Liam Neeson got out of his comfort zone for a memorable comedic role alongside Charlize Theron – though he had his limits.
When fans think of role featuring Liam Neeson, rarely does the comedy genre come up. However, in 2014 the actor decided to take a risk, appearing alongside Charlize Theron in Seth MacFarlane’s, A Million Ways To Die In The West. Neeson didn’t regret the role, and it was met with praise.
However, as we’re going to reveal in the following, there was a certain scene he wasn’t eager to shoot alongside Theron, and it meant that his body double had to step in. We’ll reveal why Neeson rejected the scene, and how it played out.
We’re also going to take a look Neeson’s reasoning for accept the role, and how he felt the first time he would read the script.
Finally, we’ll also reveal other stars that had similar experiences to Neeson, refusing to shoot revealing scenes in the comedy genre.
Liam Neeson Admitted To Getting Out Of His Comfort Zone For A Million Ways To Die In The West
A Million Ways to Die in the West got its release in late May of 2014. The project was a different one for Liam Neeson playing the role of Clinch.
With Seth MacFarlane behind the camera, fans got to see a different version of Neeson in the western/comedy. The actor himself admitted it took him out his comfort zone, and he hesitated after reading some of the behaviors of his character.
“When I read the script, it made me giggle a lot, let’s put it that way. And I blushed quite a few times too,” Neeson admitted. “And I thought, ‘No, they’re not going to shoot this.
No, they cannot shoot this. They won’t be allowed to get away with this!’ But they did. It’s ‘Family Guy’ humor.”
Ultimately, Neeson revealed he had one condition for taking on the role, and it referenced a Family Guy moment.
“His main character, the little fat father in ‘Family Guy,’ they were making fun … ‘Imagine Liam Neeson being in a Western. Haha! With that funny accent of his,'” the actor recalled with Today.
“So when Seth called me to ask if I’d do (the movie), I said, ‘I’ll do it on condition that I do it in a very broad Irish accent.’ So he agreed.”
Charlize Theron also appeared in the film in a main role and as she revealed, taking on the project was a must after reading the script. However, there was a certain scene her co-star wasn’t as eager to shoot…
Liam Neeson Called On His Double For A Shot Of His Backside Alongside Charlize Theron
Neeson was willing to poke fun at himself during the comedy role. However, there were limits to what he was willing to do, and partial nudity was one of the limits.
Speaking alongside Watch What Happens Live, Neeson revealed he needed to call in his long-time double to shoot a certain scene with involved the unveiling of his backside.
Neeson’s double would ultimately step in alongside Theron in the scene.
“I said to Mark: ‘Mark, this is a sign of our friendship–would you ever do this scene where Charlize Theron puts a daisy in your butt?”
That seemed to be the only ‘complication’ from Neeson’s standpoint while filming. However, the actor isn’t the first celeb to require a double during a comedy.
We’ve seen this take place on various occasions with some of the biggest A-listers in the industry.
Liam Neeson Was Far From The Only Actor To Require A Double For A Revealing Scene In A Comedy
Isla Fisher put on quite the performance in Wedding Crashers, however, like Neeson, she stepped in during a scene that revealed her backside. According to Fisher, she didn’t feel the need to show herself in a comedy film.
“I feel like if you have a female comic character, and then you see her nipples, then she is no longer funny, which is clearly wrong, but that was my theory, and that’s why I didn’t want to do it.”
Mila Kunis had a similar mind during her role in Friends With Benefits, which also had a scene revealing her backside. She explained why a double had to step in.
“These young ladies came in,” she explained. “They were in a casting room and I was there, the director and the casting director and my makeup artist were there.
And these lovely women had to show us their derrieres and we chose the one that resembled my body the most without looking like it’s fake.”
“I showed side-boob, and I figured I can’t just give away everything all at once,” she joked. “I gotta let it all out in little pieces here and there.”
It turns out, co-star Justin Timberlake wasn’t as bothered, accepting the revealing scenes in the film alongside Kunis.
