Liam Neeson Reveals the One Thing That Makes Him Refuse to Work with Some Actors
Liam Neeson is currently promoting his new movie, The Naked Gun, and recently talked with The Rolling Stone about his long career and the film. When asked about the best advice he ever received, Neeson shared, “Stay poised, an old professional actor told me once, right.” He also reflected on the ups and downs of acting, saying he wishes someone had told him “the highs would’ve been great, and the lows would have been very low.”
Talking about success, Neeson remembered a saying: “It’s terrible when people are talking about you, and it’s even worse when they’re not talking about you.” He also named one of his acting heroes from the past, Spencer Tracy, who he admired for being genuine on screen. “He was always so real. Without putting on false noses and strange accents and all this sort of shit — he was just always present and real,” Neeson said.
When asked about the famous line from Taken, “What I do have are a very particular set of skills,” Neeson explained that acting is a constant learning process. “Certainly with acting, you’re always questing. You know what I mean? I never feel I’ve done it. There’s always stuff to learn, with different actors and actresses you’re working with, as well as different directors,” he said.
He emphasized the importance of professionalism on set, adding, “I just try to be real. And show up on time. That’s very important. I hear disturbing stories about actors and actresses who are very gifted, but show up on the set two, three, four hours late. I would never work with those people. I think it’s so insulting.”
The Naked Gun is a 2025 action crime comedy directed by Akiva Schaffer and written by Schaffer along with Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. This is the fourth film in the Naked Gun series, starring Liam Neeson as the lead. The story follows the son of Lt. Frank Drebin, who tries to live up to his father’s legacy while saving the Police Squad from being shut down. The cast also includes Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Kevin Durand, and Danny Huston.
Justice has a new Daddy. Watch the new trailer for #NakedGun, only in theatres August 1st. pic.twitter.com/gA1dla6buZ
— Naked Gun Movie (@NakedGunMovie) June 16, 2025
The new film had a long development, first announced in 2009 as a direct-to-TV sequel with Leslie Nielsen. Later, it was planned as a reboot starring Ed Helms in 2013 but didn’t move forward. In January 2021, Seth MacFarlane was brought on to develop the project and wanted Neeson for the lead. Though MacFarlane was first set to direct, Akiva Schaffer replaced him when the film was approved in October 2022. Filming started in Atlanta in May 2024 and finished by June.
The Naked Gun premiered in Manhattan on July 28, 2025, and was released in the US and UK on August 1. It received positive reviews and has earned $28.3 million worldwide, against a $42 million budget, according to reports.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!
