History of Liam Neeson in Timeline

Liam Neeson is a highly acclaimed Irish actor recognized for his extensive and diverse career. He has been nominated for prestigious awards, including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and Golden Globe Awards. He was also nominated for two Tony Awards. Recognized as one of Ireland's greatest film actors, he has also been appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his contributions to acting.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

1916: The Easter Rising

In 2016, Liam Neeson narrated the RTÉ One three-part documentary on the Easter Rising, in 1916.

1981: Meeting Helen Mirren

In 1981, Liam Neeson met Helen Mirren while working on Excalibur, and they lived together during the early 1980s.

1981: Release of Clash of the Titans Movie

In 1981, The movie Clash of the Titans was released.

1991: Dating Barbra Streisand

Between 1991 and 1992, Liam Neeson dated Barbra Streisand for about nine months.

1992: Dating Barbra Streisand

Between 1991 and 1992, Liam Neeson dated Barbra Streisand for about nine months.

1993: Meeting Natasha Richardson

In 1993, Liam Neeson met actress Natasha Richardson while performing in a revival of the play Anna Christie on Broadway.

July 1994: Marriage to Natasha Richardson

On July 3, 1994, Liam Neeson married Natasha Richardson.

1995: Birth of son Micheál

In 1995, Micheál, the son of Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson, was born.

1996: Birth of son Daniel

In 1996, Daniel, the son of Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson, was born.

August 1998: Omagh Bombing

In August 1998, the Omagh bombing occurred. Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson later donated their libel damages to the victims.

October 1998: Libel Damages Win

In October 1998, Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson won £50,000 in libel damages from the Daily Mirror for a false claim and donated the money to victims of the August 1998 Omagh bombing.

2000: Declined Freedom of the Town

In 2000, Liam Neeson declined the "Freedom of the Town of Ballymena" due to objections regarding his comments about feeling like a "second-class citizen" as a Catholic.

2000: Appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire

In 2000, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Liam Neeson as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).

2001: Narration of Documentaries

In 2001, Liam Neeson narrated two documentaries: Journey into Amazing Caves, which follows scientists searching for cures, and The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Adventure, which won awards including Best Documentary from the Chicago Film Critics Association and the National Board of Review.

2002: Acting in K-19: The Widowmaker and Gangs of New York

In 2002, Liam Neeson acted alongside Harrison Ford in K-19: The Widowmaker, playing Captain Mikhail Polenin. He was also in the cast of Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York with Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Cameron Diaz.

2003: Acting in Love Actually

In 2003, Liam Neeson played a recently widowed writer in the romantic comedy Love Actually alongside Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, and Laura Linney. The film was a commercial success and has since become a cult classic.

2003: Quit Smoking

In 2003, Liam Neeson quit smoking while working on Love Actually.

August 2004: Estate Purchase in Millbrook, New York

In August 2004, Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson purchased an estate in Millbrook, New York.

2004: Starring in Kinsey and Hosting Saturday Night Live

In 2004, Liam Neeson portrayed Alfred Kinsey in the biographical drama Kinsey and received a Golden Globe nomination. Also in 2004, he hosted Saturday Night Live, starring in sketches like "Appalachian Emergency Room" and a home makeover show parody.

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2005: Roles in Kingdom of Heaven, Batman Begins, and The Chronicles of Narnia

In 2005, Liam Neeson played Godfrey of Ibelin in Kingdom of Heaven, Ra's al Ghul in Batman Begins, and voiced Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He also voiced a priest in The Simpsons episode "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star".

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2007: Starring in Seraphim Falls and Fallout 3

In 2007, Liam Neeson starred in the American Civil War epic Seraphim Falls and voiced James, the main character's father, in the video game Fallout 3. Michael Bay mentioned taking inspiration from Neeson's body language for Optimus Prime in the 2007 Transformers DVD commentary. He also appeared in the television drama Five Minutes of Heaven.

2008: Release of Taken

In 2008, Liam Neeson starred in the action film Taken, which became a worldwide box-office hit.

2008: Starring in Taken, Narrating Black Holes and Voicing Aslan

In 2008, Liam Neeson starred in the action film Taken, which became a worldwide box-office hit. That year he also narrated the documentary Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity and voiced Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

2008: Honored with Performing Arts Award

In 2008, the American Ireland Fund honored Liam Neeson with their Performing Arts Award in New York City.

March 2009: Death of Natasha Richardson

On March 18, 2009, Liam Neeson's wife, Natasha Richardson, died from a traumatic brain injury after a skiing accident. Neeson donated her organs following her death.

August 2009: Voice acting in Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea release

In August 2009, Liam Neeson's voice acting was featured in the release of Hayao Miyazaki's anime film Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea.

2009: Awarded Honorary Doctorate and Became American Citizen

In 2009, Liam Neeson became a naturalized American citizen, while still identifying as Irish. Also in 2009, Queen's University, Belfast awarded him an honorary doctorate in New York.

2009: Awarded Honorary Doctorate by Queen's University

In 2009, Liam Neeson was awarded an honorary doctorate by Queen's University, Belfast, at a ceremony in New York.

March 2010: Release of Chloe

In March 2010, the film Chloe, starring Liam Neeson, was theatrically released by Sony Pictures Classics.

2010: Played Hannibal in The A-Team

In 2010, Liam Neeson played Hannibal in the film adaptation of The A-Team. He agreed to smoke cigars for the role, despite previously quitting smoking.

March 2011: Appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF

In March 2011, Liam Neeson was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF.

2011: Appearance in Life's Too Short and Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds

In 2011, Liam Neeson played himself in the BBC2 series Life's Too Short and was cast in Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds, using 3D holography.

2011: Starring in Unknown

In 2011, Liam Neeson starred in the action-thriller Unknown, a German-British-American co-production filmed in Berlin in early 2010 and directed by Jaume Collet-Serra.

June 2012: Publicist Denies Conversion to Islam

In June 2012, Liam Neeson's publicist denied reports that he was converting to Islam. He expressed affection for the Islamic call to prayer after filming Taken 2 in Istanbul.

2012: Starring in The Grey and Taken 2

In 2012, Liam Neeson starred in Joe Carnahan's The Grey, which received positive reviews. He also starred in Taken 2, a sequel to his 2008 blockbuster, and made a cameo appearance as Ra's al Ghul in The Dark Knight Rises.

2012: Planned Role in Lincoln

In 2012, Liam Neeson was slated to star as Abraham Lincoln in the film Lincoln, but he eventually declined the role due to feeling too old.

January 2013: Received Freedom of the Borough

On January 28, 2013, Liam Neeson received the Freedom of the Borough from Ballymena Borough Council at a ceremony in the town.

February 2014: Release of Non-Stop

On February 28, 2014, Liam Neeson starred as Bill Marks in the action film Non-Stop.

2014: Protest Against Anti-Carriage Horse Campaign

In 2014, Liam Neeson protested against the anti-carriage horse campaign of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, arguing in The New York Times that the carriage trade was safe and provided livelihoods for immigrants.

2014: Future collaboration with Collet-Serra

In 2014, Liam Neeson's film Unknown led to a collaboration between Neeson and Collet-Serra (as director and/or producer) on a series of similar action films including Non-Stop, Run All Night, The Commuter and Retribution.

January 2015: Comments on Gun Control

In January 2015, Liam Neeson reiterated his views on U.S. gun laws, calling them a "disgrace" in an interview. Consequently, Para USA, a gun manufacturer, stated they would no longer provide firearms for films starring him.

2015: Future collaboration with Collet-Serra

In 2015, Liam Neeson's film Unknown led to a collaboration between Neeson and Collet-Serra (as director and/or producer) on a series of similar action films including Non-Stop, Run All Night, The Commuter and Retribution.

April 2016: Honored with Outstanding Contribution to Cinema Award

On April 9, 2016, Liam Neeson received the Outstanding Contribution to Cinema Award by the Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) in Dublin, presented by Irish President Michael D. Higgins.

2016: Narration of RTÉ One Documentary and Action Film Recognition

In 2016, Liam Neeson narrated the RTÉ One three-part documentary on the Easter Rising, 1916. He became increasingly known as a star of action thriller films, following the success of the Taken films.

2016: Reuniting with Scorsese and Acting in A Monster Calls

In 2016, Liam Neeson reunited with director Martin Scorsese for the drama Silence and did the voice and motion capture for the Monster in the Spanish film A Monster Calls.

2016: Opposition to Brexit

In 2016, Liam Neeson stated his opposition to Brexit, arguing that it would sacrifice progress made by the peace process regarding border controls.

September 2017: Comparison of Trump to Nixon

In September 2017, Liam Neeson compared the U.S. presidency of Donald Trump to the Watergate scandal of Richard Nixon, stating that the president is not above the law.

2017: Supports Integrated Education in Northern Ireland

In 2017, Liam Neeson advocated for integrated education in Northern Ireland, urging Catholics and Protestants to learn together.

2017: Portrayal of Mark Felt in Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House

In 2017, Liam Neeson portrayed Mark Felt in Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House, directed by Peter Landesman.

2017: Listed Among Most Influential Philanthropists

In 2017, Liam Neeson was listed as number 74 in Richtopia's list of 200 Most Influential Philanthropists and Social Entrepreneurs Worldwide.

January 2018: Awarded Distinguished Service for the Irish Abroad Award

In January 2018, Irish President Michael D. Higgins awarded Liam Neeson the Distinguished Service for the Irish Abroad Award.

January 2018: Criticism for Me Too Comments

In January 2018, Liam Neeson faced criticism for describing the Me Too movement as a "witch hunt" on Ireland's Late Late Show.

2018: Acting in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and Widows

In 2018, Liam Neeson acted in the Coen brothers' western anthology film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and the Steve McQueen crime thriller Widows acting opposite Viola Davis.

2018: Future collaboration with Collet-Serra

In 2018, Liam Neeson's film Unknown led to a collaboration between Neeson and Collet-Serra (as director and/or producer) on a series of similar action films including Non-Stop, Run All Night, The Commuter and Retribution.

February 2019: Controversy over Revenge Comments

In February 2019, Liam Neeson stirred controversy after recounting a story about seeking revenge on a black man after learning a friend was raped by a black man, during an interview promoting Cold Pursuit.

2019: Acting in Ordinary Love

In 2019, Liam Neeson acted in the romantic drama Ordinary Love with Lesley Manville.

2019: Release of Cold Pursuit

In 2019, Liam Neeson starred in the action film Cold Pursuit.

June 2020: Death of Mother

In June 2020, Liam Neeson's mother, Kitty, passed away. He couldn't attend her funeral due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

2020: Release of Honest Thief

In 2020, Liam Neeson starred in the action film Honest Thief.

2021: Releases of The Marksman and The Ice Road

In 2021, Liam Neeson starred in the action films The Marksman and The Ice Road.

2022: Appearances in Derry Girls and Atlanta

In 2022, Liam Neeson played Chief Constable Byers in Derry Girls and portrayed a fictional version of himself in Atlanta.

2022: Releases of Blacklight and Memory

In 2022, Liam Neeson starred in the action films Blacklight and Memory.

2023: Future collaboration with Collet-Serra

In 2023, Liam Neeson's film Unknown led to a collaboration between Neeson and Collet-Serra (as director and/or producer) on a series of similar action films including Non-Stop, Run All Night, The Commuter and Retribution.