Liam Neeson's Real Name: William John Neeson

Quick answer: Liam Neeson's birth name is William John Neeson. He was born on June 7, 1952, in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. "Liam" is a short form of William, and he has been billed by that name throughout his career. He earned an Oscar nomination for Schindler's List (1993) and became an action star with Taken (2008) (Library of Congress; Britannica).

Real name and early life

The Library of Congress name authority files him as "Neeson, Liam" and lists "Neeson, William John" as a variant. Its citation notes read "b. William John Neeson, June 7, 1952, Ballymena, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland." Britannica's quick facts give his name in full as William Neeson.

Britannica says he was an accomplished boxer when he was young. He entered Queen's University Belfast to study physics and computer science but left after a year. He then worked as a forklift driver and began training to be a teacher. He took drama classes and, in 1976, joined Belfast's Lyric Players Theatre. Two years later he moved to Dublin's Abbey Theatre.

Career highlights

His screen debut was the religious film Christiana (1979). Playing Sir Gawain in Excalibur (1981) led to supporting parts in The Bounty, The Mission, and Suspect. His first lead came in Darkman (1990). His 1992 Broadway debut in Anna Christie caught Steven Spielberg's attention, and Spielberg cast him as Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List. The role earned him an Academy Award nomination for best actor.

He followed with Nell, Rob Roy, Michael Collins, and Jean Valjean in Les Misérables (1998). He played Oscar Wilde on stage in The Judas Kiss and a Jedi master in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999). He appeared in Gangs of New York, Love Actually, Kinsey, Kingdom of Heaven, and Batman Begins, and he voiced Aslan in the Chronicles of Narnia films.

Taken (2008), in which he played an ex-CIA agent rescuing his kidnapped daughter, made him an action lead and produced two sequels. Thrillers including Unknown, The Grey, Non-Stop, and Run All Night followed, along with Zeus in Clash of the Titans, General Douglas MacArthur in Operation Chromite, and the title creature in A Monster Calls. He was married to actress Natasha Richardson from 1994 until her death in 2009.

Name notes for searchers

Liam is a short form of William, not a separate legal name. Searches for "William Neeson" or "William John Neeson" refer to the same actor. He is 6 feet 4 inches (1.9 meters) tall, a detail Britannica says helped make him a commanding screen presence.