Liam Neeson Admits He Was a ‘Tiny Bit Embarrassed’ by the “Taken” Movies

NEED TO KNOW

• Liam Neeson admitted in a New York Times interview that he has been somewhat “embarrassed” by the Taken movies

• After the 2008 action movie became a box-office hit, Neeson starred in two more Taken sequels, in 2012 and 2015

• The actor previously told PEOPLE that the film “seemed to have touched something in the psychic nerve of moviegoing audiences”

Liam Neeson has a complicated relationship with the blockbuster franchise that gave him a second act as an action star.

The Naked Gun actor, now 73, found a surprise box-office hit when he headlined Taken, the 2008 thriller about a dad who stops at nothing to rescue his daughter from sex-trafficking.

The film, also starring Maggie Grace and Famke Janssen, inspired two sequels, in 2012 and 2015, and branded Neeson an action lead with a string of similar roles after.

https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf

In a new interview with The New York Times, Neeson admitted, “I was a tiny bit embarrassed [by Taken].”

“Don’t get me wrong, I did love the script,” he added. “But I can’t tell you how many voicemails [of the Taken speech] I’ve recorded for my sons’ friends.” (The Oscar-nominated actor has sons Micheál, 30, and Daniel, 28, with late wife Natasha Richardson.)

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

That iconic speech — about Neeson’s character Bryan Mills’ “very particular set of skills” — has followed the actor ever since.

In October 2024, Neeson told PEOPLE it even came up recently when he reported for jury duty. Neeson recalled that, while waiting to be released by the clerk, “He’s calling, I don’t know, 55, 60 of us. He gets to me, but all I’m hearing is, ‘I have a particular set of skills. Skills that would make me…’ And I thought, ‘Oh f— no.’ “

“It was actually really sweet and flattering. As I was leaving, people started to applaud,” Neeson said. He added of Taken‘s success, “It just seemed to have touched something in the psychic nerve of moviegoing audiences.”

Neeson said in his recent New York Times profile that he’s likely soon done with action movies. “There comes a point where audiences know, and I don’t want to insult an audience by me pretending I’m 50 years of age. I don’t want to do that. I have too much respect for audiences.”

The Naked Gun is in theaters now.

Read the original article on People