Liam was born June 7, 1952 in Ballymena, Ireland. As a youth, he was Northern Ireland's teenage boxing champ, yet he forsook a boxing career for an education. After flunking out of his studies in physics and computer science, Neeson went back to school to pursue a teaching degree. While taking a few classes in theatre on the side, he realized his true passion. As a result, he dropped out of school and joined the Lyric Players Theatre and later Dublin's Abbey Theatre. His performance in one play caught the attention of director John Boorman who cast Neeson in Excalibur. This began his acting career in films.
Since his move to film, Neeson has been in more than thirty movies. He was nominated for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe in 1993 for his role of Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List.
A few other films Neeson has left his mark on include Suspect (1987), Darkman (1990), Leap of Faith (1993), Nell (1994), Rob Roy (1995), Michael Collins (1996), and Les Miserables (1998).
Memorable lines spoken by Neeson in a few of these films:
Power is when we have every justification to kill and we don't. (Oskar Schindler, Schindler's List)Just because I think she's beautiful doesn't mean I want to have sex with her. I mean, I think you're beautiful, but...No, wait. I didn't mean...I'm sorry... (Jerry Lovell, Nell)
I order you to forgive yourself. (Jean Valjean, Les Miserables)
I want peace and quiet. I want it so much, I'd die for it. (Michael Collins, Michael Collins)
Ranked #69 on Empire Magazine's "Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list, Liam Neeson has left an impression on the world through his movies. Undoubtedly, this stamp on the film industry will be seen again when he appears in the much-anticipated Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace. Hopefully Neeson will change his mind about retiring, at least for the sake of Episodes 2 and 3.
See a complete biography and filmography for Liam Neeson.
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