James Bond is one of those iconic roles that most actors dream of playing. But Liam Neeson turned it down because of an ultimatum that Natasha Richardson, his then-future wife, had given him. And recently, he opened up about this decisive moment when he chose love over anything else.
Liam Neeson was the top choice for James Bond.
The 70-year-old star revealed that back in the ’90s, he was approached multiple times by one of the producers of the James Bond films, Barbara Broccoli, who asked him whether he was willing to take on the role of 007.
Around that time, Neeson had started to become a star, having just received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his performance in Schindler’s List.
And a few months before Schindler’s List was released in December 1993, the actor had also found love, having met actress Natasha Richardson while they were both starring in a Broadway show together.
During a recent interview, Neeson recalled the time when he was offered the role of James Bond. He shared, ’’I know the Broccolis. They looked at a bunch of actors.’’ He went on to explain, ’’Schindler’s List had come out and Barbara had called me a couple of times to ask if I was interested.’’
Neeson, who was eager to grasp this great opportunity, replied, ’’Yes, I would be interested.’’
