OUR FIRST GUEST IS A MAN WITH A VERY PARTICULAR SET OF SKILLS.
YOU KNOW HIM FROM "LOVE ACTUALLY," "TAKEN" AND SO MUCH
MORE.
PLEASE WELCOME, WHAT A JOY AND HONOR TO WELCOME THE ONE, THE
ONLY LIAM NEESON TO THE SHOW.
THERE HE IS.
LOOK AT THIS, LIAM, WE WERE JUST TALKING ON THE SHOW ABOUT HOW
THERE ARE VERY FEW OTHER PEOPLE WHO WEAR A CHUNKY KNIT.
>> YES.
I WAS GOING TO WEAR THIS, JAMES, BUT IT'S A H HOMAGE TO STARSKY &
HUTCH, WHICH MAY BE WAY BEFORE YOUR TIME.
>> James: NO, I REMEMBER.
REGGIE AND I WERE SAYING YOU'RE THE ONLY ACTION HERO WHO HAS
GONE ABOUT HUGE ENDEAVORS OF STUNTS IN A CHUNKY KNIT, AND
THERE'S NO ONE ELSE QUITE LIKE YOU WHO WEARS ONE QUITE AS WELL,
AND I HOPE YOU TAKE THAT AS THE COMPLIMENT THAT IT'S MEANT TO
BE.
>> I TAKE IT AS A COMPLIMENT.
I'M SURE YOU'VE NOTICED MY PINK FLOYD T-SHIRT UNDERNEATH.
>> James: LOOK AT THIS.
WE'RE REALLY GETTING THE WHOLE THING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE, LIAM.
HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP?
WHEREABOUTS ARE YOU JOINING US FROM?
ARE YOU DOING OKAY IN THESE VERY STRANGE TIMES?
>> I AM, JAMES.
I'M LIKE MILLIONS OF OTHERS IN THE COUNTRY WHO ARE WORRIED
ABOUT THEIR JOB OR IF THEY HAVE A JOB OR WHERE THE NEXT MEAL IS
COMING FROM.
I'M EMBARRASSED TO SAY I'M DOING VERY WELL.
I FINISHED A MOVIE IN WINNIPEG MARCH 20th.
I CAME STRAIGHT HERE TO UPSTATE NEW YORK, AND I WAS HERE FOR SIX
MONTHS.
I READ 32 BOOKS, I GUESS.
I HAVE A FEW TOYS.
I HAVE A GYM, I HAVE A SCREENING ROOM, I HAVE A TENNIS COURT.
I HAVE A SWIMMING POOL.
AND THEN I GO TO MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, AND I JUST GOT BACK
HERE JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS DAY FROM A 60-PLUS DAYS' COVID-FREE
MELBOURNE.
SO I HAVE BEEN VERY BLESSED.
>> James: NOW, YOU HAVE BEEN AN AMERICAN CITIZEN FOR, I
THINK, ELEVEN YEARS NOW.
I'M INTERESTED, WHEN YOU FIRST CAME TO AMERICA, WHEN WAS THAT
AND WHAT WAS IT THAT MADE YOU -- THAT MADE YOU WANT TO STAY?
>> IT WAS -- I THINK IT WAS AROUND 1987, I WAS LIVING IN A
LITTLE BASEMENT FLAT IN LONDON.
IT WAS ONE OF THOSE LONDON DAYS WHERE IT GETS DARK AT 3:15 IN
THE AFTERNOON, AND I REMEMBER THINKING, FRIG THIS.
I WENT DOWN TO MY PANK.
I THINK I HAD 600 POUNDS IN MY ACCOUNT.
I TOOK IT OUT, I FLEW TO L.A., I FOUND MYSELF TWO YOUNG AGENTS,
HARRIS AND GOLDBERG, THEY WERE CALLED.
MR. GOLDBERG HAS SINCE PASSED AWAY.
AND I SAID, LOOK, GUYS, I'M HERE, I THINK I CAN LIVE FOR
MAYBE FOUR WEEKS AT A CHEAP MOTEL.
PLEASE GET ME TO VISIT ANY AND ALL CASTING DIRECTORS.
THEY SAID, WELL, YOU NEED TO RENT A CAR.
I GOT A CAR FROM A COMPANY CALLED RENT A WRECK, WHICH IS
STILL IN OPERATION, AND GOT A THOMPSON'S GUIDE, PUT IT ON THE
STEERING WHEEL, AND I HAD AN AUDITION HERE OR IN THE VALLEY,
OR WHATEVER, AND THAT'S WHAT I DID, AND I STARTED GETTING SOME
WORK, AND THAT KEPT ME IN L.A. A LITTLE BIT LONGER, AND THEN A
LITTLE BIT LONGER, AND THEN I DECIDED TO MOVE THERE FULL TIME.
SO THAT'S MY STORY, BASICALLY.
>> James: I DIDN'T KNOW THIS, BUT BEFORE YOU WERE ACTING, YOU
WERE A TRAINEE-TEACHER.
WHAT WAS MR. NEESON LIKE IN A CLASSROOM.
DID IT EVER GET THAT FAR?
>> OH, TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE, JAMES.
I WENT TO ST. MARY'S COLLEGE OF THE SACRED HEART WHICH WAS A
TEACHER TRAINING COLLEGE IN THE NORTHEAST OF ENGLAND.
THE COURSE WAS FOR THREE TO FOUR YEARS.
I MANAGED TWO YEARS.
I DID SOME TEACHING PRACTICE DURING THAT TIME, AND I WAS
DREADFUL.
I WAS TEACHING 11, 12-YEAR-OLD BOYS AND OFFICIALS, AND THEY HAD
ME WRAPPED AROUND THEIR LITTLE FINGER.
OFFI JUST COULDN'T CONTROL THEM, YOU KNOW, LET ALONE NOT
EDUCATING THEM, I COULDN'T CONTROL THEM.
IT'S NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE WILD OR CRAZY, THEY WERE JUST SMARTER
THAN ME, STREET SMARTER THAN ME.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY'S TEACHING, YOU GET FINISHED AT
3:00, 3:15, I WAS EXHAUSTED, AND I THOUGHT, I CANNOT DO THIS.
AND I HAVE TWO SISTERS WHO ARE RETIRED TEACHERS THAT HAVE BOTH
DONE 34 YEARS EACH OF TEACHING, BUT THAT GENE DID NOT REACH ME
AT ALL.
I WAS TERRIBLE.
>> James: NOW, LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR NEW FILM "THE
MARKSMAN."
FOR ANYONE WHO DOESN'T KNOW, TELL THEM WHAT IT'S ABOUT AND
WHO YOU PLAY.
>> I PLAY A GUY CALLED JIM HANSEN, A VERY SMALL-TIME
RANCHER IN ARIZONA.
I'M AN EX-MARINE, I SERVED MY COUNTRY IN THE VIETNAM WAR.
I'M OUT OF MY LUCK.
MY WIFE'S DIED, THE BANK IS GOING TO FORECLOSE ON MY LITTLE
RAMP.
I'M CRUISING ALONG LOOKING AT MY CATTLE, AND I'M RIGHT BESIDE A
BORDER FENCE AND I SEE A MOTHER AND HER CHILD HAVE ILLEGALLY
CROSSED OVER AND THEY'RE BEING FOLLOWED BY A VERY VICIOUS DRUG
CARTEL.
I RESCUE THE MOTHER AND CHILD.
I HAVE A BIT OF A SHOOTOUT WITH THE CARTEL, AND THE MOTHER WANTS
ME TO TAKE HER SON TO A RELATIVE IN CHICAGO, AND I BEGRUDGINGLY
DECIDE TO DO THAT, ALL THE TIME BEING FOLLOWED BY THIS CARTEL
WHO HAVE ASSOCIATES IN AMERICA.
SO IT BECOMES A KIND OF A ROAD MOVIE, IT'S KIND OF A MODERN
WESTERN, AND IT'S A MOVIE WITH A LOT OF HEART, AND IT'S MYSELF
AND THIS LITTLE KID PLAYED BY JACOB PEREZ, BEAUTIFUL LITTLE
ACTOR.
SO IT BECOMES ABOUT US KIND OF COMING TOGETHER AND ME WITH MY
HEART CLOSED, GRADUALLY OPENING TO THIS YOUNG BOY TO GIVE HIM A
CHANCE AT LIFE.
>> James: WELL, I CAN'T WAIT TO WATCH YOU.
LIKE EVERYTHING YOU DO IN YOUR CAREER, I KNOW I'M GOING TO
ENJOY IT.