Liam Neeson Says He Once Sought Revenge on a ‘Black Bastard’ After a Family Member’s Rape

“It was horrible, horrible, when I think back, that I did that,” actor says in bizarre interview with the U.K.’s Independent

| February 4, 2019 @ 10:23 AM

Getty Images

In a bizarre new interview with London’s The Independent, Liam Neeson said that as a young man he sought revenge on a “black bastard” by prowling the streets with a bludgeon after learning that a woman close to him had been raped.

“I went up and down areas with a cosh [bludgeon], hoping I’d be approached by somebody,” he told the paper during a junket interview to promote his new movie, “Cold Pursuit.” “I’m ashamed to say that, and I did it for maybe a week — hoping some [Neeson gestures air quotes with his fingers] ‘black bastard’ would come out of a pub and have a go at me about something, you know? So that I could kill him.”

The actor, a native of Northern Ireland, said he acted after learning that an unnamed woman he suggested was a member of his family had been raped and that she had identified her attacker as black. He said that he never did attack anyone and gave up the pursuit after about a week.

Also Read: Liam Neeson's Son Changes Last Name to Honor Late Mom Natasha Richardson

The Independent released audio and a transcript of Neeson’s interview and “Cold Pursuit” co-star Tom Bateman can be heard in the audio reacting simply, “Holy s—.”

Neeson continued by expressing remorse for his thoughts and actions, recalling that other men he knew from Northern Ireland had sought revenge of their own and died in hunger strikes during the region’s long conflicts between Protestants and Catholics.

“It’s awful, but I did learn a lesson from it. When I eventually thought, ‘what the f— are you doing?,'” Neeson said. “I understand that need for revenge. But it just leads to more revenge and more killing, and more killing.”

Also Read: 'Cold Pursuit' Film Review: Liam Neeson Plows Through an Action-Comedy With 'Fargo' on Its Mind

“There’s something primal – God forbid you’ve ever had a member of your family hurt under criminal conditions,” he said.

Neeson also said that filmgoers seem drawn to onscreen acts of violence and revenge. “They can kind of live vicariously through it,” he said.

“People say, ‘Yeah but violence in films makes people want to go out and kill people.’ I don’t believe that at all,” he added. “I think the average moviegoer thinks, ‘Yeah, punch him. Punch him.’ And they get a satisfaction out of seeing somebody else enact it, and they leave the theater and they feel satiated in some way.”

Representatives for Neeson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

81 Sundance Portraits From A to Z: Awkwafina to Zach Galifianakis (Exclusive Photos)

  • sundance
  • Awkwafina, The Farewell
  • Demi Moore, Corporate Animals
  • Ed Helms, Corporate Animals
  • Hillary Swank, I am Mother
  • Clara Rugaard-Larsen, I am Mother
  • Grant Sputore, I am Mother
  • Sacha and Rza, Of Mice and Men
  • Peter Sarsgaard, The Sound of Silence
  • Toni Revolori, The Sound of Silence
  • Reggie Watts
  • Zack Galifinakis,The Sunlit Night
  • Jenny Slate, The Sunlit Night
  • Storm Reid, Relive
  • David Oyelowo, Relive
  • Jacob Estes, Relive
  • John Lithgow, The Tomorrow Man
  • Blythe Danner, The Tomorrow Man
  • Director Noble Jones, The Tomorrow Man
  • Annette Bening, The Report
  • John Hamm, The Report
  • Maura Tierney, The Report
  • Scott Z. Burns, The Report
  • Danielle Brooks and Director Chinonye Chukwu, Clemency
  • Alfre Woodard, Clemency
  • Luce
  • Jennifer Ehle, The Wolf Hour
  • Cameron Crowe, Remember My Name
  • David Crosby, Remember My Name
  • AJ Eaton, Remember My Name
  • Ryan White, Dr. Ruth
  • Troup Zero
  • Alma Ha'rel, Honey Boy
  • Byron Byers, Honey Boy
  • Noah Jupe, Honey Boy
  • Clifton Collins, Honey Boy
  • Extremely Wicked Shockingly Evil and Vile
  • Matt Tyrnauer, Where's My Roy Cohn?
  • Richie Mehta, Delhi Crime Story
  • Aisling Franciosi, The Nightingale
  • Gina Torres, Selah and the Spades
  • Lovie Simone and Celeste O'Connor, Selah and the Spades
  • Jharrel Jerome, Selah and the Spades
  • Wendy McLendon-Covey, Imaginary Order
  • Max Burkholder, Imaginary Order
  • Debra Eisenstadt, Imaginary Order
  • Garret Price, Love Antosha
  • Jim Cummings, Greener Grass
  • Paradise Hills
  • Jim Gaffigan, Light from Light
  • Marin Ireland, Light from Light
  • Josh Wiggins, Light from Light
  • Penny Lane, Hail Satan
  • Alex Holmes and Tracy Edwards, Maiden
  • Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer, The Great Hack
  • Chris O'Dowd, State of the Union
  • Florence Pugh, Fighting with my Family
  • Lena Heady, Fighting with my Family
  • Jack Lowden, Fighting with my Family
  • Saraya-Jade Bevis, Fighting with my Family
  • Nick Frost, Fighting with my Family
  • Stephen Merchant, Fighting with my Family
  • Rachel Lear, Knock the House Down
  • Alia Shawkat, Animals
  • Holliday Grainger, Animals
  • Director Sophie Hyde, Animals
  • Stanley Nelson, Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
  • Director Raed Alsemari, Dunya's Day
  • Rahaf, Dunya's Day
  • Sara Balghonaim, Dunya's Day
  • Sam Richardson, Bootstrapped
  • Now Apocalypse cast
  • Apocolypse Now Cast
  • Bobbi Salvor Menuez, Adam
  • Rhys Ernst, Adam
  • Nicholas Alexander, Adam
  • Riley Keough, The Lodge
  • Lia McHugh, The Lodge
  • Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz, The Lodge
  • Akili McDowell, David Makes Man
  • Tarell Alvin McCraney, David Makes Man
1 of 81

Sundance 2019: See all the stars come out to TheWrap’s portrait studio at Ryot/Vice Studios, in partnership with Art Bronze Film Productions

View In Gallery

Related Content