For every major film, nowadays, the studio sets up a cattle call of interviews called a press junket. Normally, this is where the stars of the film sit across from a journalist, who proceeds to ask the celebrities the same 5 questions that every other writer has previously asked. Lately, to spice things up, you have some journalists that want to play games with the actors and filmmakers, as a way to differentiate themselves. But rarely do you get a story from a star so candid (and disturbing) as what Liam Neeson said during a recent junket interview.
Speaking to the Independent, Neeson was asked one of those basic questions that would usually elicit some sort of stock answer. He was asked, in honor of his latest revenge-filled action film “Cold Pursuit,” what would it take for a normal man to get so angry that he would want to kill? Well, boy oh boy, did Neeson have an answer.
READ MORE: ‘Cold Pursuit’ Is ‘Taken’ In The Winter, But With A Meaner Streak Of Laughs [Review]
The actor goes on to describe a time in his life (he wasn’t clear on the years or the people involved) where a woman close to him was raped, and how it drove him to some extreme measures.
“There’s something primal – God forbid you’ve ever had a member of your family hurt under criminal conditions,” he says. “I’ll tell you a story. This is true.”
He continues, “She handled the situation of the rape in the most extraordinary way. But my immediate reaction was…[Pause]. I asked, did she know who it was? No. What color were they? She said it was a black person.”
Neeson then goes on to give an answer that no one saw coming.
“I went up and down areas with a cosh, hoping I’d be approached by somebody – 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 [Pause] kill him,” revealed Neeson.
The actor continues, “It took me a week, maybe a week and a half, to go through that. She would say, ‘Where are you going?’ and I would say, ‘I’m just going out for a walk.’ You know? ‘What’s wrong?’ ‘No no, nothing’s wrong.’”
“It was horrible, horrible, when I think back, that I did that. And I’ve never admitted that, and I’m saying it to a journalist. God forbid,” he concluded.
This is when Neeson’s co-star (and junket compadre) Tom Bateman said what everyone is thinking, “Holy shit.”
Holy shit, indeed.
