Kevin Costner Admits Desire for Liam Neeson’s Most Famous Role
Kevin Costner Once Vied for Liam Neeson’s Favorite Role—But It Was Never Meant to Be
Kevin Costner and Liam Neeson may come from different corners of the world, but when it comes to their on-screen personas, they’re not worlds apart. Both actors are tall, stoic, and known for portraying rugged, principled men—whether as fathers, mentors, action heroes, or authority figures. Over the years, they’ve carved out careers built on similar archetypes, often operating in the same Hollywood orbit.
Costner was one of the biggest movie stars of the late 1980s and early 1990s, but as his star dimmed in the years that followed, Neeson’s career soared—especially after Taken redefined him as a late-blooming action icon. Given their overlapping lanes, it’s not hard to imagine the two going after the same roles. But even with their similarities, one part seems particularly ill-suited for Costner: Irish revolutionary Michael Collins.
Why? For starters, accents have never been Costner’s strong suit—something even he seems to acknowledge. He’s rarely attempted them, and when American actors have tried to tackle the Irish brogue, the results have often been less than stellar. Casting a California native to play one of Ireland’s most revered historical figures always seemed like a stretch.
Still, that didn’t stop Costner from trying.
“I was really interested in making the Michael Collins story,” he once said. “I still want to make that movie. I know it was made by another director, but that’s not the story I was going to make. I love the epic notion of Collins. I’d still like to make that movie someday. I found him to be an incredible person who was compromised by politics.”
Before Liam Neeson stepped into the role, the biopic had gone through several hands. Director Michael Cimino had originally tried to get the project off the ground with Sean Bean as the lead. Costner entered the picture later, circling the project with serious interest. But it was Irish filmmaker Neil Jordan who finally brought Michael Collins to life—and for him, there was only one choice for the role.
“If Michael Cimino had filmed this story, it would have been rivers of blood,” Jordan said. “Had it been Kevin Costner, it would have been very heroic. I’m just glad it’s me who got to make it.”
Neeson, who was born and raised in Ballymena, may have been 43 when he played Collins—a full decade older than the revolutionary was at the time of his death—but his performance was universally praised. It earned him a Golden Globe nomination and remains one of his most beloved roles. Neeson has even called Michael Collins his “personal favourite” among his entire filmography.
Costner may have had the passion, but Neeson had the authenticity. In the end, the right actor got the part—and history (cinematic or otherwise) is all the better for it.
