{"id":699556,"date":"2026-07-19T06:25:40","date_gmt":"2026-07-19T06:25:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/699556\/"},"modified":"2026-07-19T06:25:40","modified_gmt":"2026-07-19T06:25:40","slug":"the-actor-liam-neeson-crowned-americas-greatest-movie-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/699556\/","title":{"rendered":"The actor Liam Neeson crowned America\u2019s greatest movie star"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Liam<\/p>\n

Credit: Far Out \/ Alamy<\/p>\n

Fri 17 July 2026 7:54, UK <\/p>\n

Of all the great Irish actors who have found success in America, you could argue that Liam Neeson<\/a> sits at the top of the tree.<\/p>\n

While Cillian Murphy, Colin Farrell, Saoirse Ronan, and many others have risen through the global ranks, Neeson embodies the old school notion of a true movie star in every sense. He is a transcendent presence who rightfully belongs among Hollywood\u2019s elite.<\/p>\n

Between Star Wars: Episode I \u2013 The Phantom Menace, Schindler\u2019s List, Christopher Nolan\u2019s Dark Knight movies, and countless other major projects, the boy from Ballymena has earned legions of fans and made a lot of people very rich with his ability to draw a crowd.<\/p>\n

Neeson\u2019s remarkable career has brought him into contact with some of the biggest stars from his adopted home. In fact, with a prolific 100+ features under his wing, not to mention comedy cameos in the likes of Life\u2019s Too Short, he\u2019s worked with everyone there is to work with and has surely met everyone else at various industry parties and talk show recordings. <\/p>\n

But of all these stars, one stands out to him as uniquely charismatic and crafted. When it comes to his favourite American superstar, however, there\u2019s only one choice for Liam: the incomparable Denzel Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Denzel<\/a>Credit: Far Out \/ PhilipRomanoPhoto<\/p>\n

\u201cDenzel\u2019s a fantastic actor, probably our greatest movie star in this country, I think,\u201d he told Slash Film<\/a>, comparing the Oscar winner to the likes of Burt Lancaster and Robert Mitchum. \u201cI\u2019ve seen him on stage. I\u2019ve seen a lot of his films. Love those Equalizer films. I mean, Antoine Fuqua, love those movies. Denzel could do that, too. He can show a strength and a solidity and touch on the vulnerability, which is incredibly watchful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rip-roaring yet surprisingly nuanced, 2014\u2019s The Equalizer, directed by the aforementioned Fuqua, is the first in a series of three movies based on the 1980s TV show of the same name. Washington played Robert McCall (taking over from Edward Woodward), a retired soldier-turned-vigilante who ends up protecting a young sex worker from the mafia. <\/p>\n

Further reading: Cutting Room Floor<\/p>\n

It was a big hit and spawned two more films over the next nine years, as well as a spin-off TV show starring Queen Latifah. The trio of movies have, in fact, earned well over $500million at the box office since the first arrived in 2014, and in all likelihood, one of them will be on TV tonight if you\u2019ve got the action channels or ITV4.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s interesting that Neeson should gravitate towards the Equalizer franchise, as it holds a number of similarities to his own Taken series<\/a>. Both lead characters \u2013 Washington\u2019s McCall and Neeson\u2019s Brian Mills \u2013 are former intelligence officers trying to live normal lives post-retirement. <\/p>\n

They both get drawn back into a seedy underworld when a young woman is threatened \u2013 McCall\u2019s friend and Mills\u2019 daughter \u2013 and both exceed stereotypes about their age to rescue their charges and kick loads of ass in the process. Taken also generated two sequels and a spin-off TV show. Unfortunately, that was cancelled after two seasons, as opposed to The Equalizer\u2019s five. Washington 1 \u2013 0 Neeson. <\/p>\n

Though they\u2019ve done battle with each other in the past \u2013 The Equalizer opened against Neeson\u2019s movie, A Walk Among the Tombstones \u2013 the two acting titans have never appeared in a movie together. Considering how long they\u2019ve both been active and how many incredible series they\u2019ve been a part of, it boggles the mind that the two haven\u2019t somehow worked on the same project. Maybe that \u2018McCall vs. Mills\u2019 rivalry is more real that we thought. <\/p>\n

He might still be waiting on his chance to work with his idol, but Neeson\u2019s praise towards Washington is entirely earned. As a no-nonsense man of action, a historical hero, or very occasionally a campy villain<\/a>, Washington is dazzling every single time he appears on screen. He embodies so much of what it means to be not only an actor but a movie star, too, and it\u2019s nice to see that his contemporaries adore him just as much as the general public does.<\/p>\n

A lot of this all comes down to Washington\u2019s natural draw, too, As Mila Kunis reflected after working with him, \u201cWhether you know who Denzel Washington is or you don\u2019t, when he walks into the room, you\u2019re going to pay attention, because he\u2019s just such a powerful man.\u201d Well, he certainly seems to have caught Neeson\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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