Short Biography

William John "Liam" Neeson OBE (born 7 June 1952) is an Academy Award nominated Irish actor. He is well-known for roles as Oskar Schindler in the 1993 film Schindler`s List and Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. He also acted in Kingdom of Heaven, Batman Begins, Rob Roy, The Chronicles of Narnia, Taken, and Darkman. He continues to play characters based on real people, including Michael Collins, and Alfred Kinsey, and is also set to play President Abraham Lincoln in a biographical film directed by Steven Spielberg.

Neeson was born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, the son of Katherine "Kitty" (née Brown), a cook, and Barnard Neeson, a caretaker at the local Catholic boy`s primary school.[2] He was called Liam, the Irish equivalent to William, after the local priest.[3] He was the third child in the family and the only boy among four siblings; his sisters are Elizabeth, Bernadette and Rosaline.[4] At age nine, Neeson began boxing lessons at the All Saints Youth Club.[5] It was at age eleven that Neeson first stepped on stage. His English teacher gave him the lead role in a school play, which he accepted because the girl he fancied would be starring.[6] From then on, he kept acting in school productions for the following years.[7] His interest in acting and decision to become an actor was also influenced by Ian Paisley whose church Neeson would sneak into. Neeson has said of Paisley that "He had a magnificent presence and it was incredible to watch this six foot-plus man just bible-thumping away...It was acting but it was also great acting and stirring too. And his Baptisms skills are second to none." Still boxing at sixteen, he had been Youth Heavyweight Champion of Ireland for three consecutive years, aided by his height.

While at University, Neeson`s abilities as a talented footballer emerged which resulted in him being spotted by Bohemian FC manager Seán Thomas. Neeson travelled to Dublin for a trial with the club, and featured briefly when he came on as a substitute in a game against Shamrock Rovers, replacing Tony O`Connell. Neeson was not offered a contract at the club and that remained his only performance in professional football.

After leaving university, Neeson returned to Ballymena and worked in a variety of small jobs, from fork-lift operator at Guinness to truck driver. He also worked at a teacher-training college in Newcastle for two years before again returning to his hometown. Neeson would get his first film experience in 1973, playing Jesus Christ and Evangelist in the religious film, Pilgrim`s Progress directed by Ken Anderson. After a bet from co-workers at the architects` office where he worked, Neeson applied for an audition at the Lyric Players` Theatre in Belfast.[9] After two years there, Neeson moved to Dublin and joined the Abbey Theatre in 1977. In 1980, film-maker John Boorman saw him on stage, acting as Lennie Small in Of Mice and Men, and offered him the part of Sir Gawain in the upcoming Arthurian movie, Excalibur. After Excalibur, Neeson moved to London, where he continued working on stage, small budget movies and TV series. He lived with the actress Helen Mirren at this time, whom he met working on Excalibur.[10] Between 1982 and 1987, Neeson starred in five films; mostly notably alongside Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins in 1984`s The Bounty.

In 1987, Neeson made a conscious decision to move to Hollywood in order to star in high-profile roles.

Miscellaneous Information

Friends and Family

Rosaline [Sister]

Bernadette [Sister]

Elizabeth [Sister]

Kitty Brown [Mother]

Barnard Neeson [Father]

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