Liam Neeson thinks its a disgrace that there are so many guns in America
Liam Neeson covers the new issue of Cigar Aficionado to promote his latest offering, Taken 3. Taken 3 is already a hit – it won this past weekend’s box office and made nearly $40 million. Obviously, audiences just can’t get enough of Liam going all mercenary on everyone. Here are some highlights from the magazine interview:
On the unexpected success of Taken (which ultimately took in more than $220 million worldwide): “I knew we’d made a good, pacey little European thriller, but I figured that was the end of it…I was totally surprised.”
On how he thinks Hollywood perceives him now: “Hollywood sees me in a different light. I’ve had several scripts come through where I could see that the heroes were meant to be in their mid-30s. But that had been scratched out, so now it said, ‘early 50s.’”
On itching to get back on the stage: “It doesn’t even have to be Broadway. I’d love to do a play—a new play. Every so often I’m offered a revival, but I’d love to find a new voice, a new piece of writing.”
On being intimidated by Shakespeare roles: “I was always intimidated by Shakespeare. I still am, to a certain extent. It’s the language of course.”
On being reluctant to smoke cigars for a role: “I’d light a cigar for the scene and when the scene was over, I’d say to the props guy, ‘Take this away.’ And Bradley (Cooper) would say, ‘No give, it to me,’ and he’d smoke it.’”
On escaping to his property in upstate NY, where he hikes and enjoys fly-fishing: “There’s nothing like the thrill of casting into a little creek near your own place to see a fish come up to the surface—and he’s going for a fly you made out of a piece of your own hair. It’s one of the great highs in life, that you made something that could catch some creature that’s been around since the Triassic period.”
On advice that’s stuck: “You have to trust the space you’re occupying is enough”
“You have to trust the space you’re occupying is enough…”? That’s fine to say to a man who is like 6’5”. Or are we talking about the space we occupy spiritually and mentally? Huh. That’s one to ponder. Oh, and B-Coop smokes the cigar? Huh.
Meanwhile, if you’ve visited a conservative news site in the past day, you might have already seen this, but here we go: Liam was asked about the Charlie Hebdo massacre, and he ended up talking about violence in general and the gun culture in America specifically:
“First off, my thoughts and prayers and my heart are with the deceased, and certainly with all of France, yesterday. I’ve got a lot of dear friends in Paris. There’s too many [expletive] guns out there. Especially in America. I think the population is like, 320 million? There’s over 300 million guns. Privately owned, in America. I think it’s a [expletive] disgrace. Every week now we’re picking up a newspaper and seeing, ‘Yet another few kids have been killed in schools.’”
Asked whether or not he thinks this issue extends to police responsibility, he said: “Let’s not get into it. Let’s put it this way: I think a light has been shone on the justice system in America, and it’s a justifiable light.”
Obviously, the pro-gun people are picking holes in his argument (“But he uses guns in his movies! But Charlie Hebdo wasn’t in America!”), but is Liam so wrong? There are too many guns in America. Why is that a controversial statement? And there IS a “justifiable light.”
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet, cover courtesy of Cigar Aficiando.
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