Liam John Neeson

Liam John Neeson

Liam John Neeson, OBE was born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland on 7 June 1952. He is an Irish actor best known for his roles in Schindler's List, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, K-19: The Widowmaker,Michael Collins, Taken, Kinsey and Darkman. He has been nominated for an Oscar, a BAFTA and three Golden Globe Awards.

The son of Katherine "Kitty" Neeson (née Brown), a cook, and Bernard "Barney" Neeson, a caretaker at the Ballymena Boys All Saints Primary School. He was raised Roman Catholic and was named Liam after the local priest. The third of four siblings, he has three sisters: Elizabeth, Bernadette, and Rosaline. At age nine, Neeson began boxing lessons at the All Saints Youth Club, and later became Ulster's amateur senior boxing champion. Neeson first stepped on stage at age 11. His English teacher offered him the lead role in a school play, and he accepted because the girl he was attracted to was starring in it. From then on, he kept acting in school productions for the following years.

His interest in acting and decision to become an actor was also influenced by minister Ian Paisley, whose church Neeson would sneak into. Neeson has said of Paisley: "He had a magnificent presence and it was incredible to watch him just Bible-thumping away... it was acting, but it was also great acting and stirring too." In 1971, Neeson was enrolled as aphysics and computer science student at Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, before leaving to work for the Guinness Brewery. Also at Queens, he discovered a talent forfootball and was spotted by Seán Thomas at Bohemian F.C. There was a club trial in Dublin and Neeson played one game as a substitute against Shamrock Rovers, but he was not offered a contract.