Liam Neeson, famously known for playing Bryan Mills in the Taken franchise, spoke with Yahoo Lifestyle about the secret method that has helped him over the years in choosing good scripts. 

Neeson, 71, had performed in Abbey Theater located in Dublin, according to IMDb, during the late ‘70s. After landing several plays there, he picked up a few tricks before he moved over to Hollywood for a bigger career.

Liam Neeson
A couple of dramas and thrillers, like Suspect (1987) in the beginning, and Steven Spielberg took notice; he came along the way to cast him in 1993’s Oscar-winning film Schindler’s List. 

Later down the road, Neeson started playing with many genres, like action and fantasy; the former has since been largely stuck with him as his action films often have the Taken (2008) touch.

The Liam Neeson Way Of Choosing Good Scripts

Liam Neeson has a peculiar way of approaching scripts, he told Yahoo. He likes to call it his “cup of tea test.” Filmmakers, while presenting the story to him, have no choice but to be a part of it.

He recently starred in a noir-style film Marlowe alongside Diane Kruger and the story has shown that it must have been put to the test as well.

Liam Neeson in Marlowe

“Our drama depends on the spoken word. The spoken word depends on writers,” he said. “So whatever that script is, if I get a sense that the writing is very good, then I’m interested in it, you know?”
He highlighted that he doesn’t like to appear in superhero flicks as “they’re everywhere.” Although he respects the genre, he said, “It’s just not my genre.” The only reason he appeared in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins (2005), as he put it to Rolling Stone, was that the film had a noir touch.

Liam Neeson Explained His ‘Cup of Tea Test’

Neeson’s choice of script heavily depends on how much he can bear with it, noted Yahoo. Considering that The Commuter (2018) star is often poked on social media for signing scripts that resemble Taken, he explained the validity of his “cup of tea test.”

Liam Neeson in Schindler’s List (1993)
“I always call it my ‘cup of tea test.’” If my agent sends me a script, and I get to page five and I think, ‘Oh, I must make some tea,’ that’s not a good sign. But if I can get through the whole script, and think ‘Oh, I [must] make some tea!’ Then that’s a yes! It’s a good sign,” he chuckled.
Marlowe follows the story of detective Philip Marlowe who is hired by a rich California-based woman – Diane Kruger, to find her missing lover. The film was released on February 15 in the United States and May 18 internationally.