Editing Liam Neeson (section)

=== Citizenship ===
Neeson holds Irish<ref name="alt ulsters">{{cite book | last1 = Carruthers | first1 = Mark | title = Alternative Ulsters: Conversations on Identity | location = Dublin | publisher = [[Liberties Press]] | date = April 2014 | isbn = 978-1909718494 }}</ref> and American citizenship, having been [[Naturalization|naturalised]] as an American citizen in 2009.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk">{{Cite web |title=Actor Neeson becomes US citizen |website=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8223680.stm |date=26 August 2009 |access-date=5 January 2010 |archive-date=10 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510191042/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8223680.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> He primarily identifies as Irish.<ref name="Wired">Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/r5OKskTIEU8 Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20180110004152/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5OKskTIEU8 Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web |title=Is Liam Neeson British? I am Irish |website=Youtube/Wired |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5OKskTIEU8 |date=9 January 2018|access-date=16 July 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="Independent">{{Cite web |title=I am very proud to be Irish |website=independent.ie |url=https://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/irish-news/i-am-very-proud-to-be-irish-liam-neeson-honoured-for-contribution-to-ireland-and-humanity-36482237.html |date=12 January 2018 |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=19 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221119031245/https://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/irish-news/i-am-very-proud-to-be-irish-liam-neeson-honoured-for-contribution-to-ireland-and-humanity-36482237.html |url-status=live }}</ref> After taking up American citizenship, he was adamant he was not turning his back on his Irish roots.<ref name="Independent2">{{Cite web|title=I'm still a proud Irishman|website=independent.ie|url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/herald/entertainment/around-town/liam-neeson-takes-up-us-citizenship-but-actor-insists-im-still-a-proud-irishman-27922715.html|date=27 August 2009|access-date=16 July 2021|archive-date=15 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115203723/https://www.independent.ie/regionals/herald/entertainment/around-town/liam-neeson-takes-up-us-citizenship-but-actor-insists-im-still-a-proud-irishman-27922715.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2009, nearly four decades after he was an undergraduate in physics and computer science at [[Queen's University, Belfast]], the university awarded him an honorary doctorate which was presented to him in New York by Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Gregson.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8037845.stm|title=Liam Neeson graduates 40 years on|date=7 May 2009|via=news.bbc.co.uk|access-date=1 November 2012|archive-date=11 May 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090511121231/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8037845.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> In March 2011, he was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for [[UNICEF]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unicef.org/people/people_58133.html |title=Liam Neeson becomes UNICEF's newest Goodwill Ambassador |first=Chris |last=Niles |website=UNICEF |date=29 March 2011 |access-date=30 June 2013 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304063943/http://www.unicef.org/people/people_58133.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He is a patron of [[Belfast]]-based charity and film festival [[CineMagic (film festival)|CineMagic]], which helps young people get involved in the movie industry.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cinemagic.org.uk/about-us/festival-patrons |title=Festival Patrons |website=CineMagic |access-date=8 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180111165154/http://www.cinemagic.org.uk/about-us/festival-patrons |archive-date=11 January 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

A heavy smoker earlier in his career, Neeson quit smoking in 2003 while working on ''[[Love Actually]]''. When he took the role of [[John "Hannibal" Smith|Hannibal]] for the [[The A-Team (film)|2010 film adaptation of ''The A-Team'']], he had reservations about smoking cigars (a signature trait of the character), but agreed to do it for the film.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ptcchallenge.com/article-viewer.aspx?id=257 |title=The A Team |website=PTC Challenge |date=1 June 2010 |access-date=1 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316211124/http://www.ptcchallenge.com/article-viewer.aspx?id=257 |archive-date=16 March 2012 }}</ref>

In June 2012, Neeson's publicist denied reports that Neeson was converting to [[Islam]]. Neeson has expressed an affection for the ''[[adhan]]'', the Islamic call to prayer, that he grew accustomed to while filming ''[[Taken 2]]'' in [[Istanbul]]: "By the third week, it was like I couldn't live without it. It really became hypnotic and very moving for me in a very special way. Very beautiful."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ukscreen.com/articles/interviews/is-liam-neeson-converting-to-islam |title=Is Liam Neeson converting to Islam? |website=UK Screen |date=1 October 2012 |access-date=30 June 2013 |archive-date=24 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424172413/http://ukscreen.com/articles/interviews/is-liam-neeson-converting-to-islam/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He also expressed admiration for the ''[[Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola|Spiritual Exercises]]'' of [[Ignatius of Loyola|Saint Ignatius of Loyola]].<ref name="Neesonreligion">{{cite web |last=Blaney |first=Retta |title=Acting Is a Form of Prayer |website=BeliefNet |url=http://www.beliefnet.com/story/133/story_13350_1.html |access-date=16 July 2007 |archive-date=29 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080529015954/http://www.beliefnet.com/story/133/story_13350_1.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Neeson's mother, Kitty, died in June 2020. He was unable to return to his hometown for her funeral due to [[Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic|travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/news/funeral-of-liam-neesons-mother-kitty-held-in-ballymena-39271444.html|title=Funeral of Liam Neeson's mother Kitty held in Ballymena|newspaper=Belfasttelegraph|via=www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk|access-date=5 September 2020|archive-date=24 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824144800/https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/news/funeral-of-liam-neesons-mother-kitty-held-in-ballymena-39271444.html|url-status=live}}</ref>