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Liam Neeson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Birth name William John Neeson
Born June 7, 1952 (1952-06-07)
Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Spouse(s) Natasha Richardson (1994-)
Notable roles Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List
Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Michael Collins in Michael Collins
Henri Ducard/Ra's Al Ghul in Batman Begins

Academy Awards

Nominated: Best Actor
1994 Schindler's List
Tony Awards

Nominated: Best Actor in a Play
1993 Anna Christie
2002 The Crucible
Golden Globe Awards

Nominated: Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
1994 Schindler's List
1997 Michael Collins
2005 Kinsey
BAFTA Awards

Nominated: Best Actor in a Leading Role
1994 Schindler's List

William John 'Liam' Neeson OBE (born June 7, 1952) is an Oscar-nominated Irish actor.[1] He is known for his role as Oskar Schindler in the 1993 film Schindler's List, and has since appeared in several popular film series, including the Star Wars prequel trilogy, The Chronicles of Narnia and Batman Begins. He has also continued to play real-life characters, including Michael Collins and Alfred Kinsey.





Biography

Early life

Neeson was born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland to Barnard Neeson, a janitor at the local Catholic girls' school, and Katherine "Kitty" Brown, a cook.[2] He was called Liam, the Irish equivalent to William, after the local priest.[3] He was the third child in the family and the only boy among four siblings; his sisters are Elizabeth, Bernadette and Rosaline.[4] At age nine, Neeson began boxing lessons at the All Saints Youth Club.[5] It was at age eleven that Neeson first stepped on stage. His English teacher gave him the lead role in a school play, which he accepted because the girl he fancied would be starring.[6] From then on, he kept acting in school productions for the following years.[7]

Still boxing at sixteen, he had been Youth Heavyweight Champion of Ireland for three consecutive years, but blackouts made him quit. By then, the same teacher who had cast him in his first lead role, founded a local amateur drama company, the Slemish Players, and Neeson, then seventeen, joined and took his first role, in Philadelphia, Here I Come. It was to be successful and Neeson was later awarded Best Actor at the Larne Drama Festival. At nineteen, Neeson left home for Queen's University of Belfast to study mathematics, computer science and geology but dropped out after two terms.[7]


Career

After leaving university, Neeson returned to Ballymena and worked in a variety of small jobs, from fork-lift operator at Guinness to truck driver. He also worked at a teacher-training college in Newcastle for two years before again returning to his hometown. Neeson would get his first film experience in 1973, playing Jesus Christ in the religious film, Pilgrim's Progress. After a bet from co-workers at the architects' office where he worked, Neeson applied for an audition at the Lyric Players' Theatre in Belfast.[8] After two years there, Neeson moved to Dublin and joined the Abbey Theatre in 1977. In 1980, film-maker John Boorman saw him on stage, acting as Lennie Small in Of Mice and Men, and offered him the part of Sir Gawain in the then-upcoming Arthurian movie, Excalibur. After Excalibur, Neeson moved to London, where he continued working on stage, small budget movies and TV series. He lived with the actress Helen Mirren at this time, who he met working on Excalibur.[9] Between 1982 and 1987, Neeson starred in five films; mostly notably alongside Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins in 1984's The Bounty.

In 1987, Neeson made a conscious decision to move to Hollywood in order to star in high-profile roles.[9] That year, he starred alongside Cher and Dennis Quaid in crime thriller, Suspect. The role would bring Neeson the critics' applause but it was in 1990's Darkman that would bring his name to the public attention. Although the film gained success, Neeson's following years would not give him the same recognition. In 1993, he joined Ellis Island co-star, and future wife, Natasha Richardson in the Broadway play, Anna Christie. Director Steven Spielberg, impressed by his performance, offered him the coveted role of Oskar Schindler, in the upcoming film about The Holocaust, Schindler's List.[10] His critically acclaimed performance later earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor; however, the award went to Tom Hanks for his performance in Philadelphia. Neeson also garnered BAFTA and Golden Globes nominations for Schindler's List.

Schindler's List established Neeson as a widely sought after leading actor. He later starred in period pieces Rob Roy (1995) and Michael Collins (1996), the latter earning him another Golden Globes nomination and a win for Best Starring Role at the Venice Film Festival. Neeson went onto star as Jean Valjean in the 1998 adaptation of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables and in The Haunting as Dr. David Marrow. In 1999, Neeson took on the role as Obi-Wan Kenobi's mentor, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, in George Lucas' much anticipated Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. His voice would later be used in Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Neeson was to appear in the third prequel, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith as a Force Ghost, but a motorcycle accident prevented this and instead the character was mentioned only. Due to his height (6 ft 4 in), Neeson cost the film-makers an additional $150,000 in set design on The Phantom Menace.

Neeson narrated the 2001 documentaries Journey Into Amazing Caves and The Endurance: Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure. After being nominated for a Tony Award for his role opposite Laura Linney in The Crucible, Neeson teamed up with Harrison Ford in Kathryn Bigelow's submarine thriller K-19: The Widowmaker (2002) as Captain Mikhail Polenin and appeared in Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York (with Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz and Daniel Day-Lewis). He also played a recently widowed writer in Richard Curtis' ensemble comedy Love Actually (2003).[11] His role as Alfred Kinsey in Kinsey again put Neeson up for nomination for a Golden Globe Award but he lost out to Leonardo DiCaprio for The Aviator.

In 2004, Neeson hosted episode of the NBC sketch show Saturday Night Live. He starred as a redneck trucker, Marlon Weaver, in an "Appalachian Emergency Room" sketch and a hippie in a one-off sketch about two stoners (the other played by Amy Poehler) who attempt to borrow a police dog in order to find their lost stash of marijuana. Despite vowing not to play any characters who were Irish stereotypes, Neeson did play a stereotypically Irish man named Lorken McArdle in the home makeover show parody "You Call This A House, Do Ya?"[12] In 2005, Neeson could be seen playing Godfrey of Ibelin, in Ridley Scott's epic adventure Kingdom of Heaven, Henri Ducard in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins and as Father Bernard in Neil Jordan's adaptation of Patrick McCabe's novel, Breakfast on Pluto. Also in 2005, he voiced the role of a kindly priest on The Simpsons, who converted Bart and Homer to Catholicism.[13] That same year, he gave his voice to the lion Aslan in the blockbuster fantasy film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.[14]

In 2007, Neeson starred in the American Civil War epic Seraphim Falls alongside Pierce Brosnan and Angelica Huston. He is also set to star as Abraham Lincoln in a film directed by Steven Spielberg.[15] In preparation for the role, Neeson visited Washington, D.C. and read Lincoln's personal letters. He also visited Ford's Theatre, where the President was shot.[16] He will again give his voice to Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008).[17] Neeson's voice will also be featured in the video game, Fallout 3.[18] The executive producer of the game, Todd Howard, said "This role was written with Liam in mind, and provides the dramatic tone for the entire game,"[19] This is Neeson's second time voicing a video game character; his first was as Henri Ducard in the 2005 adaption of Batman Begins.

Personal life

Since July 3, 1994, Neeson has been married to actress Natasha Richardson, daughter of the late director Tony Richardson and screen legend Vanessa Redgrave. She is also a sister to Joely Richardson and a member of the theatrical Redgrave family. They have two sons, Micheál Richard Antonio (born June 22, 1995) and Daniel Jack (born August 28, 1996). The family home is in exurban Millbrook, New York. Neeson turned down the 'Freedom of the town of Ballymena' offered to him by Ballymena Borough Council, because of objections made by members of the Democratic Unionist Party about his comments that he had felt like a 'second-class citizen' growing up in the town.

Neeson was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in her 1999 New Year's Honours List.

"Female Mechanic"

Molly arrives home quite late one night and says to her worried husband Irving, "Sorry I am late. I had to come home by train, as I could not get my car to start. But I am sure I know why."

"So what is the problem then, my mechanical engineer of a wife?" asks Irving.

"I think there is water in the carburetor," replies Molly.

"How on earth can you know that?" says Irving. "You don't even know how to open the hood or to change the time on the car's clock yet alone know where the carburetor is."

"Maybe so," says Molly, "but I still think there is water in it."

Irving then says, "OK, I'll go along with you. Let's check it out right now. Where did you leave the car?"

Molly replies, "In the lake!"

Good morning, WA2K radio fans.

Hey, hawkman, welcome back. We missed your bio's yesterday, Boston.

Hmmm, folks. Molly sounds like a great person to keep out of the garage, right. Thanks for the funny, honey. Great background today, and I was especially interested to find that Jerry Lewis is still with us although quite ill.

Until our Raggedy arrives, here is a song by Dean.

This one is dedicated to Robby.

Artist: Dean Martin
Song: Volare


Volare, oh oh
Cantare, oh oh oh oh
Let's fly way up to the clouds
Away from the maddening crowds
We can sing in the glow of a star that I know of
Where lovers enjoy peace of mind
Let us leave the confusion and all disillusion behind
Just like birds of a feather, a rainbow together we'll find

Volare, oh oh
E cantare, oh oh oh oh
No wonder my happy heart sings
Your love has given me wings
Penso che un sogno cosi non ritorni mai piu
Mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia di blu
Poi d'improvviso venivo dal vento rapido
E incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito

Volare, oh oh
E cantare, oh oh oh oh
Nel blu, dipinto di blu
Felice di stare lassu
E volavo, volavo felice piu in alto del sole ed ancora piu su
Mentre il mondo pian piano spariva lontano laggiu
Una musica dolce suonava soltanto per me

Volare, oh oh
E cantare, oh oh oh oh
No wonder my happy heart sings
Your love has given me wings
Nel blu, dipinto di blu
Felice di stare lassu

Good morning WA2K.

Arriving with the picture gallery

Ah, folks, it's so nice to see our Raggedy's bright smile. It really makes the day less gloomy, right?

Thanks, PA. for the wonderful collage of celeb's.

We're looking at Jessica, Dino, Tom, Liam, and Prince. I think we know all your visages today, speckled pup.

How about one from Prince. (wish our Prince would return)

Prince - Purple Rain Lyrics

I never meant to cause you any sorrow
I never meant to cause you any pain
I only wanted one time to see you laughing
I only want to see you laughing in the purple rain
purple rain, purple rain (3x)
I only want to see you bathing in the purple rain

I never wanted to be your weekend lover
I only wanted to be some kind of friend
baby I could never steal you from another
it's such a shame our friendship had to end
purple rain, purple rain (3x)
I only want to see you underneath the purple rain
honey, I know, I know, I know times are changing
it's time we all reach out for something new, that means you too
you say you want a leader,
but you can't seem to make up your mind
I think you better close it
and let me guide you into the purple rain
purple rain, purple rain (3x)
I only want to see you, only want to see you
in the purple rain

She comes on like a rose but everybody knows
She'll get you in Dutch
Now you can look but you better not touch

Poison iv-y-y-y-y, poison iv-y-y-y-y
Late at night while you're sleepin' poison ivy comes a'creepin'
Arou-ou-ou-ou-ou-ound

She's pretty as a daisy but look out man she's crazy
She'll really do you in
Now if you let her under your skin

Poison iv-y-y-y-y, poison iv-y-y-y-y
Late at night while you're sleepin' poison ivy comes a'creepin'
Arou-ou-ou-ou-ou-ound

Measles make you bumpy
And mumps'll make you lumpy
And chicken pox'll make you jump and twitch
A common cold'll fool ya
And whooping cough'll cool ya
But poison ivy, Lord'll make you itch!!

You're gonna need an ocean of calamine lotion
You'll be scratchin' like a hound
The minute you start to mess around

Poison iv-y-y-y-y, poison iv-y-y-y-y
Late at night while you're sleepin' poison ivy comes a'creepin'
Arou-ou-ou-ou-ou-ound

Measles make you bumpy
And mumps'll make you lumpy
And chicken pox'll make you jump and twitch
A common cold'll fool ya
And whooping cough'll cool ya
But poison ivy, Lord'll make you itch!!

You're gonna need an ocean of calamine lotion
You'll be scratchin' like a hound
The minute you start to mess around

Poison iv-y-y-y-y, poison iv-y-y-y-y
Late at night while you're sleepin' poison ivy comes a'creepin'
Arou-ou-ou-ou-ou-ound


la da la da la da
la da la da la da
la da la da la da
la da la da la da

Coasters

Great song, Texas, and here's an oddity. I have had every one of those things except whooping cough. Thing of it is, folks, I can remember them all.

There is such a thing as poison sumac, and in searching found this one.

Yma Sumac

I Wonder

I wonder, I wonder,
I wonder why each little bird has a someone
To sing to, sweet things to,
A gay little love melody

I wonder, I wonder,
I wonder if my heart keeps singing,
Will my song go winging
To someone, who'll find me
And bring back a love song to me.

Yma could hit, I think, 7 octaves.

Yes, edgar, she had an amazing range; unfortunately, I cannot find the lyrics to any of her music.



I had to settle for this, folks.

Amazing the similarities in all religions.

Lord Wiracocha,

Who says

"Let there be day, let there be night!"

Who says,

"Let there be dawn, let it grow light!"

Who makes the Sun, your son,

move happy and blessed each day,

so that man whom you have made has light:

My Wiracocha,

shine on your Inca people,

illuminate your servants,

whom you have shepherded,

let them live

happy and blessed

preserve them

in peace,

free of sickness, free of pain.

Positively Fourth Street

You got a lotta nerve
To say you are my friend
When I was down
You just stood there grinning

You got a lotta nerve
To say you got a helping hand to lend
You just want to be on
The side that's winning

You say I let you down
You know it's not like that
If you're so hurt
Why then don't you show it

You say you lost your faith
But that's not where it's at
You had no faith to lose
And you know it

I know the reason
That you talk behind my back
I used to be among the crowd
You're in with

Do you take me for such a fool
To think I'd make contact
With the one who tries to hide
What he don't know to begin with

You see me on the street
You always act surprised
You say, "How are you?" "Good luck"
But you don't mean it

When you know as well as me
You'd rather see me paralyzed
Why don't you just come out once
And scream it

No, I do not feel that good
When I see the heartbreaks you embrace
If I was a master thief
Perhaps I'd rob them

And now I know you're dissatisfied
With your position and your place
Don't you understand
It's not my problem

I wish that for just one time
You could stand inside my shoes
And just for that one moment
I could be you

Yes, I wish that for just one time
You could stand inside my shoes
You'd know what a drag it is
To see you


Bob Dylan

Well, edgar, that must have been one of Bob's "I Hate Women" days.

I cannot believe that Hank Snow sang The Blue Danube; however, listeners, he refuses to disclose the lyrics.

This one is for J.M. and M.D.

The Turtles

HAPPY TOGETHER

Imagine me and you I do

I think about you day and night

It's only right

To think about the girl you love

And hold her tight

So happy together

If I should call you up invest a dime

And you say you belong to me

And ease my mind

Imagine how the world could be

So very fine

So happy together

I can see me lovin' nobody but you

For all my life

When you're with me baby the skies'll be blue

For all my life

Me and you and you and me

No matter how they toss the dice

It had to be

The only one for me is you

And you for me

So happy together

I can see me lovin' nobody but you

For all my life

I didn't think of the Dylan song as gender specific. But, I believe he was writing that shortly after an argument with another musician.

Well, edgar, I trust you on that one. Here's the first Bob Dylan song that I ever heard, and I immediately liked it.

Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Whatever colors you have in your mind
I'll show them to you and you'll see them shine

Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Stay, lady, stay, stay with your man awhile
Until the break of day, let me see you make him smile
His clothes are dirty but his hands are clean
And you're the best thing that he's ever seen

Stay, lady, stay, stay with your man awhile
Why wait any longer for the world to begin
You can have your cake and eat it too
Why wait any longer for the one you love
When he's standing in front of you

Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Stay, lady, stay, stay while the night is still ahead
I long to see you in the morning light
I long to reach for you in the night
Stay, lady, stay, stay while the night is still.

I know you don't want an all Dylan evening. However, the first time I heard his voice, this was the song.:

"Blowin' In The Wind"

How many roads most a man walk down
Before you call him a man ?
How many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand ?
Yes, how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they're forever banned ?
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Yes, how many years can a mountain exist
Before it's washed to the sea ?
Yes, how many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free ?
Yes, how many times can a man turn his head
Pretending he just doesn't see ?
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Yes, how many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky ?
Yes, how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry ?
Yes, how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died ?
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

edgar, I don't think that there is anyone in our listening audience who doesn't like Dylan, Texas. I didn't realize that he had done that one.

I have learned to like so many different artists, folks.

Here's one by Davie Bowie.

David Bowie - Song For Bob Dylan Lyrics


Oh, hear this Robert Zimmerman
I wrote a song for you
About a strange young man
called Dylan
With a voice like sand and glue
His words of truthful vengeance
They could pin us to the floor
Brought a few more people on
And put the fear in a whole lot more

Ah, Here she comes
Here she comes
Here she comes again
The same old painted lady
From the brow of a superbrain
She'll scratch this world to pieces
As she comes on like a friend
But a couple of songs
From your old scrapbook
Could send her home again

You gave your heart to every bedsit room
At least a picture on my wall
And you sat behind a million pair of eyes
And told them how they saw
Then we lost your train of thought
The paintings are all your own
While troubles are rising
We'd rather be scared
Together than alone

Ah, Here she comes...[etc.]

Now hear this Robert Zimmerman
Though I don't suppose we'll meet
Ask your good friend Dylan
If he'd gaze a while
down the old street
Tell him we've lost his poems
So they're writing on the walls
Give us back our unity
Give us back our family
You're every nation's refugee
Don't leave us with their sanity

Ah, Here she comes....[etc.]

A lot of folks were disappointed when Dylan switched from protest songs to love songs and more esoteric subjects. But, behind it all, he has remained remarkably consistent, in my view.

Well, edgar. The times they are a changing, and I would expect Dylan to do the same.

Time for me to say goodnight, and I think I shall do it via Beethoven.

Joyful, joyful we adore thee
God of glory, Lord of love;
hearts unfold like flowers before thee,
opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
drive the dark of doubt away.
Giver of immortal gladness,
fill us with the light of day!

All thy works with joy surround thee,
earth and heaven reflect thy rays,
stars and angels sing around thee,
center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
flowery meadow, flashing sea,
chanting bird and flowing fountain,
call us to rejoice in thee.

Thou art giving and forgiving,
ever blessing, ever blest,
well-spring of the joy of living,
ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our brother,
all who live in love are thine;
teach us how to love each other,
lift us to the joy divine.
Mortals, join the mighty chorus
which the morning stars began;
love divine is reigning o'er us,
binding all within its span.
Ever singing, march we onward,
victors in the midst of strife;
joyful music leads us sunward,
in the triumph song of life.

From Letty with love

Van Morrison - Gloria

(Van Morrison)

Wanna tell about my baby
Lord, you know she comes around
About five feet four
From her head to the ground

Well, she comes around here
Just about midnight, hu!
Make me feel so good
Make me feel all right.

And her name is G. (G) L. (L) O. (O) R, (R) I. (I). yi-yi-yi-yi
G.L.O.R.I.A. (Gloria)
G.L.O.R.I.A. (Gloria)
I'm wanna shout it ev'ry night (Gloria)
I'm wanna shout it ev'ry day (Gloria)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, all right

[Instrumental]

She comes around here, hu!
Til about midnight
Makin' me feel so good, hu!
Make me feel all right, hu!

Walkin' down my street, hu!
Comes in my room, hu!
Knocks upon my door
Then she comes in my room

Baby, baby
Baby, baby
Baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby

Baby, baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby, hu! hu!

Hu! baby
Hey babe!
Hey babe!

Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

Hey! baby
Used to play prissy uh! Good God
Used to play prissy, good God
Used to play prissy, good God
All prissy

G.L.O.R.I.A (Gloria)
G.L.O.R.I.A (Gloria)

I wanna shout it ev'ry night (Gloria)
I wanna shout it ev'ry day (Gloria)
Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah, all right (Gloria)

And it's all right (Gloria)
And it's all right (Gloria)
And it's all right (Gloria)
It's gonna be all right (Gloria)

It's gonna be all right (Gloria)
Gonna be, gonna be, gonna be, gonna be
Gonna be, gonna be, gonna be, gonna be, all right
(Gloria)
Be all, be (Gloria)

Hey!

[Instrumental to end]

Yellow Submarine

In the town where I was born,
Lived a man who sailed to sea,
And he told us of his life,
In the land of submarines,

So we sailed up to the sun,
Till we found a sea of green,
And we lived beneath the waves,
In our yellow submarine,

We all live in a yellow submarine,
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine,
We all live in a yellow submarine,
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine,

And our friends are all aboard,
Many more of them live next door,
And the band begins to play.

(Trumpets play)

We all live in a yellow submarine,
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine,
We all live in a yellow submarine,
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine,

(weird sounds)

As we live a life of ease,
Everyone of us is all we need (is all we need)
Sky of blue (sky of blue) and sea of green (sea of green)
In our yellow (in our yellow) submarine (submarine. Blaaaha)

We all live in a yellow submarine,
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine,
We all live in a yellow submarine,
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine,

We all live in a yellow submarine,
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine.(fade)

The Beatles