Liam Neeson Considering 'Maybe' Walking Away From Action Genre by End of Next Year: 'You Can’t Fool Audiences'

Liam Neeson is entertaining the thought of “maybe” walking away from the action genre, citing his age.

In a recent People cover story, the Oscar-nominated actor, who turned 72 years young in June and will soon be seen in Hans Petter Moland’s Absolution alongside Ron Perlman and Yolonda Ross, pointed to moviegoers’ discernment as a contributing factor behind his recent pondering on the thought of stepping away from action films. While nothing is set in stone, Neeson put forth late 2025 as a possible window for his final action bow.

“I’m 72 — it has to stop at some stage,” Neeson told the publication. “You can’t fool audiences. I don’t want Mark to be fighting my fight scenes for me.”

As noted here, Neeson has long worked with stuntman Mark Vanselow though he himself takes part in key fight scenes. As for that maybe-or-maybe-not action sendoff, Neeson said only that he was looking at the possibility of the end of 2025.

“I think that’s it,” he said.

Taken, released in 2008 to the tune of $226 million at the global box office, gave Neeson an opportunity to morph into a bonafide action superstar. The transformation was a fruitful one, with Taken getting the franchise treatment, most recently with a short-lived (and Neesonless) TV adaptation for NBC. To that end, perhaps Neeson is plotting more of a Jay-Z or Tom Brady type of retirement from action films, with all of this eventually building toward further expansion of the Taken cinematic universe.

Action can work at any age. Perhaps the best recent example of this is Thelma, starring 94-year-old June Squibb. As we told you back in January after the Josh Margolin-directed film had its Sundance premiere, it’s one of this year’s must-see experiences.