Liam Neeson is certain that his next two action films will mark his last in the genre.
The 65-year-old became an unlikely action star late in life after taking on the role of C.I.A. agent Bryan Mills in the 2008 revenge thriller Taken.
Taken’s spectacular success spawned two sequels and left Liam inundated with offers to appear in stunt-filled films.
However, he has now claimed that he is getting too old for dynamic roles and his next two thrillers, The Commuter and Hard Powder, will be his last.
“The thrillers, that was all a pure accident,” he told The Associated Press. “They’re still throwing serious money at me to do that stuff. I’m like, ‘Guy’s I’m sixty-f**king-five.’ Audiences are eventually going to go, ‘Come on.’
“I’ve shot one that’s going to come out in January sometime. There might be another. That’s it. But not Taken, none of that franchise stuff.”
In The Commuter, which is due out in January (18), Liam plays a businessman caught up in a criminal conspiracy, while in Hard Powder he will star as a snowplough driver caught in a dispute with drug dealers. It is yet to receive an official release date.
Liam previously threatened to quit action films two years ago after appearing in a succession of thrillers including The Grey, Non-Stop and Run All Night.
Yet, in January, he indicated he still enjoyed starring in Taken-style features as he loved the stunt work.
“You know, they are fun to do,” he smiled to The Sydney Morning Herald. “I will certainly not deny that: they pay pretty well and I enjoy them. I love hanging out with these stunt guys rehearsing fights and doing all that stuff.”
His latest movie, Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House, is a biopic about Mark Felt, the F.B.I. agent whose leaks to journalists helped bring down President Richard Nixon. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on Friday (08Sep17).
