From mega movie franchises and animation voice work to real-life characters and the must-do Woody Allen movie, Liam Neeson has done it all. Picking a select number of roles to celebrate his talent in a long and varied career is no mean feat, but we gave it a bash and whittled it down to these five.
Schindler’s List
Arguably his best character, Neeson portrays profiteer-turned-protector Oskar Schindler in this harrowing World War II epic that moved moviegoers and the Academy alike. Driven by Janusz Kaminski’s haunting cinematography, John Williams’ poignant score, and Neeson’s magnificent performance – all guided by Steven Spielberg’s expert hand – the film stays with you long after the credits roll.
Kinsey
The story of Professor Alfred Kinsey, who championed the promotion of sexology, inspired an exemplary script and a complex character - the stuff actors’ dreams are made of. Neeson more than delivered in his portrayal of the biologist, leading to critical acclaim for himself and his co-star, Laura Linney.
Michael Collins
You may have noticed that Neeson has a penchant for playing title characters, many of whom are non-fictional. With Michael Collins the actor got the chance to portray a fellow Irishmen, taking on the role of the titular revolutionary leader and imbuing him with the same passion and determination.
Darkman
You might be surprised to learn that Neeson has played a superhero; and he was so good that the movie spawned the comic books, instead of the other way round. Directed and co-written by Sam Raimi, who would go on to direct the Spider-Man trilogy with Tobey Maguire, Darkman was so popular it garnered a cult following which led to the aforementioned comic books, as well as sequels and video games.
Taken
Neeson’s role as Bryan Mills may not have been his most challenging, but it propelled him into the action genre like never before. The film was an unexpected hit, leading to a couple of sequels and an upcoming TV series. The latter will serve as a prequel to the movies, featuring a young Mills, which unfortunately means no Neeson.
Watch Liam Neeson in Run All Night, your Sunday night movie on 22 May at 20:05 on M-Net and 20:30 on M-Net Movies Premiere.