William John "Liam" Neeson OBE (born 7 June 1952) is an Academy Award nominated Irish actor. He is well-known for roles as Oskar Schindler in the 1993 film Schindler's List and Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. He also acted in Kingdom of Heaven, Batman Begins, Rob Roy, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Taken. He continues to play characters based on real people, including Michael Collins, and Alfred Kinsey, and is also set to play President Abraham Lincoln in a biographical film directed by Steven Spielberg.

Life

Early life

Neeson was born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, the son of Katherine "Kitty" (née Brown), a cook, and Barnard Neeson, a caretaker at the local Catholic boy's primary school. He was called Liam, the Irish equivalent to William, after the local priest. He was the third child in the family and the only boy among four siblings; his sisters are Elizabeth, Bernadette and Rosaline. At age nine, Neeson began boxing lessons at the All Saints Youth Club. It was at age eleven that Neeson first stepped on stage. His English teacher gave him the lead role in a school play, which he accepted because the girl he fancied would be starring. From then on, he kept acting in school productions for the following years. His interest in acting and decision to become an actor was also influenced by Ian Paisley whose church Neeson would sneak into. Neeson has said of Paisley that "He had a magnificent presence and it was incredible to watch this six foot-plus man just bible-thumping away...It was acting but it was also great acting and stirring too. And his Baptisms skills are second to none."

Still boxing at sixteen, he had been Youth Heavyweight Champion of Ireland for three consecutive years, aided by his height.