We are used to seeing Liam Neeson as one of the heavyweights of Hollywood but the Irish star admits he once took his weight loss “too far”.
Neeson shed a whopping 10kg for his part in the 2016 Martin Scorsese drama Silence. That is one and half stone if you prefer.
The veteran actor needed to appear extremely thin and malnourished to play the role of a starving Catholic priest taken captive in Japan almost four centuries ago.
There was concern for the star’s health when he was spotted in New York looking gaunt and frail before he revealed it was all for the role in the period film.
However, Neeson said: “Yes, I lost a lot of weight (over 20lbs) for a Martin Scorsese film called Silence. And I liked the feeling.”
The weight loss was not over for Neeson as in his next role as the title character in the upcoming Watergate drama Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down The White House.
“I kind of took it too far in this (Mark Felt role), to be honest,” he admitted.
Despite his numerous action movies, Neeson admitted he has never actually been in a fight in his life. He also added that he doesn’t expect too many more hardman roles as he is getting too old to play the hero.
“I’ve never been in a real altercation. I’m just being very honest, but I’ve never got into a fight, ever,” he said.
“But if I were to, according to the SAS guys I’ve trained with, they all say that no matter how skilled you are physically, at the first sign of a fight in a bar or restaurant, you check where the exit is and leave immediately.
“You don’t try to prove yourself, you just get out. Maybe I have another year to play those action roles, but that’d be it.
“Otherwise, I’m sure audiences will go, ‘Oh come on! You’re beating up five guys and you’re 65! Get over it!’”
He laughed: “Audiences aren’t stupid.”
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Liam Neeson admits he went "too far" in weight loss for movie role
