Liam Neeson may retire from action movies soon because "you can't fool audiences": "I'm 72 – it has to stop at some stage"

Liam Neeson in Taken — (Image credit: 20th Century Fox)

Taken star Liam Neeson is considering retiring from action movies, and already he has an end date in mind.

"I’m 72 – it has to stop at some stage," Neeson, who has had a latter-day career renaissance as the star of several run-and-gun actioners, told People. "You can’t fool audiences. I don’t want [stunt coordinator and double] Mark [Vanselow] to be fighting my fight scenes for me."

While Neeson is currently non-committal on exactly when he'll step away from the rough-and-tumble work of Hollywood action movies, it appears he has a goodbye window he's ready to crash through.

"Maybe the end of next year. I think that's it," Neeson said of his future plans.

Ever since 2008's Taken, Neeson – best known for his roles as Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and as Oskar Schindler in 1993's Schindler's List – has showcased his 'particular set of skills' to willing audiences.

In the past 15 years, he has appeared in several mid-budget action films, including Taken 2 and Taken 3, 2015's Run All Night and – a personal bonkers favorite – 2021's The Ice Road, which saw Neeson's Mike McCann navigate the treacherous, icy roads of Winnipeg to help rescue miners.

Neeson is next set to star in The Naked Gun, a reboot of the ‘80s spoof police procedural, starring Leslie Nielsen as hapless detective Frank Drebin. He will appear alongside Pamela Anderson in the upcoming film, which is set to release on July 18, 2025. The Naked Gun will be directed by Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping's Akiva Schaffer.

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.