Hold on, take a minute to think about some of your favorite action stars. It’s okay, I’ll wait…. got them? Chances are Liam Neeson is somewhere on your list and, if he’s not, then shame on you. The man is an action legend, and his “particular set of skills” should catapult him somewhere near the top of your list. He wasn’t always such an obvious action figure, though, and, apparently, his action-era is about to come to a close. Neeson is retiring from the action genre, and it looks like he’s got a plan for what comes next, as the Taken star is about to enter his 70s.
Liam Neeson’s iconic portrayal of a father on a mission to rescue his teenage daughter in Taken may have been over a decade ago, but it still remains a huge part of how we see Liam Neeson as an actor. It seems like he may be ready to let that part of his professional life go, though, because, in an interview with ET, Neeson says that he’s planning to jump back into a familiar film genre after his current and upcoming action engagements are all wrapped up. Here’s what the fan-favorite actor had to say, exactly:
Yeah, there’s two more lined up. After that I think it's English romantic comedies, you know?
Honestly, part of me feels like he is totally joking, but another part of me (the part who loves a good silver fox) is pretty excited about this future romantic comedy chapter in Liam Neeson’s life. Anyone who can remember back to the actor's earlier years should be excited, too, because we’ve seen Neeson in these types of roles before -- and they’re so special.
Before Liam Neeson became known solely as an action star, he did very well in the romantic comedy department. Most notably, he was in genre staple Love Actually, where he played the very loveable Daniel, a widower caring for his young son. It only makes sense that he would return to his romantic roots after his action run has ended.
Don’t get me wrong, Liam Neeson is still very much seeing some huge success from the action genre, but the man is getting up there. Neeson has been acting for years, but it wasn't until the 2000s that his status as a premier action star truly became evident. While Neeson continues to see such huge success in the genre, it's likely he's ready to give his body a rest as he approaches 70.
If you’re sad about the future switch from action to rom-com, don’t fret just yet, as Liam Neeson still has some action-packed projects coming. In fact, The Ice Road will release on Netflix this coming Friday, June 25, and will have Neeson in full-on action mode as he's behind the wheel of a big rig.
