Schindler’s List, my most memorable film: Liam Neeson

Wrath Of The Titans actor Liam Neeson talks about his fascination with Greek mythology, compares it to Westerns.

Liam Neeson is best remembered as Qui-Gon Jinn by Star Wars fans. For most others, he’ll always be Oskar Schindler. The Hollywood actor has been associated with some of the iconic films in the past— be it George Lucas’s Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace (1999) or Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List (1993). “I love being part of epic movies. Everything about them is magnificent,” says Neeson, who’s latest, Wrath of The Titans, hit theatres last week.

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Unlike many others in the film industry, the actor has no trouble picking his best work till date. When asked about his most memorable movie, he admits, “If I have to pick one, it has to be Schindler’s List.”

In 1994, the film received seven Oscar awards, including a nomination for Best Actor. Recalling how he was offered the film, Neeson says, “Steven is a dear friend. He called me and said his next project was on the World War II. He said, ‘I am sending you the script, so read it and call me’. I read it, called him and the next was history.”

Jonathan Liebesman’s Wrath Of The Titans, which is a sequel to the 2010 fantasy Clash Of The Titans, sees Neeson reprise his role as the Olympian god, Zeus. Incidentally, the film also sees him share screen space with his Schindler’s List co-star Ralph Fiennes, after years.

“A lot of people tell us that we look so much alike and I think we were the perfect fit to play Zeus and Hades (played by Fiennes),” he jokes, before adding that back in the day, he read a lot of Greek mythology to prepare for his part in The Phantom Menace, which came handy for this film as well. “It always fascinated me. I started reading that in my twenties in Ireland. For me, Westerns are like Greek mythologies, it’s all the same story,” he says.