Liam Neeson says he planned racist violence

Actor now 'ashamed' of his behaviour

by Jennie Kermode

Liam Neeson plays Viola Davis' husband in Widows
Liam Neeson plays Viola Davis' husband in Widows

In an extraordinary interview with the Independent, Liam Neeson has revealed that he once stalked the streets of London looking for a 'black bastard' he could assault. The actor, who says that his behaviour was a response to a friend telling him she had been raped by a black man, now says that he is ashamed of how he behaved.

Neeson, who has starred in several films on the theme of revenge and is shortly to appear on the big screen in Cold Pursuit, praised the way his friend dealt with the rape. His own response, he said, was to carry a cosh and walk around hoping that a black man would pick a fight with him so that he could kill him.

"I eventually thought, 'What the fuck are you doing?'" he said.

Growing up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, Neeson was in close contact with people who sought to solve their problems with violence, and says that what he saw there taught him that violence solves nothing. He said that the desire for revenge when a loved on is hurt is something 'primal' but has yet to comment on the racist aspect of his behaviour.

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