Those who have seen 63-year-old action star Liam Neeson recently might be worried that he is suffering from a serious health issue because he looks extremely frail, but Neeson wants to assure everybody that his dramatic weight loss was intentional for his new movie "Silence."
Neeson told ET Online that he lost 20 pounds for Martin Scorsese's "Silence," and so did other stars of the film Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield.
"Martin wanted us all to look a bit more gaunt, which (stars Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield) did as well," Neeson explained during the 4th Annual Los Cabos International Film Festival. "I know Adam went to the extreme. He's an ex-Marine, and when he's given an order, he follows it through. He was like something out of Auschwitz."
"Silence" is all about two 17th century Jesuit priests, played by Driver and Garfield, who face persecution when they travel to Japan to look for their mentor and try to spread Christianity.
Neeson, on the other hand, plays Father Cristóvão Ferreira, another priest who suffers from persecution because of his faith.
The "Taken" star said that there are many challenges in making the film aside from the weight loss. They also had to contend with a 6.1 earthquake in Taiwan, which delayed production.
Neeson considers it as the "most terrifying moment of my life." Scorsese's strict working methods is another challenge entirely, and Neeson said that it is nothing to laugh at either.
"Martin requires this level of (dedication) and I think it pays off," Neeson shared. "He require(s) absolute silence on set, like everybody has to stop work when he's giving a direction or explaining a scene. I mean everybody."
He is so specific about his setting requirements that "the guy that's painting 400 yards away has to stop. If he hears one tiny sound, it's shattered for him, so he commands that respect. He commands that silence, and especially for this film, it was necessary," said Neeson.
Despite the hard work and sacrifices involved in making the film, Neeson said that he would not pass up the chance to be a part of it for anything.
"Who's going to turn down a job with Martin Scorsese?" he said. "He's a very special director and for actors he's exceptional. His level of concentration and focus, what he prepares for the actors before you come on set is just wonderful."
