Few actors have had a more diverse career on film than Liam Neeson, the actor who earned an Oscar nomination for his performance in the Steven Spielberg award-winning Holocaust drama, "Schindler's List."
He has moved effortlessly from dramas like that to comedies, like "Love Actually," to biopics like "Kinsey" and even mega blockbusters, such as "Star Wars Episode One."
His latest movie is the eagerly anticipated "Batman Begins," in which he stars as a mysterious man known as Henri Ducard.
Neeson admits he was a bit reticent to accept the part when he first was approached with the role.
"As a child growing up in Ireland, he wasn't my hero, " Neeson tells The Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm. "I have to say, it was Superman. He was my kind of guy. I find Batman just a little bit scary."
Plus, the past Batman movies have not been well-received. Neeson says, "I think the last two were kind of strange. Lost touch. Lost a bit of direction. But in this one, my reticence was put to bed."
When he read the script, Neeson says, he was drawn in by the realistic character and story dynamics. He explains, "Now, I know why this guy, Bruce Wayne, would end up dressing up in this strange funky costume and climbing over buildings. The film really delivers as to how and why that happens."
Neeson's character is Bruce Wayne's (Christian Bale) mentor. Ducard teaches him in the mastery of the physical and mental disciplines that will empower him to fight the evil he has vowed to destroy.
Playing the part of mentor is something Neeson has done before, and likes in particular.
"I do, especially now that I'm a dad of two wonderful boys," he says. "There's something extraordinary about passing on information and experience to a younger generation."
Neeson was also drawn to the project because of the opportunity to work with director Christopher Nolan. "He's quite laconic, which belies years of hard work and dedication, kinda like Ducard!" he exclaims.
And Neeson says the fighting scene in Iceland was not computer generated.
"People think this is computer graphics. It's not," Neeson says. "This is Europe's biggest glacier. Moving at a rate of five to six inches every day into a frozen pond. And that pond was cracking and fissuring nearly all the time.
"These ice experts, their job was purely to look at the ice all day every day. And there were various times we'd be called off the ice because it was just not safe. And sure enough, we'd get off and you'd hear this [makes cracking noise], and Chris and I would look at each other and think, 'OK.'"
Bale and Neeson join a cast of notable actors and actresses in this film, including Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Katie Holmes.
The following are some facts about the Liam Neeson:
William John Neeson was born in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, on June 7, 1952.In 1961, Neeson, at the age 9, joined a boxing team run by a priest. In 1967, he had his nose broken during a childhood boxing match (date approximate).As a teenager, Neeson drove a forklift for a brewery; he planned to become a teacher, then an architect before answering an ad placed by the Lyric Players' Theatre in Belfast.Neeson made his professional stage debut in "The Risen People" at Lyric Player's Theatre, Belfast, in 1976. In 1979, Neeson made his educational film debut as Jesus Christ in a film based on John Bunyan's "The Pilgrim's Progress" for evangelical Bible students in Ireland (date approximate).In 1980, Neeson played Lenny in the Abbey Theatre production of "Of Mice and Men"; he was spotted by director John Boorman who later cast the actor in "Excalibur."In 1981, Neeson made his feature film debut as Sir Gawain in Boorman's "Excalibur."In 1984, Neeson made his United States television debut in the CBS miniseries "Ellis Island"; co-starred as Blackie O'Neill in the syndicated miniseries "A Woman of Substance."In 1986, the actor was a guest star on the "Miami Vice" third season opener, playing an IRA operative; he reprised role of Blackie O'Neill in the syndicated miniseries sequel "Hold That Dream."In 1987, Neeson moved to Los Angeles; featured as a deaf-mute man falsely accused of murder and defended by Cher in "Suspect."In 1988, Neeson had featured roles in "The Good Mother" and "The Dead Pool."In 1990, Neeson made his feature starring debut as the titular tortured antihero of "Darkman." In 1992, the actor made his Broadway debut in "Anna Christie"; featured in the World War II romance "Shining Through" and Woody Allen's "Husbands and Wives."In 1993, Neeson had a title role in "Ethan Frome"; the actor had his breakthrough screen role as Oskar Schindler in "Schindler's List," for which he received a Best Actor Oscar nomination.In 1994, Neeson co-starred with Natasha Richardson and Jodie Foster in "Nell."In 1995, the actor played title role in the Scotland-set historical adventure "Rob Roy."In 1996, Neeson had a featured role as a father whose teenaged son in charged with murder in "Before and After", co-starring Meryl Streep and Edward Furlong; he starred as the title revolutionary in Neil Jordan's controversial film "Michael Collins," opposite Julia Roberts and Aidan Quinn.In 1998, Neeson returned to Broadway playing Oscar Wilde in David Hare's drama "The Judas Kiss"; he starred as Jean Valjean in Bille August's adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic tale of injustice "Les Miserables."In 1999, Neeson played Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn in "Star Wars: Episode I --The Phantom Menace"; the actor portrayed a professor who conducts psychological experiments in Jan De Bont's remake of "The Haunting."In 2002, Neeson appeared with Harrison Ford in the submarine thriller "K19: The Widowmaker"; he also received an Order of the British Empire Award from Queen Elizabeth for his stage and screen career; and he appeared in the highly anticipated Martin Scorsese film "Gangs of New York."Neeson appeared in the large ensemble of writer-director Richard Curtis' romantic comedy "Love Actually" in 2003, playing a recently widowed stepfather who struggles to forge a deeper relationship with his late wife's son. In 2004, Neeson played a noted sex researcher in writer-director Bill Condon's "Kinsey." A year later Neeson returned to film to star in "Kingdom of Heaven," opposite Orlando Bloom.