For Irish month on the CFS Blog, I thought I’d highlight one of my favorite, current action stars. His name is Liam Neeson and he has a very particular set of skills. The star of the popular Taken trilogy was born in Ballymena, Northern Ireland in 1952. He rose to critical success with his portrayal of Oskar Schindler in Schindler’s List (1993) and earned an Oscar nomination for his performance. In a world today of robot battles and old actors trying to relive their blockbuster days, it’s hard to find an action hero that people can really root for. Liam Neeson has been that actor for me. The thing that keeps me running to the theaters to see the next Neeson action movie is how he always plays a great character with his back against the wall. More often than not he is fighting for a loved one, so he gains our sympathy and impresses us with his amazing fighting skills.
Taken (2008) did everything right. His daughter was kidnapped and his character, Brian Mills, would do anything to get her back. Neeson was able to balance being a concerned father and an ex-CIA agent. It definitely helped that the story line was fresh and fairly realistic.
