Liam Neeson, 72, announces shock news: 'It has to stop at some stage'
Liam Neeson has hinted at winding down his action-packed career, revealing that his days of performing fight scenes may soon come to an end.
Known for his intense roles in films like Taken, The Commuter and The A-Team, the 72-year-old has long performed many of his own fight sequences but now admits that he's feeling the toll of the physical demands.
"I'm 72 - it has to stop at some stage," he told People Magazine. While he still tackles many of the action scenes himself, the more intricate stunts are handled by his longtime stunt double, Mark Vanselow.
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"You can't fool audiences. I don't want Mark to be fighting my fight scenes for me," he added.
The dad-of-two, who is also famous for his portrayals in Schindler's List, Love Actually and In the Land of Saints and Sinners, confessed that he might bow out sometime in 2025, though he hasn't made a firm decision yet. "Maybe the end of next year. I think that’s it," he mused.
Soon fans will see Liam star in a reboot of the Leslie Nielsen police comedy The Naked Gun, in which he plays the hapless cop Frank Drebin Jr. alongside Pamela Anderson.
On working with the Baywatch legend, the actor added: "I'm madly in love with her. I can't compliment her enough. She's funny."
Liam, who is from Northern Ireland, has captivated audiences for over four decades with his powerful screen presence thanks to a variety of roles.
In 2009, the actor suffered a devastating blow following the death of his beloved wife, actress Natasha Richardson. The couple married in 1994 and shared two children together - Micheál, 29, and Daniel, 28 - before Natasha tragically lost her life at the age of 45 in a freak skiing accident.
In 2018, their eldest son Micheál changed his surname to Richardson to honour his late mother and to "keep her close".
The budding actor has even starred in two movies with his dad, 2019's Cold Pursuit and Made in Italy. "We didn't have to pretend to have a relationship, do you know what I mean?" Liam told The Irish Post in 2019.
"Micheál is my son and he has got some of my body language and I have got some of his, so I think that comes across. It was a no-brainer with regard to acting with him. It was just having a regular conversation with your boy."
