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Liam Neeson’s commanding voice and powerful presence make him the perfect actor for serious and demanding roles. Despite his impressive career trajectory, Neeson could have added one more stellar entry to his filmography. Little did anyone know that Neeson was once the front-runner to play Abraham Lincoln in a Steven Spielberg-helmed biopic.
He poured years into preparing for the role, immersing himself in the life and legacy of the 16th president. But despite all his efforts, he voluntarily stepped away from the project before the cameras even rolled. Continue scrolling to find the reason behind the decision.
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The journey began years before Lincoln hit theaters in 2012. Spielberg, who previously worked with Neeson on Schindler’s List, approached the actor with the idea of playing the titular role. Neeson didn’t take the offer lightly. In his interview with GQ, the actor revealed that for about four years, he studied Lincoln extensively—reading biographies, analyzing historical speeches, and diving deep into the man’s psychology. At that time, the project was envisioned as a traditional cradle-to-grave biopic.
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However, everything shifted when screenwriter Tony Kushner was brought in and the script was reworked to focus solely on Lincoln’s push for the 13th Amendment. The more focused, political angle was brilliant in retrospect, but it didn’t sit right with Neeson. After his wife Natasha Richardson’s tragic death in 2009, grief also weighed heavily on him.
During the interview, Liam Neeson recalled, “We started reading this, and there was an intro, and then I see ‘Lincoln,’ where I have to start speaking, and I just—a thunderbolt moment. I thought, ‘I’m not supposed to be here. This is gone. I’ve passed my sell-by date. I don’t want to play this, Lincoln. I can’t be him.’ So the next two and a half, three hours of reading through it… This extraordinary piece of writing, but it had no connection with me whatsoever. It was a very strange feeling, and it was partly grief. I read very, very poorly by any standards.”
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Even as others complimented his performance, he felt embarrassed, cringing at the praise he didn’t believe he earned. That night, he called Spielberg and dropped out of the project. He shared, “I called Steven, and I said, ‘Steven, this is not for me. I can’t explain it. It’s gone. It’s not…’ And he got it. He said, ‘Okay.’ And that was it.”
In the end, the role went to Daniel Day-Lewis, who went on to win an Oscar for his portrayal. Even though it’s tough to imagine the film without Daniel now, Neeson’s portrayal of Lincoln could have brought an altogether different dynamic to the screen, something that audiences will never get to see.
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