For his latest filmMade in Italy,Liam Neesonfound himself in foreign territory.
“‘yo, just give me one little fight scene!’
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How are you doing?
Credit: IFC Films
LIAM NEESON:I cant complain too much.
Well, I could, but lets not talk about politics.
Has this been a conscious decision to mix it up after you became so synonymous with action?
Courtesy of IFC Films
And the same for this withMade in Italy.
And so it was kind of fate, I just felt like I had to do it.
It was fantastic to work with my son.
Stephanie Branchu/Fox
What was that like?
Micheal also played your son inCold Pursuit, but he had a much smaller role there.
Theres room for one director and thats it.
Myles Aronowitz
And thats what we did.
He was another actor who happened to be playing my son.
The first three weeks in Tuscany it was just raining all the time.
If it wasnt raining, it was drizzle.
We just about scrapped through, so the movie gods came back and helped us in the last week.
This is something wetalked about withCold Pursuit, but you werent always the action guy.
Like beforeTaken, you were much more known for your dramatic work.
Whats that evolution been like?
like think of me for this.
Push came to shove and he offered it to me.
Despite how much fun it was, you still had no expectations for it, right?
I said, Which one?
They said, Um,Taken.
I said, What do you mean?
You couldnt have seen it.
They said, Well, we downloaded it from South Korea.
I said, You cant do that!
What are you talking about?!
If you might download it, its gone into the ether.
3, and then it came up to No.
2 and then No.
1, and then it went down to No.
4, and it came up to No.
It just had this extraordinary cycle.
So it was luck, and you need some luck in this business.
No, its nice.
c’mon, just give me one little fight scene.
[Laughs] And theyre still offering me these.
I keep very fit and I love doing that stuff.
So you’re just going to keep doing them until it’s possible for you to’t anymore?
Yep, keep doing them until they pass me the walker.
What does that mean to you?
Well, as I said, I like the genre and I like doing it.
Ive had a very blissful career.
Ive been fortunate enough to work in this extraordinary industry.
I don’t set out to plan a career, I really dont.
Theres a part of me that wants to get back to the theater again.
If it happens, it happens, if it doesnt, I dont worry.
You’re looked at as an action hero, but who is your hero?
I am so blessed that I grew up with Muhammad Ali.
I idolized that man.
And I had the great joy to meet him twice.
Once when he was very, very fit in 1981 in London.
I was able to look him in the face and tell him, Muhammad, I love you.
I was nearly in tears.
Because Muhammad was his hero, too.
We saw all his fights on TV and I just adored that guy.
Muhammad didnt bat an eyelid and his wife said, He knows who you are.
I was so chuffed; I met my hero twice!
He was just the greatest and he was the first to say it himself.
Im going to read you what you said after I gave you some options: Youve got me thinking.
And the sequel is getting away from all that.
Im thinking, Oh, this is bliss, and then it isnt.
Whats the update on this?
We don’t get any vehicular tussles inMade in Italy, but have you done any further thinking?
Sadly, I think the current pandemic might have exposed a problem with the cruise ship idea.
It could be a small cruise ship!
Not one of those huge big things you see sailing down the canals that dwarf all the buildings.
[Laughs] So thats alorry, right?
But I think the cruise ship might work.
Made in Italyopens Friday in select theaters, drive-ins, and video on demand.
