10 Amazing Roles That Saved Typecast Actors

1. Liam Neeson - Taken

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgmO32IdwuE Liam Neeson has basically had a second career in recent years - that's how prominent his rejection of type-casting has been. He became an acclaimed dramatic actor - sticking generally to the "likeable, kindly guy" throughout the late 1980s and 90s, most notably playing Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List, and then lighting the screen up in a ridiculously Oscar-snubbed performance in Kinsey. Neeson did prove in a few projects that he could do action - Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, and then Batman Begins - but he didn't get his hands truly dirty until 2008, when he starred in cult action flick Taken. As retired CIA agent Bryan Mills, Neeson's career took an an entirely new lease of life; the actor, 55 at the time of shooting, still managed to be credible as a super-smart badass, and followed this up by starring in a huge number of action flicks, including Clash of the Titans, The A-Team, Unknown, The Grey (though it's more of drama), Wrath of the Titans, Battleship and Taken 2, along with a load more currently in production. Needless to say, it's likely that when we eventually look back on Neeson's career, he'll be as well known for his action flicks as he will his dramatic fare, and that's impressive. Which typecast actors most impressively broke the mould? Let us know in the comments below.