Liam Neeson says he felt “a growing rage” and “embarrassment” when he first learned about a care scandal that shocked Ireland.
The Taken star, 74, is one of the producers of a new film that explores the shocking events, The Lost Children of Tuam.
It is inspired by a 2017 New York Times investigation highlighting the work of local historian Catherine Corless, who learned that for several decades, until the 1960s, almost 800 children at the St. Mary’s Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, County Galway, had been buried in unmarked graves and a sewage tank by the Catholic nuns who ran the institution.
Speaking to Variety, Neeson said: “I was brought up a Catholic. I was an altar boy for a bunch of years, and I was kind of staggered by it. And, for the first time in my professional life, I remember thinking: ‘Whatever my celebrity status is in this business, I want this story to be shown to more people.’”
Neeson, who had never produced a film before, optioned the article and set the wheels in motion to adapt the story as a film. “I just had to respond to it in some way,” he said.
The Lost Children of Tuam is directed by Frank Berry, and stars Monica Dolan as Corless.
Neeson said he sought out Berry as a collaborator after seeing his 2017 Irish prison film Michael Inside and 2022 refugee drama Aisha.
“When I saw those films, I thought — this is the man to tell this story,” explained Neeson. “Frank wonderfully eavesdrops with his camera and allows the story to breathe. And especially with this, you do not want to highlight the horror. You just let the story breathe, and the horror will reveal itself.”
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day
New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Speaking to the Press Association, Neeson articulated his worries about the evolving landscape of Hollywood, saying: “The movie industry is changing, streaming services are merging, companies are being bought out. We’re all very concerned about the state of Hollywood. What’s going to happen to feature films?”
Reflecting on his own career, Neeson added: “I’ve been very, very lucky. I have friends and acquaintances, actors, some of whom haven’t worked for months and months. It’s a profession filled with rejection. It really is.”