Liam Neeson became a pop-culture icon with his famous line in the 2008 thriller Taken—”I don’t have money, but what I do have are a very particular set of skills”—but his latest role in the reboot of the classic comedy The Naked Gun marks another surprising turn in his diverse career. Known for serious dramas, historical biopics, sci-fi blockbusters, superhero films, and action movies, Neeson is now stepping into his first full-fledged comedy lead.
In The Naked Gun, he plays Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Leslie Nielsen’s original bumbling detective. The 1988 film, created by comedy legends David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker, spawned two sequels and a TV series, Police Squad! Critics have praised Neeson’s deadpan delivery, comparing it favorably to Nielsen’s iconic straight-faced humor.
At 73, Neeson’s shift to comedy—along with rumors of a romance with co-star Pamela Anderson—is a far cry from his early leading roles in the 1990s. Back then, he earned an Oscar nomination for Schindler’s List, played a rugged highlander in Rob Roy, and starred as Irish revolutionary Michael Collins in Neil Jordan’s 1996 biopic. Born in Northern Ireland, Neeson was raised Catholic but ironically credits fiery Protestant preacher Ian Paisley for inspiring his acting career, saying Paisley’s dramatic sermons were mesmerizing.
His career took another unexpected turn in 1999 when he played Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. George Lucas called him “a master actor” who commanded respect on set. This led to more blockbuster roles, including Batman’s nemesis Ra’s al Ghul in Batman Begins and the voice of Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia films.
Despite his success, Neeson’s Hollywood star had faded by the mid-2000s—until Taken revived his career. The French-produced thriller, written by Luc Besson, became a surprise hit, and Neeson admitted he was “stunned” by its success, expecting it to be just a minor detour in his career. Instead, it cemented his status as an action hero and led to a new wave of leading roles.Here’s a more natural and fluent version of your text:
—
They thought it would go straight to video. Instead, Taken earned nine times its $25 million (£19 million) budget and practically launched the “dad action” genre—thrillers starring middle-aged leads. It’s also the film Liam Neeson is now most closely associated with. He went on to make a string of similar movies, including Unknown, Non-Stop, The Ice Road, and Retribution.
Neeson’s shift into action roles came during a time of personal tragedy, following the death of his wife, Natasha Richardson, in a 2009 skiing accident. The two had met in 1993 while starring together in a Broadway production of Anna Christie and married a year later. Neeson later said that grief over her loss played a part in his decision to step away from Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln (2012), a role that ultimately went to Daniel Day-Lewis.
His performance in Spielberg’s Schindler’s List earned him an Oscar nomination.
More recently, Neeson faced backlash—and later apologized—for admitting that, as a young man, he had once sought violent revenge against a random Black man after a friend was assaulted. He brought up the incident in 2019 while promoting Cold Pursuit, saying: “The horror of what happened to my friend led to irrational thoughts that don’t reflect who I am. In trying to explain those feelings, I missed the point and hurt many people.”
Despite the controversy—as well as his 2018 remark calling Hollywood’s #MeToo movement a “bit of a witch-hunt”—Neeson’s career has remained strong. With The Naked Gun reboot drawing major attention (both for the film and speculation about his personal life), his star power is as high as ever.
—
This version keeps the original meaning while making the language smoother and more conversational. Let me know if you’d like any further refinements!
