It would appear that Liam Neeson has read the memo that Harrison Ford chose to ignore, as the 72 year-old acting legend believes the curtain is closing on his tough guy career. Speaking with People magazine, he discussed how 2025 will be his final year as an action star, explaining that he doesn’t wish for his longtime stunt double to be doing all the hard work on his behalf.
Since becoming an unlikely action icon in his mid-50s, Neeson has always performed his own fight scenes — though he also calls upon his longtime collaborator Mark Vanselow when it comes to more elaborate stunts. While age has yet to hold him back during a production, the actor isn’t interested in waiting long enough for it to become a factor.
“You can’t fool audiences,” he continued. “I don’t want Mark to be fighting my fight scenes for me.”
While Neeson has not officially announced his retirement from action, he shared that he’s eyeing 2025 as his final year in the genre. “Maybe the end of next year,” he added. “I think that’s it.”
After making a name for himself with dramatic performances in Schindler’s List and Kinsey, the Irish actor played mentor roles in films like Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and Batman Begins. Then along came Taken, which marked a surprise second act for Neeson after grossing $145 million in 2008 and eventually spawning two lucrative sequels. In the aftermath, Neeson began starring in similar violent revenge thrillers.
Though he hasn’t slowed his pace in recent years, this isn’t the first time Neeson has suggested an end to his career as a revenge seeking bruiser — he also warned fans that the end was nigh back in 2015. “Maybe two more years,” he told reporters at the time. “If God spares me and I’m healthy and stuff. But after that, I’ll stop [the action], I think.”
The then 62-year-old added, “I’m in a very—career-wise—great place. The success of certainly the Taken films, Hollywood seems to see me in a different light. I get sent quite a few action-oriented scripts, which is great. I’m not knocking it. It’s very flattering. But there is a limit, of course.”
Liam is set to follow Ford into comedy with the remake of The Naked Gun, and fingers crossed a return as Qui-Gon Jinn in another season of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Only time will tell.
