Liam Neeson, a well-known British actor famous for his action-packed movie roles, recently disclosed that he was offered the role of James Bond, also known as 007, numerous times in the 1990s.
In an interview with The Times magazine, Neeson mentioned that he turned down the iconic spy role each time offered to him, citing his girlfriend-turned-wife, Natasha Richardson, as the reason for his refusal.
Liam Neeson Reveals Why He Said No To James Bond
Neeson revealed that after the success of his film Schindler’s List in 1993, directed by Steven Spielberg, he was approached several times to play the role of James Bond. However, he declined every offer due to Richardson’s strong objection to the “beautiful girls from various countries going in and out of [Bond’s] bed.”
Richardson warned Neeson that she would not marry him if he accepted the role, and Neeson didn’t want to risk it. The couple married in 1994 and remained together until Richardson passed away in a skiing accident in 2009.
The part of James Bond ultimately went to Pierce Brosnan, who played the character in four films from 1995 to 2002. However, Neeson established his own career in action movies and continues receiving scripts for such roles, despite being 70 years old.
When asked about his motivation to keep playing action roles, the actor joked, “People say I do my own stunts. I do not. But look, the dollar amount is very pleasing. And I’m not getting any younger.“
Despite Neeson’s age, he continues to receive offers for action roles, proving that age is just a number for talent and experience in the entertainment industry.
