Liam Neeson - Warrior Sage

[Perd Hapley]

Star Wars, ep. 1

Batman Begins

Why is Liam Neeson the go-to guy when you need ancient martial arts wisdom and a little fencing insruction?  If they made The Highlander today, you know he would have Connery's role.  

Just thinkin'.

[Iain]

It's possibly because he is awesome.

You're right though, he has played a number of roles like that. Kingdom of Heaven is another one off the top of my head.

[roo_ster]

Becasue he is 6'4" tall, or thereabouts, and a good actor who can pull off the martial role in ways that Woody Allen can not.

Also, he has a Brit accent and some folks are impressed by folks with Brit accents.

[Perd Hapley]

Brit accents are awesome.

Hate to compliment Iain, but he's probably got a totally cool accent.  There's got to be some bright side to not being a Yank, though, right?  

I think he can carry of the role just fine, he just seems more suited to Oskar Schindler types.  He was certainly awesome in that one, but it's just an incredible movie all around.

[Iain]

Hate to compliment Iain, but he's probably got a totally cool accent.

That I have. So awesome and lacking in any significant regional variation that most people call me posh. So were I to become an actor and move to Hollywood I'd be guaranteed a lifetime of bad guy roles. Now if you've got a bit of regional variation, touch of Scots or Welsh, then you can aim for leading man. See Eddie Izzard on why the Death Star was full of Brits.

[wingnutx]

He's no Rutger Hauer.

[Perd Hapley]

He's no Rutger Hauer.

Thank goodness.

Iain, I've noticed that Hollywood loves a crafty villian with a foreign accent.  British or Continental; it doesn't matter.  But you are quite right about the Death Star - for Americans, overbearing institutions are going to have a British accent.

[wingnutx]

Eddy Izzard does a great standup routine about the deathstar officers all being british.

[Iain]

But you are quite right about the Death Star - for Americans, overbearing institutions are going to have a British accent.

You're funny. Funny ha ha. (I hate smilies)

[Perd Hapley]

Thanks, but I was being sincere.  I've always noticed it on televison and in movies.  Can't recall many specific examples, though.

[Lo.Com.Denom]

So awesome and lacking in any significant regional variation that most people call me posh. So were I to become an actor and move to Hollywood I'd be guaranteed a lifetime of bad guy roles.

Mate, I was born in Suffolk. The only regional accent you hear less of on TV than the West Country. The only roles I'd get would be "Village Idiot" and "Third Bumpkin On The Left". Fortunately, I can throw out a decent neutral-accent when I'm speaking to someone not from this region. Or someone posh.

Oh, how I would love to play the Death Star Commander, or stalk the hallways of Castle Bounder, an evil sneer perched rakishly upon my top lip...

If oWny Oi cUd PrOIse MoizElf AhfUv ThIs TRaaKTer! Dammit...

*Sob*...

Hold on, isn't Liam Neeson Irish?

[Iain]

I think he is, but he is fairly schooled sounding, but with a bit of a brogue. Just how the BBC likes 'em. Course Channel 4 prefers utterly incomprehensible Geordie, but they are on the lunatic fringe.

Actually, I'm a good Cornish boy, so I should probably have an accent that is less acceptable than yours. We moved around the country enough that I managed to neutralise most of the various influences. Also, back in the mid 80's the perfect vocal role model for any young man aspiring to masculine BBC tones was my own favourite Moira Stewart.

[Perd Hapley]

This inter-Limey accent angst is ridiculous, but I guess we Americans get sensitive about our Minnesota accents and Southern accents, too.  But it does seem the Southern is fairly stylish in some circles - because it seems more declasse.  If you lobsterbacks didn't know, our newsmen aim for the Midwestern "non-accent."

[Iain]

Accent is quite a pronounced thing here. Where I went to university we all turned up with our accents and took the mickey out of the dialects and the way that my friend Simon said 'cook book'. Thing is, back home we were all considered 'posh'.

[Perd Hapley]

Nice pun!

Took the mickey out?

By the way, Iain, you'll always be posh to me.  I guess.

[wingnutx]

Nice pun!
you'll always be posh to me.

I prefer Sporty or Scary, myself.

[lupinus]

Liam rules

In fact, Liam is my pick for the new Dr. Loomis in the halloween prequil/remake coming out next year