LIAM NEESON

HOLLYWOOD actor Liam Neeson caused a bit of a fuss when he confessed that, after a woman he knew was raped, he thought about killing a random “black bastard”.

The rumpus has provoked much debate and even Piers Morgan – normally shy about revealing his opinions – has waded in.

But what do we really know about Irishman Liam?

Here are 10 things you may not have known about him… LIAM was named after a priest in his home town of Ballymena in Northern Ireland. AT the age of nine, he started taking boxing lessons at the All Saints Youth Club and became a champion in his province. NEESON credits the Rev Ian Paisley with inspiring him to act. He said of the firebrand cleric: “He had a magnificent presence, and it was incredible to watch him just Bible- thumping away… it was acting, but it was also great acting and stirring, too.” HE studied physics and computer science at Queen’s University in Belfast. WHILE at university he had a trial for Dublin- based soccer club Bohemian FC. AFTER his stint at university, Liam worked at the Guinness Brewery as a fork- lift operator. NEESON moved to Hollywood after guest starring in the third season of TV cop series in 1986. HE used to live with actress Dame Helen Mirren. They met on the set of the saucy Arthurian epic Excalibur. DIRECTOR Michael Bay told animators to seek inspiration from Liam Neeson when creating Optimus Prime’s body language in 2007 flick NEESON admits that he’s scared of heights – he tried to conquer his fears by climbing a 3,000ft peak called Mollie’s Nipple in Utah.