Liam Neeson is uncertain about how much longer he’ll continue as an action movie star.
The 72-year-old “Taken” actor discussed his eventual retirement from physically-demanding roles in an interview with People magazine on Wednesday.
“I’m 72 — it has to stop at some stage,” Neeson commented. “You can’t fool audiences.”
He mentioned his retirement plan, saying, “Maybe the end of next year,” and added, “I think that’s it.”
At this stage in his career, Neeson continues to handle his own fight scenes, though he relies on his longtime collaborator, Mark Vanselow, for the more intense stunt work.
“I don’t want Mark to be fighting my fight scenes for me,” he clarified.
Neeson has gained fame for his numerous lead roles in action films, including the “Taken” series, “The A-Team,” “The Grey,” “Wrath of the Titans,” “Run All Night,” “The Commuter,” “Cold Pursuit,” and most recently, “Absolution.”
Beginning his career in the late 1970s, Neeson has also starred in war dramas like “Michael Collins” and “Schindler’s List,” major blockbusters such as “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace” and “Batman Begins,” as well as romantic comedies including “Love Actually” and “Ordinary Love.”
Liam Neeson is also testing his comedic abilities in the upcoming remake of The Naked Gun, which is scheduled to hit theaters in 2025.
“Whether I can carry it or not, I honestly don’t know,” he remarked about his “silly” role as the bumbling officer Frank Drebin Jr. in the movie.
However, his co-star Pamela Anderson had a different opinion.
“He’s being humble,” she shared with People. “It was hard to keep a straight face in scenes together.”
Neeson mentioned at the beginning of 2021 that he was considering stepping away from action films.
“I’m 68 and a half. Sixty-nine this year. There’s a couple more I’m going to do this year,” he stated in an interview with Entertainment Tonight at the time.
“There’s a couple in the pipeline and then I think that will probably be it,” Neeson continued. “Well, unless I’m on a Zimmer frame or something.”
The previous year, Neeson shared with ET that he had moved on from superhero films after portraying Ra’s al Ghul in Christopher Nolan’s first “Batman” movie.
“I’m really not a huge fan of the genre. I think it’s Hollywood with all the bells and whistles and the technical achievements and stuff — which I admire — but I have no desire to go into the gym for three hours every day to pump myself up to squeeze into a Velcro suit with a cape,” he stated.
Neeson also mentioned that although he “enjoyed” working on “Star Wars: Episode I,” he has no plans to return to that franchise either.
