Liam Neeson in Michael Collins

Liam Neeson has become one of the most famous Irish actors of all time. Raised in a Catholic family in Ballymena, Co Antrim, Neeson took Hollywood by storm and to this day remains one of the most prolific actors in the business.

Having started his acting career in 1976 when he joined Belfast’s Lyric Theatre, he made his screen debut in Pilgrim’s Progress in 1978. Since then, he has starred in massive franchises and hugely successful blockbuster hits.

The Northern Ireland native even went on to be nominated for an Oscar in 1994. Here are five essential Liam Neeson films to watch.

Love, Actually (2003)

Neeson appears among a stacked cast in the 2003 Richard Curtis Christmas-themed rom-com Love, Actually. Neeson pulls at our heartstrings in the film, playing a grieving widower on a mission to help his stepson woo a classmate.

It’s a role we’re not used to seeing Neeson in as he has made a career out of action and serious drama films. But he proves that he has diversity by portraying a warm, doting stepdad in this beloved rom-com.

Liam Neeson in Love, Actually

Michael Collins (1996)

1996’s Michael Collins saw Neeson play the titular character, a hero in the fight for Irish freedom. It is an essential watch for anyone proud of their Irishness and Neeson’s passionate performance comes across as incredibly impactful.

Liam Neeson in Michael Collins

Schindler’s List (1993)

Among Neeson’s more chilling performances is 1993’s Schindler’s List. Oskar Schindler was a German industrialist and member of the Nazi party.

After seeing the persecution of Jewish people in Poland, he attempts to rescue his Jewish colleagues from the same fate. The film scooped the Academy Award for Best Picture and saw Neeson receive his first and only Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

Liam Neeson stars in Steven Spielberg’s ‘Schindler’s List’ (1993) (Image: Universal Pictures)

Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace (1999)

Liam Neeson is just one of the Irish connections to the Star Wars franchise. If you are a Liam Neeson fan but you’re new to the Star Wars franchise, fear not.

Chronologically, The Phantom Menace is the first film in the series of events that make up the Star Wars saga. Neeson plays Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, the mentor to Obi-Wan Kenobi and the person who discovers the potential of Anakin Skywalker, who we know later becomes Darth Vader.

Qui-Gon Jinn portrayed by Liam Neeson in the 1999 film Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

Taken (2008)

Perhaps the role Neeson is now best known for is 2008’s Taken. It became such as cultural phenomenon that the line “I will look for you, I will find you and I will kill you” has become a well-known meme and phrase that people instantly recognize when they hear it.

In the action-packed thriller, Neeson plays ex-Secret Service agent Bryan Mills whose daughter is kidnapped and trafficked while on a trip to Paris. Mills heads on a mission to save her in this tense action flick, which turned into a franchise with two sequels.

Liam Neeson in Taken