Biography:

Liam John Neeson, OBE (born 7 June 1952) is an Irish actor who rose to prominence with his acclaimed starring role in Steven Spielberg's 1993 Oscar winner Schindler's List. Neeson has since starred in a number of acclaimed films and a number of box office hits. Some of Neeson's best known films include Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Batman Begins, Michael Collins, Taken, Darkman, Rob Roy, Schindler's List, Kinsey, The Grey, Clash of the Titans, Kingdom of Heaven, and The Chronicles of Narnia series. Neeson has been nominated for a number of awards including an Academy Award for Best Actor, a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and three Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama.

Neeson was born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, the son of Katherine "Kitty" Neeson (née Brown), a cook, and Bernard "Barney" Neeson, a caretaker at the Ballymena Boys All Saints Primary School. He was raised Roman Catholic and was named Liam after the local priest. The third of four siblings, he has three sisters: Elizabeth, Bernadette, and Rosaline. At age nine, Neeson began boxing lessons at the All Saints Youth Club and later became Ulster's amateur senior boxing champion. Neeson first stepped on stage at age 11 after his English teacher offered him the lead role in a school play, which he accepted because the girl he was attracted to was starring in it. 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 minister Ian Paisley, whose Presbyterian church Neeson would sneak into. Neeson has said of Paisley: "He had a magnificent presence and it was incredible to watch him just Bible-thumping away... it was acting, but it was also great acting and stirring too." In 1971, Neeson was enrolled as a physics and computer science student at Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, before leaving to work for the Guinness Brewery. Also at Queens, he discovered a talent for football and was spotted by Seán Thomas at Bohemian F.C. There was a club trial in Dublin and Neeson played one game as a substitute against Shamrock Rovers, but he was not offered a contract.

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