Another year, another uncynical, riotously entertaining Liam Neeson action thriller. Which means, another chance we have of sitting down with the man himself. This time he was in London promoting the release of The Commuter, his fourth collaboration with director Jaume Collet-Serra.
Neeson discusses the unadulterated, unrelenting nature of the picture, in which he plays a regular guy thrown into irregular circumstances; tasked with uncovering the identity of a passenger aboard a train before it’s too late. Given the narrative there are plenty of big action sequences too, and we asked the Irish actor about getting in to shape for the role – particularly given he had to lose weight for Scorsese’s Silence.
We then speak about whether he misses being a commuter, just somebody who can blend in and not be stopped. This leads into a chat about the challenges in observing everyday human behaviour; an essential factor in being an actor and reflecting real life, and yet given people act differently around him due to his fame, it isn’t something that is easy to do.
Finally, in line with the film, we wanted to find out about Neeson’s own travelling preferences, playing a short, quick-fire game to find out how the man himself likes to get about.
Watch the full interview below…
Synopsis
Insurance salesman Michael is on his daily commute home, which quickly becomes anything but routine. After being contacted by a mysterious stranger, Michael is forced to uncover the identity of a hidden passenger on the train before the last stop. As he works against the clock to solve the puzzle, he realizes a deadly plan is unfolding, and he is unwittingly caught up in a criminal conspiracy that carries life and death stakes for everyone on the train.
The Commuter is released in cinemas across the UK on January 19th.
