March 28, 2024 • 8 mins
Liam Neeson talks new films and much more!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I am on him with Mario Lopez.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
What's up? You're al Mario Lopez joining me now on
zoom oscar nominated actor mister Liam Niese and welcome to
the show.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
How are you, Liam, I'm good, my friend, How are you?
Speaker 3 (00:11):
I'm well?
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Thank you and thank you for taking the time to talk.
Congratulations on the new movie. In the Land of Saints
and Sinners. Great title, a period piece from the seventies Ireland.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Huh set in the seventies. Yeah, we didn't make it
in the seventies.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Set in the seventies. Yes, what's the premise?
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Okay, you know what. I'm just going to read this
toy that's better than me him and not knowing fair enough. Okay,
I'll do it with some John Ireland, nineteen seventies. Eager
to leave his dark past behind, fin Bar Murphy leads
a quiet life in the remote coastal turn of blam
Cullum Kill that's up in Donegall in the northwest of Ireland,
(00:56):
far from the political violence that grips the rest of
the country. But when a menacing crew of terrorists arrive,
led by a ruthless woman who led by Carrie Conton,
Finn Bar is drawn into an increasingly vicious game of
cat and mice, forcing him to choose between exposing his
secret identity or defending his friends and neighbors.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
That is a good tease, right there.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
I want to watch this movie and I hear it
has a bit of a Western feel to it.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Yes, yes it does. It has a Western vibe to it,
Yes it does.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
I love that. I love that genre. There, you carry
a shotgun, I heard throughout the film.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
I carry I carry a shotgun.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Yeah, you get shot in real life?
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Liam, Have I shot in real life at targets? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Well yeah, it's really.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
The occasional rabbit raccoon upstate New York. I have to admit,
when the kids were small, I had occasion to shoot
some rabbit raccoons, right. I did not enjoy doing, but
it had to be done. You know, it has to
be done.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
You know it's good eating too, By the way, I've eaten.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Please, were you eating that raccoon?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Rabbit? I should say raccoon. I haven't tried, but I
don't want to knock it because it might be good.
I don't know. But rabbit I have, and rabbit's delicious.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Rabbit is delicious. I would agree with you there. Yeah,
fair enough.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Congratulations on that film.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
And later on this year you start shooting a new
Naked Gun movie, which I'm very excited about because I
was a fan of the originals.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Is this just a straight up comedy, A straight.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Up comedy, Yes, we started I think in May. Yes,
part of under rebooting than I could. Gun Franchise have
offered the part to me, the wonderful Leslie Nielsen played
in the eighties. So why do you give it a show?
I bit nervous. I must have meant because I've done
(02:51):
a couple of funny sketches in the past on TV.
But carry a film for ninety five hundred minutes I've
never done before with a comedy genre. So they're assembling
really good actors and actresses. Do you have funny chops?
And there'd be lots of visual gags happening behind the characters' backs.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Yeah, I can totally see this.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
I think it's great casting you with your voice and
your straight, deadpan delivery and all the hyjenks happening. I
think it's gonna be very funny. It's the twenty fifth
anniversary of Star Wars Episode one. Well, what do you
remember about about that time, and everybody.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Keeps telling me, just thirty years of Shimers, let us
go thirty years of Now now you're telling me twenty
five years of the Found the Menace. Oh my gosh,
you're making me feel really old.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
I remember waiting in line to see that during that time.
Were you reluctant at all? Were you a Star Wars fan?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
We were just I'm jumping right in.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
No, I do remember. I was in the theater in
Belfast nineteen seventy six when the first one came out
with Harrison and all those lovely actors on the cinema
in the Armor Road in Belfast. You could hear armored cars,
Saracens going up and down the road. But the cinema
(04:11):
was packed to see this rather strange Star Wars episode four. Rights.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Yes, I know.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
The cinema was packed with old ages, kids, women, old
age pensioners. It was packed and everybody enjoyed it. I'll
never forget it. It was really something else.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
I bet, I bet well, Yeah, changed cinema forever. And
is this true? Liam?
Speaker 2 (04:38):
You turned down rolls of James Bond and Lincoln back
in the day.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
No, I did not turn down James Bond. They uh,
they were interested in made for a while, but they
were interested in every British actor at the time. I
was not offered it and I didn't turn it down.
Lincoln I was tied to at one stage, oh many
(05:03):
many years ago. And then then uh, Stephen brot on
Tony Kushner, the brilliant writer, and he took the script
in another direction and it was it was and look
he cast it right down day. Lewis was genius casting
(05:24):
and he was brilliant and it was a terrific movie.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
So yeah, I was like hearing those those sorts of stories.
And we talked briefly before we started to get on
air about you being a boxer growing up, which I
love and I often think there's a lot of parallels
as far as with the arts as well. You're you're
you're alone, vulnerable, having to figure out stuff by herself,
and uh, would you attribute are you still a fan
(05:48):
of the sport?
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Would you attribute to a lot of that? Is that?
Speaker 2 (05:51):
What were you fighting and then you fell into acting
or did you always want to get into the arts?
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Well, just that that's a very good description of a
box and the arts and acting plus the fact you're
doing it in short pence.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Yeah, practically naked.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Which I which I hate it. Yeah. I never never
liked my legs as a kid, and I was always
conscious of showing my legs as I was boxing. So
I have taken mat on board as well as trying
to figure out an opponent's next moves. But yeah, I
did it as not majority started when it was nine.
I think I had my last fight when I was seventeen.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
That's a good run.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
It was a good run and I loved it. I
still do. I try and follow it. I love watching
a good fight. My gosh, I'm trying to think the
last time I enjoyed a really good boxing match.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
Some good fighters come out of Ireland, tough.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
There's a couple, Yeah, there's a couple.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Then of course in MMA, we've got Connor McGregor that's
going to make his acting debut and Roadhouse.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Oh really yeah, I heard he's I heard he's really
good at it too.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Yeah if he shows up on time. He's not a
very good time keeper.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Yes, apparently good.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
That would be great.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
No, that's very cool, very cool.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
So wait, so then you got into acting just later
on by Designer by accident.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
School plays. Got in a wonderful English teacher, Jerry mckown
who recently passed away, and he started a little amateur
dramatic company in my home time. So I joined that
and we did more plays, and one thing I do another. Yeah,
one thing led to another. I went to a teacher
(07:38):
training school in the north of England, just spend most
of my time in the drama studio. Yeah. Eventually I
got paid for it and ended up at the Lyric Theater,
wonderful theater in Belfast. And then here we are now, Yeah,
here we are now.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
I love it well.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
I've always been a big fan and I appreciate you
taking the time. In the Land of Saints and Sinners
is hitting theaters on Friday.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Be sure to check it out.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Liam, thanks so much for hanging out, taking the time.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
So I appreciate it. Nice seeing you.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
Bye with Mario Lopez
I am on him with Mario Lopez.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
What's up? You're al Mario Lopez joining me now on
zoom oscar nominated actor mister Liam Niese and welcome to
the show.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
How are you, Liam, I'm good, my friend, How are you?
Speaker 3 (00:11):
I'm well?
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Thank you and thank you for taking the time to talk.
Congratulations on the new movie. In the Land of Saints
and Sinners. Great title, a period piece from the seventies Ireland.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Huh set in the seventies. Yeah, we didn't make it
in the seventies.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Set in the seventies. Yes, what's the premise?
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Okay, you know what. I'm just going to read this
toy that's better than me him and not knowing fair enough. Okay,
I'll do it with some John Ireland, nineteen seventies. Eager
to leave his dark past behind, fin Bar Murphy leads
a quiet life in the remote coastal turn of blam
Cullum Kill that's up in Donegall in the northwest of Ireland,
(00:56):
far from the political violence that grips the rest of
the country. But when a menacing crew of terrorists arrive,
led by a ruthless woman who led by Carrie Conton,
Finn Bar is drawn into an increasingly vicious game of
cat and mice, forcing him to choose between exposing his
secret identity or defending his friends and neighbors.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
That is a good tease, right there.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
I want to watch this movie and I hear it
has a bit of a Western feel to it.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Yes, yes it does. It has a Western vibe to it,
Yes it does.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
I love that. I love that genre. There, you carry
a shotgun, I heard throughout the film.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
I carry I carry a shotgun.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Yeah, you get shot in real life?
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Liam, Have I shot in real life at targets? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Well yeah, it's really.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
The occasional rabbit raccoon upstate New York. I have to admit,
when the kids were small, I had occasion to shoot
some rabbit raccoons, right. I did not enjoy doing, but
it had to be done. You know, it has to
be done.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
You know it's good eating too, By the way, I've eaten.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Please, were you eating that raccoon?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Rabbit? I should say raccoon. I haven't tried, but I
don't want to knock it because it might be good.
I don't know. But rabbit I have, and rabbit's delicious.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Rabbit is delicious. I would agree with you there. Yeah,
fair enough.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Congratulations on that film.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
And later on this year you start shooting a new
Naked Gun movie, which I'm very excited about because I
was a fan of the originals.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Is this just a straight up comedy, A straight.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Up comedy, Yes, we started I think in May. Yes,
part of under rebooting than I could. Gun Franchise have
offered the part to me, the wonderful Leslie Nielsen played
in the eighties. So why do you give it a show?
I bit nervous. I must have meant because I've done
(02:51):
a couple of funny sketches in the past on TV.
But carry a film for ninety five hundred minutes I've
never done before with a comedy genre. So they're assembling
really good actors and actresses. Do you have funny chops?
And there'd be lots of visual gags happening behind the characters' backs.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Yeah, I can totally see this.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
I think it's great casting you with your voice and
your straight, deadpan delivery and all the hyjenks happening. I
think it's gonna be very funny. It's the twenty fifth
anniversary of Star Wars Episode one. Well, what do you
remember about about that time, and everybody.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Keeps telling me, just thirty years of Shimers, let us
go thirty years of Now now you're telling me twenty
five years of the Found the Menace. Oh my gosh,
you're making me feel really old.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
I remember waiting in line to see that during that time.
Were you reluctant at all? Were you a Star Wars fan?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
We were just I'm jumping right in.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
No, I do remember. I was in the theater in
Belfast nineteen seventy six when the first one came out
with Harrison and all those lovely actors on the cinema
in the Armor Road in Belfast. You could hear armored cars,
Saracens going up and down the road. But the cinema
(04:11):
was packed to see this rather strange Star Wars episode four. Rights.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Yes, I know.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
The cinema was packed with old ages, kids, women, old
age pensioners. It was packed and everybody enjoyed it. I'll
never forget it. It was really something else.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
I bet, I bet well, Yeah, changed cinema forever. And
is this true? Liam?
Speaker 2 (04:38):
You turned down rolls of James Bond and Lincoln back
in the day.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
No, I did not turn down James Bond. They uh,
they were interested in made for a while, but they
were interested in every British actor at the time. I
was not offered it and I didn't turn it down.
Lincoln I was tied to at one stage, oh many
(05:03):
many years ago. And then then uh, Stephen brot on
Tony Kushner, the brilliant writer, and he took the script
in another direction and it was it was and look
he cast it right down day. Lewis was genius casting
(05:24):
and he was brilliant and it was a terrific movie.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
So yeah, I was like hearing those those sorts of stories.
And we talked briefly before we started to get on
air about you being a boxer growing up, which I
love and I often think there's a lot of parallels
as far as with the arts as well. You're you're
you're alone, vulnerable, having to figure out stuff by herself,
and uh, would you attribute are you still a fan
(05:48):
of the sport?
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Would you attribute to a lot of that? Is that?
Speaker 2 (05:51):
What were you fighting and then you fell into acting
or did you always want to get into the arts?
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Well, just that that's a very good description of a
box and the arts and acting plus the fact you're
doing it in short pence.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Yeah, practically naked.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Which I which I hate it. Yeah. I never never
liked my legs as a kid, and I was always
conscious of showing my legs as I was boxing. So
I have taken mat on board as well as trying
to figure out an opponent's next moves. But yeah, I
did it as not majority started when it was nine.
I think I had my last fight when I was seventeen.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
That's a good run.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
It was a good run and I loved it. I
still do. I try and follow it. I love watching
a good fight. My gosh, I'm trying to think the
last time I enjoyed a really good boxing match.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
Some good fighters come out of Ireland, tough.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
There's a couple, Yeah, there's a couple.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Then of course in MMA, we've got Connor McGregor that's
going to make his acting debut and Roadhouse.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Oh really yeah, I heard he's I heard he's really
good at it too.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Yeah if he shows up on time. He's not a
very good time keeper.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Yes, apparently good.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
That would be great.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
No, that's very cool, very cool.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
So wait, so then you got into acting just later
on by Designer by accident.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
School plays. Got in a wonderful English teacher, Jerry mckown
who recently passed away, and he started a little amateur
dramatic company in my home time. So I joined that
and we did more plays, and one thing I do another. Yeah,
one thing led to another. I went to a teacher
(07:38):
training school in the north of England, just spend most
of my time in the drama studio. Yeah. Eventually I
got paid for it and ended up at the Lyric Theater,
wonderful theater in Belfast. And then here we are now, Yeah,
here we are now.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
I love it well.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
I've always been a big fan and I appreciate you
taking the time. In the Land of Saints and Sinners
is hitting theaters on Friday.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Be sure to check it out.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Liam, thanks so much for hanging out, taking the time.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
So I appreciate it. Nice seeing you.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
Bye with Mario Lopez
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
The Nikki Glaser Podcast
Every week comedian and infamous roaster Nikki Glaser provides a fun, fast-paced, and brutally honest look into current pop-culture and her own personal life.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.