Hollywood star Liam Neeson has revealed he once had the chance to play iconic British spy James Bond, but decided to pass on the role after advice from his wife.
Neeson was one of the candidates to take over the role of the suave British agent in the mid-1990s, when fellow Irishman Pierce Brosnan eventually landed the part.
He revealed: “I was being considered. I’m sure they were considering a bunch of other guys, too.”
However, Neeson’s girlfriend at the time, Natasha Richardson, urged him not to take on the role.
Neeson said: “It’s understandable. She was like, ‘You’re going to ruin your career’.”
He went on to explain that Richardson even threatened not to marry him if he went ahead and took the role of 007.
Neeson has played numerous iconic figures in his career such as Zeus, Michael Collins and Oskar Schindler.
He remains philosophical about his decision, saying: “It’s no big deal. It’s nice to be inquired after.”
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