âŚâ
âAnd I thought, âOh f*** noâ ⌠It was actually really sweet and flattering. As I was leaving, people started to applaud.â
Neeson previously revealed he felt nervous about taking on the role of Frank Drebin Jr â the son of Leslie Nielsenâs protagonist Detective Frank Drebin from the original Naked Gun films â and is wary of the expectation that comes with reviving the spoof comedy franchise.
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Neeson told MovieWeb.com: âIâve done a couple of, like, TV skits with Stephen Colbert and Ricky Gervais, but those were two minutes, three minutes tops. But Iâm a bit nervous about Naked Gun, because itâs a feature film ⌠Thereâs lots of funny gags, lots of funny visual gags happening at the same time while âserious thingsâ are being discussed, you know? âŚ
âItâs not a remake. Itâs a reboot. Itâs a totally different thing ⌠Iâll do my own thing. I remember Leslie very well. I love those films. Especially that first, (Flying High) You know, âDonât call me Shirleyâ. Just that line alone ⌠changed Leslieâs career up until he passed away.â
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