Liam Neeson never imagined becoming a Hollywood star

Liam Neeson has exceeded his own expectations in the movie business.

The 70-year-old actor joined the Lyric Players' Theatre in Belfast in 1976, and at the time, he never imagined becoming a huge star in Hollywood.

Liam - whose new movie, 'Marlowe', is the 100th of his career - told HeyUGuys: "You know, I was delighted to become a professional actor in 1976, in a theatre in Belfast and then moved down to Dublin.

"I think my ambitions then would've been, 'Wouldn't it be great to be in the National Theatre of Great Britain'. That would've been my ambition."

Liam's career was transformed by his starring role in the Sir John Boorman-directed medieval fantasy film 'Excalibur'.

The movie was released in 1981 and it helped to propel Liam towards success in the American film business.

He recalled: "We did 'Excalibur' with the wonderful Sir John Boorman ... knights in shining armour and riding horses and stuff ... and it was like, euphoric, the feeling. It was euphoric, and John was a fantastic mentor."

Liam previously described making the movie as a "great" experience.

The veteran actor shared: "That was extraordinary, because it had Helen Mirren and Nicol Williamson, who is dead now, God rest his soul. An extraordinary actor. There we are, all dressed in shining suits of armour and on horseback. It was like a dream come true, you know? Telling this Arthurian myth, this story that’s thousands of years old. It was just something.

"And to be shooting it in Ireland, it was just great.

"John Boorman, who was the director, was a wonderful mentor to us, Gabriel Byrne, Ciaran Hinds, myself. He’d bring us behind the camera, show us what he’s looking at, give the reason why he’s shooting it this way, and just explaining what the camera does, the different ways he was going to shoot us."