Liam Neeson reveals he was offered the iconic role of James Bond in the 90s but turned it due to late wife Natasha Richardson
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Liam Neeson disclosed that James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli called him on multiple occasions in the 1990s to ask about playing the role of 007. Due to his performance in 'Schindler's List', the actor had just received an Oscar nomination for best actor. Why decline one of the most recognizable action parts in movie history? It all came down to Natasha Richardson, Neeson's wife.
Although Neeson expressed interest at the time, it finally came to nothing as his late wife Natasha Richardson promised to leave him if he accepted the role. Neeson added, "She gave me a James Bond ultimatum. And she meant it!"
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Why didn't Liam Neeson take up the offer
"Schindler's List had come out and Barbara [Broccoli] had called me a couple of times to ask if I was interested, and I said, 'Yes, I would be interested'. Neeson said talking with Variety. "And then my lovely wife [Natasha Richardson], God rest her soul, said to me while we were shooting Nell down in the Carolinas, 'Liam, I want to tell you something: If you play James Bond, we're not getting married."
Neeson never went to a real meeting with Broccoli because his love for Richardson was greater than his desire in portraying James Bond. Neeson did mock Richardson by "going behind her back, making my fingers as though I’m holding a gun, and [humming the James Bond theme],” he said. “I loved doing that shit!”
“She gave me a James Bond ultimatum,” Neeson added. “And she meant it! Come on, there’s all those gorgeous girls in various countries getting into bed and getting out of bed. I’m sure a lot of her decision-making was based on that!”
Neeson's legacy in the film franchise 'Taken'
Although Neeson didn't play the renowned British super-spy, he did have an action-packed part in the franchise-starting film 'Taken'. Produced by Luc Besson and American screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen, the 'Taken' series (English) debuted in 2008. All three movies include mainly English-language dialogue as Liam Neeson played Bryan Mills in all three of them. Critics gave the first movie mixed reviews, but audiences responded favorably. Due to the series' commercial success, it brought in a total of $929,451,015 around the world.
The official synopsis of the movie reads "A retired CIA agent travels across Europe and relies on his old skills to save his estranged daughter, who has been kidnapped while on a trip to Paris."
In another part of the Rolling Stone interview, Neeson recalled the passing of his late wife and stated that he did not "know how to answer" a question about how he managed to carry on following Richardson's passing.
"Life continues. Vanessa Redgrave, Natasha's mother, and Joely Richardson, her sister, kind of moved in, and I had a wonderful assistant, Joanna", he told the publication. "People just came to help, you know? In a big way. And I'll never, ever forget that."
Neeson’s most recent release, 'Marlowe', is now playing in theaters.