Actor Liam Neeson refused to play Agent 007 because he was afraid… his wife would leave him

 Hollywood actor Liam Neeson has just revealed that he was invited to play the role of spy 007 in the 1990s, but his wife gave him an “ultimatum” threatening that if he accepted the role, she would break off the engagement.

Actor Liam Neeson and his late wife – actress Natasha Richardson many years ago (Photo: New York Post).

Schindler’s List actor Liam  Neeson (now 70 years old) has just revealed a secret that he was originally invited to play the role of spy 007, but because his fiancee – actress Natasha Richardson – threatened to leave him, he had to refuse this famous role.

Liam Neeson met Natasha Richardson in 1993 when they were both cast in the play Anna Christie on Broadway in New York. They married in 1994 and remained together until Richardson’s death in a skiing accident in 2009.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone magazine , actor Liam Neeson said that the producers of the 007 series – Mr. Albert Broccoli and his daughter Barbara Broccoli – contacted him in 1993 to invite him to play the role of spy 007. At that time, the movie Schindler’s List  (1993) had just been released and achieved great success.

“At that time, the Broccoli family was looking for an actor to play agent 007. The movie Schindler’s List  had just come out, they quickly contacted me to ask if I was interested in playing 007. They called a few times and I confirmed that I was interested. But my fiancée warned me right away that if I accepted the role of agent 007, we would break off the engagement,” Liam Neeson recalled.

Actor Liam Neeson now (Photo: New York Post).

After that, Liam Neeson gave up the opportunity to take on the famous role of the international silver screen: “You know, the actor who plays this role is always paired with sexy actresses, then has to do “hot” scenes and is always portrayed as a flirtatious playboy. I know what Natasha is afraid of”, said Liam Neeson.

After the actor gave up the golden opportunity, the role was given to actor Pierce Brosnan. Later, actor Pierce Brosnan played the role of spy 007 in 4 films including Goldeneye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999), Die Another Day (2002).

Actor Liam Neeson has also shared his true feelings about the famous line when he played the male lead Bryan Mills in the movie Taken (2008). Bryan Mills’ character said on the phone to the kidnapper of his daughter: “I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you”.

Liam Neeson in the movie “Taken” (2008) (Photo: New York Post).

This line has become familiar in popular culture , and is one of the most beloved and remembered lines in the history of cinema.

The image of actor Liam Neeson in this scene also became a viral image on social networks and was used in various contexts, sometimes even in humorous situations.

Recently, Liam Neeson revealed his true feelings about this famous line, he shared with Vanity Fair magazine : “I tried to make my voice sound scary in that scene, but I actually thought the line was cheesy.”