Editing Liam Neeson (section)

===Social views===
Neeson is a long-term supporter of the need for more [[integrated education in Northern Ireland]]; that is, educating Catholics and Protestants together. In 2017 he said,  "As Northern Ireland moves forward from division, who do we look to for a future we can share? Our children - so why do we continue to educate them apart? Different religions, different backgrounds, different schools. There is another way. Protestants and Catholics, other beliefs and none, learning and working together every day."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Actor Liam Neeson calls for Catholic and Protestant school integration in Northern Ireland |url=https://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/6707/actor-liam-neeson-calls-for-catholic-and-protestant-school-integration-in-northern-ireland |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=The Tablet |language=en |archive-date=15 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231115090317/https://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/6707/actor-liam-neeson-calls-for-catholic-and-protestant-school-integration-in-northern-ireland |url-status=live }}</ref> He has praised schools where parents have voted to transform segregated schools into integrated schools, and fronted television adverts to encourage more parents to integrate their children's schools.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-03-30 |title=Liam Neeson 'proud' of new integrated school Seaview Primary |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-56577857 |access-date=2023-11-15 |archive-date=15 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231115090321/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-56577857 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-10-24 |title=Watch: Liam Neeson fronts new integrated education advert |language=en-GB |work=BelfastTelegraph.co.uk |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/education/watch-liam-neeson-fronts-new-integrated-education-advert/a1640530065.html |access-date=2023-11-15 |issn=0307-1235 |archive-date=15 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231115090320/https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/education/watch-liam-neeson-fronts-new-integrated-education-advert/a1640530065.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Neeson was criticised for his comments on Ireland's ''[[The Late Late Show (Irish talk show)|Late Late Show]]'' in January 2018, during which he described the [[Me Too movement]] as a "witch hunt"<ref>{{cite web|title=Liam Neeson on sexual harassment in Hollywood|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGriKA7i8Oc|work=[[YouTube]]|date=12 January 2018|access-date=18 October 2018|archive-date=28 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180728232601/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGriKA7i8Oc|url-status=live}}</ref> and cited [[Garrison Keillor]]'s dismissal from [[Minnesota Public Radio]] as an example.<ref>{{cite news|last=Midkiff|first=Sarah|title=Liam Neeson Called The Me Too Movement A "Witch Hunt"|url=https://www.refinery29.com/2018/01/187805/liam-neeson-me-too-movement-witch-hunt-reactions|work=[[Refinery29]]|date=14 January 2018|access-date=18 October 2018|archive-date=18 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018201510/https://www.refinery29.com/2018/01/187805/liam-neeson-me-too-movement-witch-hunt-reactions|url-status=live}}</ref>

In February 2019, Neeson gained public and media controversy after a [[press junket]] interview he conducted with ''[[The Independent]]'' while promoting ''[[Cold Pursuit]]'', a film about a father seeking revenge for his son's murder.<ref>{{cite news |title= Liam Neeson sparks race row over rape comments |url= https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-47117177 |work= [[BBC News]] |access-date= 5 February 2019 |archive-date= 4 February 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190204192321/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-47117177 |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last= Rodrigo |first= Chris |title= Liam Neeson faces accusations of racism after rape comments |url= https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/428400-liam-neeson-faces-accusations-of-racism-after-rape-comments |work= [[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date= 4 February 2019 |access-date= 5 February 2019 |archive-date= 7 February 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190207015239/https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/428400-liam-neeson-faces-accusations-of-racism-after-rape-comments |url-status= live }}</ref> He said that he generated his character's "primal" anger by recounting an experience he had 40 years ago, in which a female friend of his had been raped by a stranger. After learning the attacker was a [[Black people|black man]], Neeson said that he spent a week going "up and down areas with a [[Club (weapon)|cosh]], hoping some 'black bastard' would come out of a pub and have a go" so that he "could kill him". In the interview, he also said he was ashamed of the experience and that the things he did and said were "horrible". He said, "It's awful [...] but I did learn a lesson from it, when I eventually thought, 'What the fuck are you doing?'"<ref>{{cite news |last= Michallon |first= Clémence |date= 4 February 2019 |title= Liam Neeson: 'I walked the streets with a cosh, hoping I'd be approached by a "black bastard" so that I could kill him' |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/liam-neeson-rape-black-man-attack-cosh-cold-pursuit-sexual-assault-interview-a8760866.html |work= [[The Independent]] |access-date= 4 February 2019 |archive-date= 4 February 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190204144622/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/liam-neeson-rape-black-man-attack-cosh-cold-pursuit-sexual-assault-interview-a8760866.html |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last= Michallon |first= Clémence |title= Liam Neeson interview: Rape, race and how I learnt revenge doesn't work |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/liam-neeson-interview-rape-race-black-man-revenge-taken-cold-pursuit-a8760896.html |work= [[The Independent]] |date= 4 February 2019 |access-date= 5 February 2019 |archive-date= 4 February 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190204210538/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/liam-neeson-interview-rape-race-black-man-revenge-taken-cold-pursuit-a8760896.html |url-status= live }}</ref>

In an appearance on ''[[Good Morning America]]'', Neeson elaborated on his comments while denying being a racist, stating that he asked for physical attributes of the rapist other than his race and that he would have done the same if the rapist was "a Scot or a Brit or a Lithuanian".<ref>{{cite magazine |last= Blistein |first= Jon |title= Liam Neeson Talks Racist Revenge Fantasy on 'Good Morning America' |url= https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/liam-neeson-good-morning-america-interview-790095/ |magazine= [[Rolling Stone]] |date= 5 February 2019 |access-date= 6 February 2019 |archive-date= 6 February 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190206021002/https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/liam-neeson-good-morning-america-interview-790095/ |url-status= live }}</ref> He also said that he had purposely gone into "black areas of the city" but that he "did seek help" and counselling from his friends and a priest after coming to his senses. He said that the lesson of his experience was "to open up [and] to talk about these things", including [[toxic masculinity]] and the underlying "racism and bigotry" in both the U.S. and Northern Ireland. The controversy following his comments led to cancellation of the red carpet event for the premiere of ''Cold Pursuit''.<ref>{{cite web |last= Sherpard |first= Jack |title= Liam Neeson interview: Actor denies being racist after admitting wanting to kill a black man |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/liam-neeson-interview-gma-apology-racism-black-man-cosh-attack-good-morning-america-a8763826.html |work= [[The Independent]] |access-date= 6 February 2019 |archive-date= 5 February 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190205235230/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/liam-neeson-interview-gma-apology-racism-black-man-cosh-attack-good-morning-america-a8763826.html |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= Red carpet nixed after Liam Neeson reveals racist thoughts |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/celebrities/red-carpet-nixed-after-liam-neeson-reveals-racist-thoughts/2019/02/05/e48d2428-29af-11e9-906e-9d55b6451eb4_story.html |publisher= [[Associated Press]] |access-date= 6 February 2019 |archive-date= 6 February 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190206112625/https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/celebrities/red-carpet-nixed-after-liam-neeson-reveals-racist-thoughts/2019/02/05/e48d2428-29af-11e9-906e-9d55b6451eb4_story.html |url-status= dead }}</ref> Neeson was publicly defended by [[Michelle Rodriguez]],<ref name=rodriguezPeople>{{Cite web|last=Pasquini|first=Maria|date=7 February 2019|url=https://people.com/movies/michelle-rodriguez-defends-liam-neeson-shocking-comments-wanting-kill-black-man/|title=Michelle Rodriguez Defends Liam Neeson: 'He's Not a Racist. He's a Loving Man'|website=People|access-date=19 July 2020|archive-date=14 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114015739/https://people.com/movies/michelle-rodriguez-defends-liam-neeson-shocking-comments-wanting-kill-black-man/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Whoopi Goldberg]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/02/06/whoopi-goldberg-defends-friend-liam-neeson-insists-not-bigot/|title=Whoopi Goldberg insists friend Liam Neeson is 'not a bigot'|first=Helena|last=Horton|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=6 February 2019|via=www.telegraph.co.uk|access-date=7 March 2019|archive-date=8 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190308081016/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/02/06/whoopi-goldberg-defends-friend-liam-neeson-insists-not-bigot/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[John Barnes]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peplow |first=Gemma |date=February 12, 2019 |title=John Barnes: Liam Neeson deserves a medal for race admission |url=https://news.sky.com/story/john-barnes-liam-neeson-deserves-a-medal-for-race-admission-11628709 |access-date=April 13, 2021 |website=Sky News |language=en |archive-date=13 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413235528/https://news.sky.com/story/john-barnes-liam-neeson-deserves-a-medal-for-race-admission-11628709 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Trevor Noah]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-02-09 |title=Trevor Noah says Liam Neeson deserves credit for 'powerful admission' on racism |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/trevor-noah-liam-neeson-racism-daily-show-cold-pursuit-a8771016.html |access-date=2024-01-25 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> and [[Ralph Fiennes]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.irishpost.com/news/ralph-fiennes-defends-liam-neeson-164957|title='Certainly not a racist' – Ralph Fiennes comes to the defence of Liam Neeson|first=Jack|last=Beresford|website=The Irish Post|date=4 March 2019|access-date=7 March 2019|archive-date=8 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190308081440/https://www.irishpost.com/news/ralph-fiennes-defends-liam-neeson-164957|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Donald Glover]] later convinced him to appear in his [[FX (TV channel)|FX]] series [[Atlanta (TV series)|''Atlanta'']] episode "[[New Jazz (Atlanta)|New Jazz]]" as a fictionalised version of himself, to examine the controversy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/liam-neeson-atlanta-racism-backlash-1235260511/|title=Liam Neeson Joined 'Atlanta' to Poke Fun at His 2019 Racism Controversy and Say He's Sorry|last=Sharf|first=Zack|access-date=May 6, 2022|date=May 6, 2022|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|archive-date=8 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220508004016/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/liam-neeson-atlanta-racism-backlash-1235260511/|url-status=live}}</ref>