NEW YORK – For all of the "tough guy" roles he plays, Liam Neeson isn't afraid to get vulnerable.
The Irish actor, 74, is back in another action thriller called "The Mongoose" (in theaters Oct. 30). It's a genre that he's become synonymous with since the "Taken" trilogy, which began with the 2008 film. But in conversation with USA TODAY, Neeson says he's able to connect with these characters by believing in their "heart and soul" and bringing a part of himself to the role.
"Some characters hit home more than others," the actor says. "I'm 74. I've lived a life and various experiences, so hopefully you bring that to the part that you're creating.
"It's important for any actor to unzip a part of yourself," he says. "Don't be afraid to unzip something.
Show something of yourself that you might feel vulnerable about or self-conscious about."
This is advice that Neeson gives to those who want to break into the business, including his 31-year-old son Micheál, one of two children he shares with his late wife Natasha Richardson, who died in 2009. Micheál, who worked alongside his father in 2019's "Cold Pursuit" and 2020's "Made in Italy," adopted his mother's surname in 2018 to honor her. The couple also share a 30-year-old son, Daniel.
Acting is "all about rejection," says Neeson, throwing out the critiques that one might hear from a casting director: "You're too short. You're too Irish, you're too tall. Your nose isn't the right shape."
Neeson speaks of his children's roots in showbiz proudly, but not because of his nearly 50-year career on screen. Neeson's mother-in-law is the Oscar-winning actress Dame Vanessa Redgrave, whose parents were also actors.
"Her mom (Rachel Kempson) and dad (Sir Michael Redgrave) were doing shows in the West End of London during the Blitz," Neeson says, referencing the Nazi bombing of London during World War II, which included two months of nightly attacks. If the bombs "got too close, the building started to shake. Vanessa's father would go down to the footlights of the stage. There'd be a piano and they would play sing-alongs with the audience.
"My son's from that lineage," he adds. "It's in his blood. And he's good, I'm afraid to say."
Liam Neeson tangles with car chases, technology in 'The Mongoose'
In "The Mongoose," Neeson plays a decorated military veteran named Ryan "Fang" Flanagan. Fang is estranged from his ex-wife Tara (Marisa Tomei) when she calls for help: She's in the hospital after a domestic dispute with her fiancé Todd (Brett Tucker).
When Fang goes to grab Tara's belongings from the home she shares with Todd, the fiancé confronts Fang with a gun. The ensuing struggle sends Fang fleeing from police across multiple states, becoming a national media sensation as fellow veterans help him evade capture and the public cheers him on. He navigates his getaway by stealing one of Todd's cars that's equipped with a virtual assistant named Helene (think Apple's Siri or Amazon's Alexa). Hearing Neeson's character interact with the voice (played by Stella Stocker) leads to some of the more lighthearted moments of the film.
In real life, Neeson does not use a virtual assistant (he claims to not know what one is). The actor does have a human assistant, Christine Torto, who actually stood in and read Stocker's lines during production.
"I'm computer illiterate and certainly iPhone illiterate," he adds.
Does he have a smartphone? Neeson says that if an "iPhone 9 or 10" counts, then yes.
"The Mongoose" marks the directorial debut of Mark Vanselow. He's no stranger to Neeson: Vanselow has worked with the Irish actor as a stunt double and stunt coordinator since 1998.
Nearly two decades after "Taken," Neeson considers himself "lucky" he continues to receive calls to play the lead in action films.
"They still stand me," he says of Hollywood, noting that his agent sends him scripts where the lead character might be in his late 40s or early 50s. Neeson says that he's not receiving "three scripts a week," but it looks as if he'll be taking on new roles into 2027 and he's open to almost every genre.
"I'm not into the horror genre," he reveals. "But if something in the writing touches me, then I'll explore it."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Liam Neeson shares the acting advice he gives his son Micheál
