In this first biography of the immensely talented Liam Neeson, the star of such critically acclaimed films as Schindler's List, Nell, and Rob Roy, Ingrid Millar traces his ascent from local unknown to Hollywood heartthrob. An outstanding Oscar-nominated performance in Steven Spielberg's award-winning Schindler's List catapulted the Irish actor to international stardom after a distinguished career in theater and film.
Raised in a close-knit family in Ballymena, Ireland, young Liam was a quiet youth who excelled at amateur boxing before joining a local theater group, He soon landed a chance part at Belfast's Lyric Theatre and eventually moved to the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, where director John Boorman cast him in Excalibur in 1981. Neeson's career blossomed, as did his romance with acclaimed British actress Helen Mirren, who aided his transition into the world of London drama.
Their affair lasted four years, and Neeson soon felt ready to tackle a new challenge: Hollywood. Neeson found steady work in film and television in L.A., and his amorous involvements with Julia Roberts, Brooke Shields, and Barbra Streisand fueled the Hollywood rumor mill. The big breakthrough in Neeson's career, however, came with his debut on Broadway in 1993 in Anna Christie, for which he garnered a Tony nomination. Seeing Neeson's performance clinched Spielberg's decision to cast him as the lead in Schindler's List. The play led to another momentous occasion in Neeson's life; cast opposite him was Natasha Richardson, whom he later married and costarred with in Jodie Foster's Nell.
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