SmartLess - "RE-RELEASE: Liam Neeson”

Episode Date: August 14, 2025

Avid fly fisherman Liam Neeson brings his very particular set of skills (and his Stanley thermos) to the show this week. To Sean’s dismay, we don’t talk about Star Wars. However, of his over 100 film roles, we discuss Alfred Kinsey, Oskar Schindler… and Jesus. And the time he made Jason’s mom cry for a week.This episode was originally released on 5/2/2022. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of SmartLess ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome to Smartless. Smart Less I feel like I want to get into talking to you guys I really do I miss you Sean I owe you a call I know that you face-time

me the other night and I never called you back and I'm just realizing that now and I miss you desperately I miss you guys too and are you okay in Chicago oh William thank you yes

I'm okay I mean it's other than the sirens going off every single day every fucking night and the guy across the across the hall from us has a dog and they leave their door open

and it barks so loud it sounds like it's in our apartment and then it gets all the dogs down the whole hallway going every dog starts barking have you talked to them about it or giving them a hairy eyeball

on the elevator at least? No I don't what are you guys about masks like people in this building? On dogs? They are carriers no like some people in the building don't wear masks anymore

and some people are like oh the mandate's over I would like to do it based on how they look. Like, ooh, you need a mask. You know what I mean? But what else? I always forget to bring a meal to rehearsal, too. So I'm kind of hungry all the time.

We only get 20-minute breaks. So if I run home, isn't this an amazing story? If I run home... Maybe the soldiers in the Ukraine would like to hear about your 20-minute breaks. Yeah, maybe they want to talk about your tech rehearsal. Snacks aren't great. Wait, yeah. Are you going to start complaining about your blocking next?

Yeah. Yes. Oh, thank you for bringing this. Wait, take it up with the director. We don't want to hear about the blocking on your play. No, so I have 20 minutes. I don't know what to do. I never have.

Anyway, I'm always hungry. Yeah. Yeah. Jason? I don't have any complaints. I just feel for my fellow citizens around the world. Likewise. Sean, you would have loved it last night.

I had Jason's wife, Amanda, here at the house, and his daughter, Maple. But no, Jason? To have dinner with my phone. And not Jason. No, because today's Saturday. Yesterday was a work day. So you're starting dinner at 5 o'clock That means I still got two hours of work left

What a joke says this says the guy who Since January 1st has played 34 days of golf And none of them on the weekend by the way Because he's not allowed to play on the weekend Because that's family time So let's talk about work days Wait isn't that a new rule It is a new rule and I feel good about it

And I'm also a new rule is This is also something Our citizens and strife around the world Does it have to do with your Tesla? Go ahead. No. It's, I'm going to not play every day, okay? Oh, wow.

You know the term hero gets used a lot, but I mean, in this case. Listen, we actors are, you know, it's not, we're not, it's easy, okay? And people that say, oh, it's so hard and the hours are so, please, we're so lucky to be doing what we're doing. But let me tell you something. When I run lines with Scotty, just from. to memorize lines, run lines, Tracy is like you run lines, like you memorize lines.

And I have such a short temper with him and it has nothing to do with him, but I'm like, okay, so I come in and I say, oh, relax, okay, then I say, but it's only four lousy hours, what can go wrong? And he says, no, it's when I go, go back, go back to the previous line. Does he correct you on every word, every syllable?

Yeah. And does he come to rehearsal and sit out in the audience and does he, do you go line in Scotty's, no for the actual performances did you imagine can he maybe have like a fanny pack that's got snacks in it or something for you i know that's a good idea can you make me a fanny pack with snacks a pack snack snack you know it's almost like he's walking you like he's a dog walker but for you and he's got a fanny pack and he could have some wipes and stuff it's a snacky pack scotty with a snacky pack we tried to buy sean that toilet too and then it wouldn't work

right yeah what jason and i wanted to buy you a fancy toilet i know that was so nice Listener, so when we were on the tour, you'd learn a lot about someone when you're living with them. And sweet, sweet Sean, as privileged as he sounds with this past five minutes, he was completely unaware that the toilets with the washlet has snuck up on him. And he'd never heard of it before. You know, those Toto toilets that, like, shoot a geyser in you. Well, no, I mean, people know about them. Not a lot of people have them. But, I mean, it's like, it's this bizarre new technology in...

It's a bidet built into the bathtub. Yeah, so we tried to buy... Jason and I tried to, after learning of... Sean didn't know. For his birthday. I came out of the bathroom. I was like in awe. I was like, oh, my God, there's these switches.

It can clean your ass. I can then it blow dries your ass. We were staying in a hotel that had one, and he couldn't believe it. And we're like, come on, you never... So we know that he, well, he's away in Chicago. He's doing some remodeling in the castle there in L.A. And so we tried to arrange with this. husband to get a new toy toy put in there and it ended up being more expensive than the toilet

itself. Toy toy. You had a tire down the wall and they go into the pipes and everything. But it's the thought that counts and you guys are so sweet to think of that. And I was going to get you guys Porsches, but I just didn't work out. Well, there's still time. There's still time. Maybe try again. It's the thought. It's the thought. Speaking of still time, we're running out of time because we have a great guest here who has been really biting his time waiting and being so gracious. Sorry, that's my fault. And he, this is somebody who can relate to actor problems because this is a person who's been acting at a high level for longer than the three of us have ever, you know,

even known what the hell was going on in the world. This is somebody who started on the stage, it's a great acclaim, moved into films, has made countless films over the year at the highest level, great performances, not Dick Van Dyke. Not only that, he and I have starred together, as it turns out, in three pictures. pictures together, which only brings him down and props me up and makes me look good.

He's somebody that I've just admired for so long because he's such an incredible actor, and he's the star of The Nutjob, The Nut Job 2, the Lego movie. Also, perhaps, Schindler's List, The Taken Movies. Oh, good Lord. He's got a new film coming out in memory. You guys, it's Mr. Liam Neeson. That's a real movie star. Right there.

Hi, Sean. Wow, good morning. Look at this. I did love listening to you. I did love listening to you. That's where. Sorry about that. Jason, you play golf.

I have to tell you. Only because I'm trying to, I'm trying to understand how the common man lives his life. He's sorry for you, he said. Did you hear that? He said that he already feels pity for you, Jason. I know. I'm embarrassed. But I do it for the mental anguish of it.

To me, it's work. It's very hard to do. I'm very believable. Anyway, I still don't think you. As George Bernard Cho once said, it's a good walk ruined. That's right. It's true.

That's part of the job, trying to stay positive. We've had our first George Bernard Shaw quote. You have already classed us up a million percent, Liam. Thank you so much for being here, man. It's such an incredible honor. I'm very honored myself, and I'm very, very fucking nervous.

Don't be. Liam, let me start by this, because this is an area that Sean loves the most, which are stories from the theater and you have a long history of performing in the theater for many years. So, Sean, I'm going to give you the opportunity to right off the bat

ask Liam a theater question, your most prized theater question. Well, now I'm put on the spot. First of all, I can't believe I'm talking to you. I know. I've never met you. This is so awesome. It's so cool.

And I'm nervous a little bit. So my question to you is, what is your favorite tragic theater story? I've said so many of mine on here. here i'm trying to think of another one well i can tell you another one christian i did a play with christian chenna with years ago the listeners are so sick of me talking about and at the end of the show we come up for our bows and i look over it from opposite wings and christin and i are supposed to come from opposite sides of the stage meet in the middle walk down the center and take our bow together

complicated and i never seen that before these so these are the these are the curtain calls huh You know, walk us through. The boughs, right? Okay. Did you bump into each other? How do you avoid that? What were your two characters name? Promises and promises, right?

Are those the two characters? Keep going, Sean. Classy guest. So I look over and Kristen's not there. And I'm like, oh, my God, everybody's clapping waiting for us to come out. I'm like, where's Kristen? And I look over, and she's dead passed out. on the floor, passed out on the floor.

And I'm like, what the hell happened to Kristen Chenow? And so I'm like, stage manager, I'm like, do I go out? Do I wait for her? What's happened? They're trying to revive her again. So I went out and took my bow on myself. You were thinking, wow, I'm getting double the applause to me. So then she...

What happened to her? She passed out because she didn't eat that day. So they gave her a candy bar and she, like, came back to... She did a whole show. and then passed out at the end. Oh, my gosh. When is the last time you did a live theater show?

Oh, my God. 14 years ago, I did a little Samuel Beckett piece called A. Joe. It lasts about 25 minutes. I don't say a word. That's one of the reasons.

I took the job. And Ray Fines was, it was an evening of Beckett pieces at Lincoln Center. That was the last time. And do you want to do it again? No, I'm good. The muse has gone from me.

It's left me completely. Really? Yeah. And it's, I don't, I used to worry about it because I started off in the theater for four years, just nothing but the theater. And did the old play and the crucible, and it's a Beckett piece.

And then about three, three, four years ago, the muse just left me. I was offered some stuff, and it's just, I love seeing my friends do it. I love... You're talking about the muse for theater. Muse for theater, yes, Jason. But, you know, I hear people say that about theater

because the schedule is really, really challenging, but the movies you are doing are so demanding. You cannot ask for a harder genre for you to do, and you do it. I can understand maybe one out of every five films, you're out there doing all the all the action stuff but my god the the amount of stamina that you must have and work ethic you have discipline that you have and and the shape you must be in it's so incredibly admirable well thank you just you know a nice little a nice little three-act

drama down down the street um i mean come on you you need you need a break yeah i maybe some little farce comedy you know some some sort of french farce you know a bunch yeah a bunch of doors slamming bunch of grab ass yeah that stuff that stuff's hard to do you know is this to it or get yourself a podcast Liam oh god come on look how cozy this is Liam I'm gonna tell you something I'm 51 almost 52 and I plays 36 let's not talk about age well we won't talk about age but I'll tell you this I read a script the other day they said um take a look at this they send you there interested and I read it in the first scene said exterior night and I said I'm not interested that's a true story Liam doesn't care about that yeah I mean it does take a lot those

films you do look we've all done it we you know it's it's it takes a village right yeah I have a little routine when I'm doing one I get up I exercise for 30 35 minutes maximum that's it no more than that. And, you know, when you're doing the junkets and stuff, say, oh, you do your own stunts. And I always say, please listen to me, I do not do my own stunts. I don't do that at all. I do my own fighting. That I like to do. But stunts, no, you know, jumping out of windows and falling over to wait, wait, wait, wait. So you're doing your own fighting? Yeah, the fighting's no bargain. That's, that's not simple. Yeah, but it's like learning a dance, Jason. You know, you must have. But it's still, I did.

Actually, the last big fight I did was with Will Arnett on Arrested Development. It was supposed to be, it was supposed to be funny because it lasted so long, you know, two idiots that don't really know how to fight. They just end up on the floor wrestling. And they kept cutting back to the scene and we're still throwing. So we had to shoot it over the course of like, I don't know, it was like a 15 minute. It literally put me in the hospital. We had to shut down for a few weeks because I was so exhausted. And this was, this was 20 years ago.

I'm a lot to handle. you'd say that right you're a lot to you got a real back on you sure yeah okay um you play golf every day now i only play nine holes a day i can't walk 18 no that's true but jay i asked you about that last the last episode of the latest ozark chunk yes where the guy comes in and beats the crap out of you i'm like was that you and you're like no are you fucking kidding me no i uh i for a while there i kind of thought oh no i'm gonna i if there's some kind of a stunt i want to do it would be kind of and then and then a stunt coordinator took me aside one day and he said hey guy i know you're trying to do the right thing for camera and everything but having it be

your face but you know you're taking money out of this guy's pocket over here he was just standing on the set ready to double you and he gets paid for every take so if you just sit there and try to be a hero this guy's trying to make a living too and i was like oh so uh i learned that lesson early on Liam i'm sure you learned it way before and he's going to make you look good exactly yeah He's going to make you look good. Yeah, on top of it all. Yeah. Yeah.

So when Will, it's kind of said that you guys on nut jobs up, you've got to look for some of those jobs sometimes that are nice and cushy, maybe just with a microphone, preferably like an animated film. But even if it's on camera, maybe some sort of nice domestic, you know, dramedy or something. Yeah, but I don't get to kill people, you know. You can have a dream sequence right in the middle of, like,

like a Thanksgiving dinner, you know? That's true. Uh-huh. Liam, wait, you touched on something I wanted to ask you about, which was, you know, obviously you've done tons and tons of such phenomenal work in your life and your career. And, you know, one of the biggest ones out of all of them was, of course, Schindler's List, and with Ray Fines.

And then here I am years and years later watching Clash of the Titans. And it wasn't until the end of the movie. I was like, oh, wait, those two were in Schindler's list, too. Like, that's how great you are. I completely forgot that you both were in another movie together. And so do you have a relationship with Rafe? Like, did you know him?

Did you build a... No, Rafe, he's a really, really good friend. But I remember when we shot that, that was the first... We did two at Clash of the Titans and... Wrath of the Titans, was it? Yeah. And the first one was nearly 13 years ago. But when Raif comes on, he's playing Hades, you know, the God of Hell.

and I'm Zeus, the god of gods. He comes, and he's my brother. I couldn't do the scene. I couldn't look him straight in the eyes. I had to keep looking at his forehead. Why? Why? Because he kept cracking you up? Well, we just, you know, we're dressed in wigs and beards and all this stuff.

And it's like, oh, come on. It was so good. I couldn't do the scene with him. I just had to keep looking at his forehead. There are people that you have that kind of relationship with, where you have that kind of chemistry that they just make you laugh. and when I was doing a rest,

it was Tony Hale, who played Buster, and we would often come into a scene together, and so we'd be on our start mark, and we'd rewinn the ADB looking at us, about to give us our cue. And, like, right as you could hear the dialogue, we're about to get the cue, Tony would immediately kind of go into his character of Buster.

All of a sudden, he'd be standing there, and then he'd go, and raise his eyebrows, yeah. Ooh, like this, get ready. And as soon as he did that, I couldn't stop laughing. And so I'd come into scenes laughing already because he's, I've just corpced off, stage you know what I mean oh god now speaking of people that are unprofessional and can't keep it together laur lindy your friend um boy we finally got through that show how have you managed to stay

friends with somebody that undisciplined and untalented for so many years i know i know um come here so when am i going to see series three part two i've seen part one i've seen i love the show by this is uh ohzark yeah Ozark. Oh, sorry. Yeah. Thank you. Yes.

No, it's coming the end of April. End of April when this is going to air, but probably right about now. And that Laura, my goodness, is she good? Yes. She's, you guys have been friends for many, many, many years, right? Yeah, yeah. She's got so many great stories about you, and I'll bet you of her. But, you know, it's just a, sorry, listener, for just a second.

The listener can relate to this Anybody in any working experience Work environment If you love the people that you work with You don't spend a minute working ever And she was just so incredible In sort of washing the whole set With her good vibes and positivity and warmth

And do you think she'd say the same about you? No no no no Between the two of us we had We got to something right in the middle You guys worked together originally, is that how you met? Yeah, I'm trying to think... Yeah, am I totally forgetting a big thing

you guys did together, or was it just a social? No, we did the crucible on Broadway. Okay. And then we did a film called Kinsey. He was a secretary. Yeah, absolutely. And Laura was my wife and that. Then we did another film with Antonio Benderas.

She was having an affair with him. We were married. She cheated on me in Ozark, too. I love that Liam is still angry about it. It's just a movie. Especially Antonio Banderas. He's so ugly. I mean, it's like, come on.

It's the hallmark of it. I don't want to embarrass you, Liam, but it's a hallmark of a great movie star that you barely remember how many movies you've done or what they are. And for us, like, as sort of like fans, we're like, this is so exciting to have somebody who... Well, do you know something?

I'm not blowing smoke up my ass here. just prior to Christmas past, I finished my 100th film. No way. Wow. Wow. That's crazy. I couldn't believe. I mean, Tony Hopkins used to say

any time we see each other, give each other a hook. And I say, who's it going, Tony? And he says, great. He says, I haven't been found out yet. I feel the exact same. But Liam, I'm not great at math here, but if you did four movies a year for 25 years in a row, that would give you a hundred films.

So, I mean, to do, listening, you know, doing a film as an actor is a three-month. So if you did four, I mean, that's working 12 months a year every year for 25 years. No, not really, yeah. I mean, I started, my first little film was 1977, Jason. Yeah.

So little parts count, obviously. Oh, yeah. Was that in Ireland, or were you living in England by the when you did your first show i wanted to get into this i was actually living on belfast i was in the theater there were bombs and armored cars going oh it was just like i'm you know it's um it's a bit it was a bit like ukraine i can imagine at the minute yeah um and we were in i was in this theater called the lyric players theater and uh we we played uh uh uh we played uh uh six nights a week.

During the height of the troubles, that theater never closed. A couple of times there were bomb scares. Wow. Soldiers would come in. We'd have to go out onto the street with the audience. And then, okay, all clear, go back in again. And go back and do the show.

And what is that experience like? Because, you know, for us, obviously, you know, we're such pampered, you know, guys who have not have to experience anything like that. But to do a play in an environment like that it must feel so far apart does it even feel like show business

or does it feel like you're what is your mindset doing a play day in and day out with real you know a threat out just outside the doors well my my mindset was I was just so thrilled

to be acting yeah and getting paid for it yeah and it was literally as simple as that and you know what I was 24 when I turned professional and, you know, still pretty much a kid. And, you know, all this shit was happening out in the streets and stuff.

But I don't know. You just, I felt I was just, I was in a bubble, my own bubble of joy. Yeah. Doing these plays. And we did a play, we did a different play every four weeks, you know. Wow. We'll be right back. And now, back to the show.

So there at 24, who was the Liam Neeson for you at 24? Who were you looking at and going, my God, if I could have a career that lasts that long and hold that amount of relevance that long and be at the top of my game at that age, now that I'm 24, I hope to be that age and doing that? Well, who was that North Star for you at that point? God, that's a good question. Well, certainly my ambition, Dan, would have been, I mean, it wasn't. I never thought of movies at all.

That was... Really? Un attainable for some reason. But I thought, oh, wouldn't it be great to be in Britain's National Theater? Yeah. As a regular player, you know? That was about the height of it. Who was the big shot in the national theater at that point?

Was it... Does it go back too far to say John Gilgut? So, Maggie Smith, Judy Dench, yeah. Robert Stevens, Colin Blakely, who was my hero. He was from the North of... Ireland, too. Yeah.

But it was, yeah, it was that. It was based on theater. And then I did a little... Was Albert Finney doing, doing work in the National Theater at that point? No, not... In 1976, he did a Hamlet. Yeah. Which was very, very good, which I saw.

Oh, bet. My God. Yeah, it just seems... I've just been so lucky, Jason. I genuinely mean that. It's just been... But you're doing theater and you say... And I'm glad Jason brought that up that, and you said that you never had any ambition

to do movies, it felt like just probably so far away from where you were at that time. Sure. But then you do a film in Belfast, your first film, and then the first time you're on a movie set, do you think like, yeah, I could see this seems about, right? Like, did it feel comfortable? No, I didn't have that. The first movie was for an evangelical outreach who were making a film in Belfast, believe it or not, of Pilgrim's Progress.

John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and apparently the little film is still touring Africa and stuff, you know, to get converts and stuff. Oh, wow. Wow. The evangelical religion and I remember there's a place called Cave Hill that sort of overlooks the city of Belfast and I was playing Jesus Christ.

Sure. And I'm actually, I'm crucified. So I was on a cross with a fake crown of thorns and stuff in my hands with, you know, makeup, you know, false nails stuck in them and stuff. And I remember thinking,

why are they not rolling the camera? Why are they not saying action and stuff? And they were all, the team of the evangelical people, they were all praying. Oh, wow. I was standing there and I was like, my arms were getting so shaky.

And I'm looking down in Belfast and I've seen armored cars going up and down and sirens going and stuff and saying, this is fucking crazy. But I love it. Yearning for a nice little one act. Yes.

And you're thinking, you're thinking, I finally made it. Yeah. That's so funny. So then you move to England and you start your film career in England really in earnest at that point, yeah? I mean, that was...

No, I moved to England. I moved down to Dublin and was fortunate enough to do a couple of plays there and then I joined the Abbey Theatre, which was Ireland, is Ireland's national theatre, I guess. I was there for a while and I did a production of Steinbecks of Misen Men and John Borman, the film director

who lives in Ireland, he came to see it and he was putting together this film Excalibur. Oh, yeah. Arthurian legends. and he asked me what I play, Sir Gawain. And I was in this film. With the shining suits of armor, myself, my best buddy, Kieran Heinz, was Sir Lott.

And the bug really got me down. I thought this is just the best. I mean, you started your first film role you're playing Jesus. I mean, everything after that is kind of a step down. I mean, when he comes to me, he said, do you want to play this night? you're like, guy, I was Jesus in the last one. How do you even prepare an audition to play Jesus?

I mean, practicing your faces in the mirror playing Jesus Christ. I would not really know where to go. How did he even research that, you know? Yeah, I don't know how he, I can see the gentleman's face, Mr. Anderson. I think it was Ken Anderson, who was in charge of this little outreach. And I didn't do an audition. I just met him. and he knew I was Catholic, Irish Catholic,

and we never really spoke about professional questions. And this shoot was only about three weeks or something, you know. You just reminded me there. I had a vision of, Will, didn't you play Jesus Christ unarrested for one of your illusions? Didn't Job had like some sort of a religious-themed illusion? And I remember you in some sort of a loincloth. Yeah, and then I went into the cave, and I was going to come back, and then I got stuck in there.

And started whining. Yeah, it was a really, it was a very, not a very well-thought-out illusion by my character. And you ate nothing but plums and turnips for a few weeks just to prepare for that scene, right? And they ended up finding me, because I got, there was a false sort of back on the cave that I put on the stage, And then they ended up, they were one of those storage facilities, and they were doing one of those faux, you know, those shows where they go into storage facilities and they auction off all the stuff and they find this rock

and they find me living in there. Oh, boy. Sort of months later, I've been stuck in this case. And it was very thin at the time. And then, but I, so Liam, you mentioned Tony Hopkins and for Tracy in Wisconsin. By the way, Liam, if you're not, I don't imagine you're listener of the podcast.

Yes, but Tracy is Sean's sister in Wisconsin. So anytime we mention something that people might not know, we talk to Tracy and explain to her. Specifically, the inside baseball of showbiz. Yeah, so Tracy, Tony Hopkins is Sir Anthony Hopkins. And you worked together the first time I imagine on the bounty. Is that right? That's right.

It was the bounty, and we shot it in Morea, which is an island, beautiful island, just off Tahiti. And, oh, my God, I turned 31s. So I turned 70 and June of this year, so it's a bunch of years ago. First of all, you look incredible. Please let me be as, yeah, at 70. Yeah, you look incredible. I know.

But so you meet, so you're there and you're, you've only made a few films at that point. Am I right? You made sort of five or six films? Yeah, I'd done some stuff in Ireland and some miniseries in England. But now you're there and you're in Tahiti with, with Tony Hopkins in Mel Gibson? Tony and Mel, Daniel Day, Lewis. A bunch of great British actors.

You had trouble casting it, huh? Real trouble. But you may do. What was that experience like making it? I loved that. I bring it up just because I loved that film so much. I remember as a youth I watched it many times. Oh, gosh.

Yeah, it was, it was. It was good. It was six to eight weeks, and I just, we all just loved Tony because he, as well as been, you know, Captain Bly, he played brilliantly. He took care of us. He took care of his crew. And a lot of the crew were guys just fresh out of drama school in England, you know. First job, and there you are in Tahiti, you know.

But Tony just took care of us. And I never forget that quality. had. And we had a lovely, a great director, Roger Donaldson, from New Zealand. But he and Tony didn't get on terribly well because he would do endless takes. Like, I remember one day, 27 takes of hoisting the princess, the heathian princess up onto the bounty. Oh, God. Like 27 takes and the sun beating down and stuff. And what's the point of my story? It was just great. It was a great experience.

But we all started developing that. What's the opposite of cabin fever when you're surrounded by water all the time? There's a scientific, there's a medical name for it. So if somebody sent you out a newspaper from Britain or Ireland, you would read this from cover to cover. Sure. And then someone would, you'd give it to your friend to read to, you know.

By this stage, the newspaper is a week old. and then you'd start, I'd say, Richard, where's my paper? I said, but you read it, you finished, it doesn't matter. I want it back. So we were there for three months. So we were just all starting to get on each other's nerves. If you watch The Bounty today, do you think you would have notes for your performance? As your style of acting changed over the years,

that presupposes that you watch what you do. Are you one of those actors that watches what you do? Because some don't like to. No, I don't. I like to say it at least once. I mean, if I'm playing the lead, I'll watch it at least a couple of times, but that's it. This is while you're shooting, right?

You'll watch one of the playbacks to see if you're kind of on the right track. No, I don't do that, Jason. I don't. Unless it's some technical thing, where the director needs me to be in the left. And I think, no, I should be on the right of this character, for example. But you'll watch the final product, though.

Yeah, yeah, I would watch it. So what about your style? I just say, I ask Edwards, because I'm so, I get so cringy when I look at the old stuff that I've done. And I say, oh, my God, I do it so differently today. Because you have such a wide body of work. I'd imagine it would be pretty fun or scary or what for you to look at all the stuff you've done way back when.

Oh, God, yeah. It's overacting, isn't it? I don't know if you ever feel loud. Any time I see something, I think, oh, God. That's what I notice I try to do, is do less and less every year. Yeah, yeah. If I do something, I used to when I was younger, would watch it once, and now I don't watch anything I do.

And if somebody comes up and who says, that was really good, I'll check it out. But if nobody says that to me, I don't need to see it. Yeah, but Sean, Sean, you were on a very popular. popular comedy sitcom for many years. The Millers? Yes. Yeah, the Millers that we run together. And we, you were like in the top, you know, in the top,

one of the top shows for many years, and it was, it would be hard to avoid that. I've never asked you this. So how did you avoid that? You must have seen episodes of your show when it was on the air because it was kind of everywhere. Yeah, Liam, take a seat just for a second. I would No, I would Yes, you're right

The reruns when they used to have reruns And all this stuff And it is hard to avoid But the reboot of the Will & Grace three seasons I haven't seen one episode Just because... Really? Just like everybody else. I was there.

Just like everyone else, I heard that. So you wouldn't have viewing parties, Sean, of your stuff, no. Maybe when I was like 27 and I was on up 20... Liam, I want to ask you something You know, because you mentioned 100 films It's just an unbelievable accomplishment. There has to be an award for that or something.

Or we'll make one for you and send it. And by the way, that includes, you know, narrating documentaries and stuff. Yeah, but that's... And let's not forget the one you did with my sister called Satisfaction, where she played a little rock and roll star. Wait, is that it? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

She played the lead of a band, and what did you... Oh, I saw that movie. Did you play the manager, the band manager or something? No, I was a retired ex kind of... Keith Richards sort of guy. Yeah, I think they wanted me to manage them or so, you know, yeah, yeah, yeah. You did not submit that that year for Academy Consideration, did you? No.

No, no. Wait, Jason, I remember that film. That was your sister's kind of breakout attempt from family ties. Yeah, I remember that film. Yeah, I think Julia Roberts was in the film, too, I think. What was it, like 30 years ago? Yeah, it was a long time. I know Julia was 19.

Wow. So that made me, I was 34. You're crazy with numbers. How do you remember 31 years old, 19 years old? He's like Will Arnette. Are you one of those people that can remember what you did, like, April of last year versus June of last year? No, no, that I can't. Will Arnett can't?

I can't, yeah. Names, names to you. I'm the older, again, I have real trouble with names. Even if I'm calling my sisters, I have three sisters. I get their names confused. I know, it's tough. It's tough, I know. Jason's the same with names.

Well, Jason's the same with faces. I was just going to say. I think I discovered my smallest dog yesterday, who, you know, we've had for eight years now. I think he's got facial blindness, right? Whatever that thing is. He barks at me every day. And usually about 30 seconds after he just saw me last.

And he'll look at me like I'm a stranger that's just broken in through the side window and I'm coming in to do a lot of damage. I'm like, guy, I just fed you. The actor in you wants desperately for him to recognize you. Please, I walk around with my headshot and it's signed. He doesn't want it. I watch, you always have a stack of headshots with you, which I admire.

I think that takes a lot of guts. Just to try to disarm some sort of unfriendly. Yeah. But Jason, your dog's interesting. Maybe it's... That is interesting. I adore dogs. That's fascinating.

I do, too, but not this one. Jason, by the way, speaking of your dog, I met this guy yesterday. You know, Frank, your dog... A top dog? Your top dog I met a guy yesterday and this is a true story I forgot to tell you

and he said my dog is Jason's dog Frank's brother and I said no kidding and he said yeah the guy who I Oh

First of all my dog's name is Hank Nice to meet you Frank And so his dog is related to my dog Hank Now this dog's name Your dog's name is Petrol

Nice chai Peter You didn't remember either Shand... Bella. Bella. Bella. So, yeah, now that's my other dog who's, he recognizes me right away.

He's very loving, very lovely. I don't have a problem with him. Yeah. Sean, we all cut you off. Sean, go, please. No, I just was interested in our guest. Favorite color, Liam. Did I guess it?

Did I guess it, Sean? No, now you've told us your funny theater story. What's your funny movie story? He's the worst, Liam. I'm so worried. I'm going to movie stories, but I'm surprised Sean hasn't asked this yet because I'm fascinated one of the great films of all time, Schindler's List, and how that experience came to be for you. Yeah, well, I was going to ask that, too. I know.

I know everybody wants to know it, but I don't know any stories, and one of my favorite films. Yeah. I was living out in Los Angeles at the time, and my agent suddenly this script, which was just breathtakingly. horrible and beautiful and incredibly well-written. I knew Stephen Spielberg a little bit. Was it Eric Roth or Stephen Zalian? One of the two? Steve Zalien.

Yeah. Thank you, Jason. Steve Zalien. And I had read for Stephen with a bunch of kids when he was casting Empire of the Sun. Oh, wow. Christian Bale's first movie, right? I guess he remembered me.

So I was asked to go in and meet him for Schindler's List. and I had you know because it's set in the 1940s I hired a 40 suit and I tried to keep my air short and stuff and I spent about two two and a half hours with Stephen

and Stephen had a camera it was just he and I in a room and I prepared a couple of little speeches from the film the script and then after it was over he said thank you very much and I felt great I thought well if I don't get this I've spent two and a half, three hours,

but one of the great movie makers of our time. And then I went to, yeah, I went to New York after that to do a play. I had to get on the stage again. I thought you were going to say, then I went to Ed DeBevix and got a dream. So you go to New York and do a play. How long do you make you wait? Well, it was quite a few weeks.

I was doing this play where I met my wife. The play was called Anna Christie. I met my wife and Stephen and his wife Kate and Kate's mom came to see the play and they came backstage afterwards which was very sweet with them

and I opened my door and I was half undressed and stuff I said oh my God Stephen I'm sorry let me put a robe on or something and Kate's mom was quite emotional quite teary after the performance the play and I went and just gave her a hug

apparently on the way when they were left and they were driving back home Kate said to Stephen that's just what Schindler would have done now Stephen told me no it was your audition

that got you the part but I like the story of you know that's what Schindler would have done like what's the great quote from the man who shot Liberty Valance when the legend

becomes fact print the legend I like to think it's because I heard Kate's mom that got me to part That's great And now A word from our sponsor

And now back to the show Working with You've worked with so many Great directors Can you remember anything From any of them I imagine Spielberg would be right near the top of it That really kind of took your breath away

Like ah That is the difference in great directing versus good directing. Is there anything that was super noticeable about what he or any of the other incredible directors you've worked with have done, their ability to make a set comfortable, the way in which they work with the crew,

anything that stands out, maybe even specifically about Stephen with that film? Because it was just so finely done. It was interesting with Stephen because it was the first film he had done without using a storyboard. Normally he always uses a storyboard and you can go up and see the cartoons drawn of what you're going to shoot.

He didn't and he was telling the story of his people. His Jewish people and he was incredibly nervous. He felt the responsibility of the story he was telling you. Yeah, and I remember the first day we finished the play here in New York on Sunday, Sunday afternoon.

I flew out on Monday. And as far as my memory, as far as I can remember, it was either Tuesday morning or the Wednesday morning, like 5.30 in the morning. We were at the gates of Auschwitz, the real Auschwitz in Poland. And I think the World Jewish Congress, I think that's the right name, didn't give Stephen permission to shoot inside Auschwitz.

But the production design team did a brilliant job. We shot outside of Auschwitz, but made it seem as if it was in. inside Auschwitz. Right. I remember that story. And I was dressed in a big fur coat and hat and nice and warm, even though it was unbelievably cold.

And this train was coming in and all these extras were coming out as Jewish people and German extras with guard dogs. And it was terrifying. It was terrifying. And I remember I was waiting to do my bid. I walked down, you know, by the barbed wire fences and looking inside of the huts that, you know, the Jewish people were crammed into all those years ago. And I was just looking and Branko Lustig, who was one of the producers, he's dead now,

God rest of him, but he came up to me and said, how do you feel? I said, yeah, I'm okay, Branco, you know, I'm warm enough and just looking forward to starting, you know. and we were looking at the huts and he pointed out to a hut and said, see that one there, third one from the left, I'm making this up now, but he said, that's where I was.

No way. At the age of six. Well, I just lost it. Wow. Yeah. I lost it. My knee started to shake. And I thought,

fuck, this isn't acting. This isn't a fucking movie. This is a piece of history, we're telling here. And I'm not. worthy. I just kept saying to myself, I'm not fucking worthy. I'm a fucking Irish actor. I should go back

to Ireland and go into the theater. What the fuck am I doing here? Dressed up and there's a big fur coat and here to save these Jewish people. It's just, it was terrifying. But Stephen was great.

And it's a little scene where I pull one of these girls with a lot of Jewish girls up. because these prisoners shouldn't have been sent to Auschwitz they're supposed to be working in my factory because Oscar Schindler had this armaments factory and he was there to save their lives otherwise they were going to die in Auschwitz

so I go up to this guard and say how dare you do this these are my people they have to go back and I'm shaking and I pulled a little girl up and I was doing it too gently because she was freezing this little actress and Stevens

came over to me and said you've got to just listen stop the niceness grab her pull her up her life's at stake here you know so I had to

I apologize her I said look I'm going to grab you quite roughly and pull you up so that this guard sees you she was only about

seven or eight years of age and I'm supposed to say to the guard I need this little girl little small hands so they can clean the inside

of metal casings for the armaments but I could never quite say the line right you're speaking in German at this point right supposed to be yeah yeah but in English but anyway I'm rambling Jason I love this

all the directors are different you know they're all listen I have such a you just reminded me the first time I saw that film because I've seen it a few times like a lot of people and so incredibly moving hearing you talk about I can't imagine feeling that and it comes across that sense a responsibility that you felt in that moment.

And I remember I was at the theater, the old Chelsea theater is, I don't think it's called that anymore, but on 23rd at 8th Avenue, I was living in New York. Oh, yes. Yeah, and I remember, I was seen that film, and there was that moment where there was the chaos of everybody coming off the train and stuff, and everybody's freaking out,

nobody knows what's going on. And at that very moment, in the theater itself, the fire alarm went off. So they've got those little lights that are blinking. And there's a sound going, and the blinking and it was almost like it happened that it was part of the film

and people started freaking out in the theater and people were openly weeping because it just heightened an already very heightened moment and it made everybody and it forever changed the way it was just such a visceral thing to actually have happened in that moment

and... Yes. Yeah. What do you What do you get into that is not really, really hard work like you usually do? Yeah, are you still boxing, too? Is that part of your regiment? I have a bag. Well, I have a gym, and I use a bag sometimes, but I just like to read.

I mean, I have a reader, you know? Really? Yeah. Wow, you guys are, we're very similar, Liam. Easy, well. No, Liam and I are very similar. I like to read, and I also have a bag right out the door here. And Jason has a bag, but he keeps it.

in the toilet and he just goes in there for a couple minutes at a tuck or he plays past the bag with one of his Hollywood friends but don't use too much of it yeah I gotta get through the night yeah um I would like to ask this question what drugs have you dabbled in

because here's the thing when you here's the thing he's our secret weapon Liam he's the best keep going sorry Sean no please when you're doing like you said oh a hundred things like 100 films whatever docs and everything and you're traveling and the time changes the night shoots and the stuff when you were younger you're like how am i going to get through this you had to have like partaken into something to get

through all of those many many films of just endless months of shooting are you Cindy adams what is going on you want him to admit to drug use i'll talk to you about the we've talked about the drugs we took i took i took mushroom tell rona barrett what the last time you participated in uh in some sort of illicit drug use you don't answer that if you don't want okay i'll bet i'll bet uh i'll bet i'll bet the way you stay up and peppy nowadays is all that exercise. I'll bet you eat well. Sounds like you're staying nice and same

with lots of reading. It doesn't sound like you're doing a lot of things to slow yourself down or hurt yourself, huh? No, that's a bit. It's very boring. I mean, I do, I fly fish. I love to do that whenever I get a chance. We should hook you up with Jimmy Kimmel.

Jimmy Kimmel. He likes to fly fish a lot. Jimmy is, yes. I'm going to go to Jimmy's lodge sometime this year. I don't know when. I was supposed to go last year. There's a big group of us going in a few months we're going to send you the invite come on up we're going to go this summer

then you can teach me are you really yeah swear to god yeah it looks spectacular it's stunning it's he's really done a great job with it oh that's terrific i can't wait wait shan you still want to know about liam's drug use right no no oh yeah sorry sorry sean no no no you don't have to answer his garbage questions Liam interesting you just no it's fair enough and i'm not 20 for i i just uh And certainly when I was in Ireland in the theater, after shows we'd go to the local pub, you know, and I adored Guinness, absolutely adored it. Yeah.

And then you turn a certain age and it sticks to you. Do you know what I mean? You start putting on weight and it's like, oh, my God. And I switched to red wine. I absolutely adored that. Yeah. That puts on less weight, but the hangovers not as fun. Right?

Yeah. Yeah. All that sugar? I stopped drinking eight. Yeah, just over eight years ago Wow I must say I don't miss it Same here Chase it

We don't we don't drink I don't drink I don't drink basically out of vanity I can admit that But that's okay What's the remaining vices For all of us

I mean it's pathetic With me it's yeah It's like sugar And like crunchy salty snacks And you know Jay Yeah Oh Golf

No pot gummies Oh yeah yeah Yeah Well, I mean, is that a vice? I don't know. It's legal nowadays, right? Have you tried those, Liam? Have you tried the gummies with the THC in it?

And the CBD? No, I have gummies with the CBD on a little bit of melatonin. I take those every night. Yeah, puts you right out. I do have trouble sleeping. Jason's got some other stuff for you, and the first one's free. First one's free. I'm just going to stay on afterwards.

Let me get your PO box or something. People still use PO boxes? Sure, you like weed. You like to smoke weed every once in a while. Well, I haven't smoked any years. I can't smoke it anymore, but I do eat the gums. The gummies as well. You don't mind that.

And then what's your other advice? You like, you don't drink coffee. Do you drink coffee? Liam, are you a coffee guy? No, I give up caffeine. I know. It's so fucking boring. No, you're very disciplined.

And I'm constantly, this, it's a mug. What is that? Okay, it's a Stanley mug. I adore them. It keeps my black decaf tea hot for five. five or six hours. Oh. And it's also my little security blanket.

Sure. I take it on set. I try and get it into every movie. Oh, you do? You try to get in. Do you ever smash guys in the face with it because you're in these... Clash of the Titans?

That's going to happen. That is going to happen. Are you doing anything currently that you're embarrassed of? Any crappy TV you're watching? You say you read a lot. Are you reading a comic book that you're not proud to reveal to anybody? No.

Crime. I'm still into my Nordic noir crime. Oh, no, here comes Will. Like, Nesbo and those guys? Yeah, Nesbo's good. Henning Mankell, he passed away about four years ago. He was just extraordinary. And I just played Philip Marlowe in my last film.

So I had never read, much to my shame, Raymond Chandler before. So I read most of his stuff for preparation, I guess. Will has met his match with the smokiest voice on this podcast. Jesus. Do you guys do any voiceover work? We've done three films together. It should be never...

And the other... And we've never met. And also, we were talking before about Ray Fines. He also was in Lego Batman and played Alfred to my Batman. And we had a lot of scenes together. Oh, I didn't know that. Yeah, and we have yet to meet.

And I'm just such a fan. I can't wait. He's terrific. Liam, do you do any voiceover work other than the animation every once in a while? Are you the voice of... any particular product on television? You do any commercial stuff?

No, because Will talks about GMC trucks all the time and lucky for them, he's still doing it. I don't. I like doing documentaries, and I've done quite a few of those. But products, no. You should, my God. Liam, you would clean up. Have you done any of the Ken Burns documentaries?

Yes, I have, actually. During lockdown, I did, Oh, there's one on Anne Frank that's coming out. Oh, that's cool. I played Anne Frank's father, just a few lines. And the current one on Benjamin Franklin, I think, has come out. I have a small part. Is that one out yet or no?

Not yet. Ken Burns is a genius. Yeah, he's been on the show. He was incredible guests. We had him on. We had him on. You did? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And he's so erudite. And he's just... Did you see the Ali? The Ali? I haven't seen that one yet. I have to say, and Muhammad Ali was, is, always will be my idol, always was. Yeah, that documentary is incredible. The one he did on World War II is incredible, too, called The War.

World War II, but the American Civil War, I have towards that at least once a year. It's incredible. And it came out, I don't know, 25 years ago or something. Well, I love that you love Muhammad Ali, because you were, and I mentioned before, You did box a little bit, amateur boxer for a couple of years there? Yeah, I started when I was nine. I think I had my last fight when I was like 17 or something.

Wow, my God, that's old enough to get hurt. Yeah, I was starting to hurt. Yeah, because like kids punch each other all the time, but then you become a teenager and you've got to really be pissed off if you're going to get into that because you can get hurt. So you were boxing as a young adult or adult, right? Well, at the age of 13, 14, I started to shoot up. I mean, I'm 6'4.

That's amazing. Then I guess it was about 6'3 or something. And the punches were, yeah, they were starting to hurt, you know. And I remember once coming, we had a tournament in our little local parochial hall in my hometown back in Ireland. And I was boxing this guy. And I actually won the fight, but I felt my heart of arts. I didn't win that fight. But when I came out of the ring,

my trainer said, okay, Liam, go on downstairs and put your clothes on. And I was... And fix your face. But I didn't know what he meant. Clothes. Oh, no.

Go down. It was weird. And that was like a kind of a strange concussion, you know. So that was my last fight. I knew enough to think, fuck this. I'm getting out of this. You know, I did.

I did a friend of ours, Lisa Kudrow, produced this show called Who Do You Think You Are? And it traces your ancestry. Did she hit you hard in the face during the shooting of that? And all of my ancestors, you know, from Ireland, I'm Irish as well. And we went over to Ireland. Everybody is a drunk and a thug. Everybody fought and just fights everybody. There's a great quote.

Thanks, Sean. No, of my ancestors. Thanks, of my ancestors. Oh, your ancestors. Not everyone in the country. No, not everybody Irish. But all my answers were just thugs and drunk. And it's like, why is everybody, I don't know,

everybody just seems to be, loves to be in fights. Where are they from, Sean? Where do your family hate? Dingle and... Oh, Dingle, beautiful. County Carey and, yeah, all around. You ever go back there, Sean? Just for the show I did.

Just a fight. It's so pretty over there, right? Oh, it's unbelievable. I think it's like the... Oh, Dingle, Dingle's very, very special. My grandfather's from Dingle and he was... They have beautiful fruit from there, the dingleberries. Have you tried?

No, Will. I'm thinking of something else. You are. Liam, we've taken way too much of your time. We could talk to you forever. You're just such a fascinating guy, and one of those, just such a great performer, and I'm just in awe of your talent.

Oh, shut up, shut up. Thank you for saying, John. That was true. I'm such a kind, kind man, too. So thank you for spending some time with us on your off day here. Thank you, Liam. Jason, can I say to you,

I know I said this to you before when I saw you at the garden a couple of years ago, three years ago, something. Please give Victoria your mom my love. Now he's showing off. This guy is the nicest guy in the world. He meets my mother one time on a Pan Am flight.

She was a stewardess for a flight attendant for Pan Amp. Yeah. 20 years later, he runs into me. He's never met me before but I guess she had mentioned once she had met him that I was her son. So this is 20 years later. We're back at a ranger game at Madison Square Garden.

And I see Liam Neeson. I'm like, oh, my God. I'd totally forgotten that my mother had said anything that she'd met him. He stops me. He says, hey, hey, you're Jason McI. I met your mother X number of years ago on a plane. How is she? Is she doing it remembered her name?

It just knocked me out. And then when I told my mother that, she cried for a week. I mean, yeah. So thank you so much for being such a kind, man. Oh, please. And Justin, too. please, please give them my love. I will tell her, for sure.

And it's something, and I can't quite remember Jason, but it was a flight from either Los Angeles to London, Pan Am, which doesn't exist, of course, or from London to L.A., I can't remember. And I was just, I was very vulnerable, not because I have a fear of flying, I don't. Something was happening, and for some reason, Victoria, your mom spotted something on me,

and she just took care of me. Yeah. She'd bring me tea and check on me every so often. And I'll just never forget it. You know, and I was... She was... Look at both these guys. Very special.

Just writing jokes. As soon as you said, take care of me, both of them wrote about six jokes. Well, luckily he followed it up and said with a cup of tea. With a cup of tea. They put their pens down. I didn't need to, yeah. She was very accommodating.

Well, that's very sweet. It's so great. And again, Liam, such a fan. And thank you so much. Yeah, it was such a good of you. I was an honor to talk with the three of you. Thank you so much. Can you say hi to Laura if you talk to her before I do?

I sure will. I love her so much. She's going over to Ireland, I think, in May to shoot a film. I'm going over there to shoot a film at my best dear friend, Karen Hines. Oh, yeah. We're going to shoot a film and Donnie Goal. You're not killing anybody in that, are you? Oh, yeah.

You are? Yeah, of course. Quite a few. Quite a few. Yes. Why do you think he took the part? Is the Pope were Catholic? Come on.

The great Liam Neeson, thank you so much, our friend. Thanks, guys. So nice of you to do this. Thank you, Liam. That's great, thanks, boys. Sure, take care. Bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye. See you later.

The great Liam Neeson. When he came on the screen, I was like, what? That's so, what? Liam Neeson. I know. He's so, like, iconic. It's so crazy. When I was like, I wanted to have him on the show,

and then they said, and Michael, MGT, said, yeah, we're going to have Liam Neeson. he's going to do it. I thought like, is this really going to happen? That's crazy. Yeah, how'd you do that, Willie? I don't know.

I have no idea. I think that he thought, you know, I mean, he knew you a little bit and he was such a fan. He talked about seeing us at the garden another time and he wanted to come say hi, and he did not. And his new movie,

memory, comes out April 29th, which is, the guy, God, he's made a round of him. I didn't even get a chance to ask him about Star Wars. Oh, my God.

Oh, Sean. Too bad. There's not enough Star Wars in the world, I know. Thank God. It's such a shame that we never had an opportunity to talk about fucking Star Wars. He was in so many Star Wars movies. And then he was one of those Stormtroopers in Force Awakens. And you spent your time with Wrath of the Titans, the sequel to Clash of the Titans.

That's right. You're going to lose your card. I swear to God. I love it. I really, out of deference to you, I wanted to start it off by asking about theater stories. because he started in the theater. I know, I love that. Thank you, yeah, I love that.

I love, you'd think people would have, like, at the Redis. Well, it turns out, it does start to feel like the only embarrassing things in the theater happened to you. Yeah, and Kristen Chenoweth. And the time that you, poison Christian Jennerner, I forget how the story went, but... Maybe she just had an anxiety attack because the curtain call was such complicated blocking.

So, let's go back. So you came from either side of the... So it was sort of like a buy entrance? Was it a buy entrance? Oh, a what? A buy entrance. Wait, wait, wait. Are we done? Bye.

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