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NOVEMBER 2018
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Flight Time
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35
Interview
F L I G H T D E TA I L S
Flybe has flights to Toulon Cote d’Azur
from Southampton (from 26th May).
feel very proud,” he says, “but it also gave
me the chance to immerse myself in another
new culture and explore new places, and that
was arguably the very best part.”
GOODWILL AMBASSADOR
In fact, it’s perhaps Neeson’s global view that
defines him the most. He is a supporter of
humanitarian projects, notably UNICEF, for
whom he became a goodwill ambassador in
2011. “The thing that appealed to me with
UNICEF is the fact I like what they do. And I
know that for every $5 someone may give to
the charity, $4 will go to the cause. They don’t
get eaten up in bureaucracy and expensive
offices, you know? And look at any time
there’s a calamity in the world – UNICEF are
usually the first there, which is extraordinary.
“They do wonderful work and it’s a chance
to put something back; to do something
to help those less fortunate than myself. That’s
basically what it is – it’s actually selfish!”
Neeson doesn’t just view from afar
though – his global efforts amount to more
than a tweet or a press event in Leicester
Square. “Travelling and seeing first-hand
what organisations like UNICEF do is the
best way of understanding the impact you
can have on people’s lives. I went with them
to Mozambique and that was an incredible
experience. Like everything with seeing
things in the world, you only ever scratch
the surface by reading books or sitting on
a computer. You have to get out there in
the world; you have to see it and touch it
to really appreciate the beauty – and the
challenges – in the world.”
As far as new projects go, there is the
inevitable talk of a fourth
Taken
movie.
Neeson, so playful with the press, will in
one interview declare his retirement before
utterly refuting the suggestion in the next.
In reality, he knows his time on the action
circuit must nearly be up, but in the quiet
moments of contemplation, he can’t bring
himself to admit it.
“It comes down to this – I still can’t
quite understand how lucky I am to have
a complete stranger – someone I’ve never
met – send me a script and say, ‘I would very
much like to have you part of this movie’,”
he says. “I can never get over that, and you
know it’s very rude to say ‘no’.”
And such is the Neeson appeal, filmmakers
like Scorsese, Spielberg and Lucas continue to
clamour for the towering icon’s signature. “I’m
like a kid in a candy store on these movies,
particularly the
Taken
series,” says the actor,
who stays in shape with daily gym workouts
and punchbag sessions. “With stunt guys and
throwing punches and all that great stuff, I
love it. And they keep asking me to do it so
where is the logic in bowing out? I get a buzz
from these movies. They speak to my 14-year-
old child within.
“I’m always making some joke about
quitting – really, it depends on my mood,”
he admits. “It’s like with Daniel Craig – he
went through the same thing when he said
he was done with Bond. And maybe I can
keep going until I’m 70, but I know I’m going
to have to stop at some point, because the
knees are going to go out from under me
and it’ll all come crashing down,” he laughs.
“Now the question is, do I wait until that day,
or bow out with some grace and whatever
dignity I have left? That’s the big question.
Perhaps I should just go off fly fishing,” he
says, referencing his favourite hobby.
Perhaps when Neeson does finally leave
the industry behind, Micheál – his eldest
and an aspiring actor in his own right – can
assume the mantle of chief retriever in the
Taken
franchise?
“I look forward to seeing what he can
achieve,” he says. “I think it’s difficult to get
work as an actor no matter who you are.
Having a dad in the industry honestly doesn’t
mean squat. Off his own back he’s getting
work, so it appears to be going well, but it’s
tough, and I’ve told him that.
“Getting jobs is a huge success; most
actors, at least 75 per cent, get no work at
any given time. And he’s working, which I
commend him for. He’s got a determination
and drive I’m not even sure I possessed
at his age, so I decided to move past my
reservations and worries and let him guide
his own path.
“In the early days I always said to him,
‘Are you content with a constant burden of
rejection and criticism, because that’s what
you’re getting yourself into’. He would reply,
‘I’m okay with that’, so what more could I
say? I said my piece, it’s not my decision.”
But perhaps there is time still for one
final
Taken
, and when put on the spot about
a fourth instalment of the action thriller,
Neeson signs off with typical sarcastic aplomb.
“Look – who are they going to take this
time? My grandchild? My second cousin? My
dog? My accountant?
“We’re running out of options here.”
We suspect the scriptwriters will think of
someone…
Right:
The Commuter
(2018)
Below:
Taken
(2008)