Helen Mirren Admits That Although She And Liam Neeson Were ‘Serious’ They Never Did This One Thing

Aug 22, 2025 by apost team

Helen Mirren is a world-renowned A-list actress. Mirren's rise to fame was difficult; the "The Long Good Friday" actress didn't garner international success until she was 40. But throughout her decades-long career in film and television, Mirren has since received numerous accolades. 

According to Looper, the award-winning actress's most significant roles include her portrayal of Ayn Rand in "The Passion of Ayn Rand," her role of Queen Charlotte in "The Madness of King George," and Leo's wife Sofya in "The Last Station."

Mirren achieved international fame in 2006 when she portrayed Queen Elizabeth II in "The Queen." The renowned actress has earned the Triple Crown of Acting in the U.K. and the United States. 

In addition, Mirren received an Oscar and a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) for her performance in "The Queen," an Emmy and BAFTA Television Award for her role as Jane Tennison in "Prime Suspect," and a Tony and Laurence Olivier Award for her role onstage in "The Audience." 

In 2013, the actress received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which honored her lengthy career. However, her accolades do not stop there. At 78, Mirren received the Screen Actors Guild Award (SAG) for Life Achievement. 

Throughout her career as an actress, Mirren has met many men who made her heart flutter. One of these is award-winning actor Liam Neeson, whom she met in their movie “Excalibur.”

Despite professing their love for each other, the two eventually drifted apart but remained good friends after they married their own respective partners. However, decades later, Mirren clarified that despite what many thought of their relationship, they didn’t actually date. 

Mirren and Neeson met in the early 1980s and worked together on the 1981 film “Excalibur.” Neeson was upfront and publicly expressed his gratitude toward Mirren. Speaking to CBS News, the “Taken” actor revealed that it was actually Mirren who helped him get an agent in the first place before he broke through in the industry. Gushing about his love for Mirren at the time, Neeson had this to say: 

“I fell in love with Helen Mirren. Oh my God. Can you imagine riding horses in shiny suits of armor, having sword fights and stuff, and you're falling in love with Helen Mirren? It doesn't get any better than that.”

The two also went on to guest together at “The Graham Norton Show” in 2018, and Neeson revealed how “lucky” he was that they lived together for four years in the early '80s. In 1994, Neeson described how he felt about Mirren while they were together: “She was so sexy. I thought, ‘Gosh, that’s Helen Mirren’! She was as beautiful up close as on stage. Just so human, I was in love with this extraordinary human being.” He said to The New York Times: 

“I was smitten.”

In the same publication interview, Mirren confessed the reason why she and Neeson broke up:

“It was difficult for him to be under my shadow,” Mirren said. ”I was well known; I had the money. I had a sense from Liam that it was time for him to come out from under my wing. He handled it with great elegance and grace. We loved each other. It was difficult to let go.”

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Mirren is still making waves in the industry and has no plans to stop anytime soon. The award-winning actress is booked and busy and will be starring in an upcoming  Paramount+ miniseries “1923;” “Golda,” a biographical drama about Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, and “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” as the Greek deity Hespera. 

Although the actress is aging gracefully, Mirren admitted to AARP in 2016 that she once feared aging but now sees the beauty in growing older: "The best thing about being over 70 is being over 70." Mirren continued:

"Certainly when I was 45, the idea of being 70 was like 'Arghhh!' but you only have two options in life: Die young or get old. There is nothing else. The idea of dying young when you're 25 is kind of cool — a bit romantic, like James Dean. But then you realize that life is too much fun to do that."

In a profile published by the same magazine, Mirren, who is married to her husband of 25 years, Taylor Hackford, reminisced about her affection for her ex-boyfriend, now dear friend Neeson. Revealing that she made “awful” clothes in her past, Mirren admitted that the clothes she made also became gifts for important people in her life: “The artist’s animal nature of that I find really wonderful. All my boyfriends had to have a shirt made by me.” 

She further elaborated that Neeson, along with her husband, Hackford, and stage actor Peter O’Toole, also had a personalized shirt:

“I did make one for Liam, oddly enough. We loved each other. We were not meant to be together in that way, but we loved each other very, very much. I love him deeply to this day. He’s such an amazing guy.” 

In the same interview at “The Graham Norton Show” in 2018, Helen also clarified the dynamics of her relationship with Liam Neeson:

“We didn’t date. We lived together.”

She admitted:

“We’re a serious item for a while.” 

Neeson then recalled his first encounter with the legendary actress at the set of “Excalibur.” He talked about meeting Mirren with their co-actor, Ciarán Hinds. “Helen had a break; she was filming, but she was in costume, and we were there just visiting – we started working yet,” he recalled. “The first idea of the AD was that: ‘Would you like to meet Helen Mirren?’, and we said ‘I’d love to.’ So she walked from like a hundred yards away dressed as Morgana Le Fey. And Ciarán’s my oldest friend and we both went ‘f**k.’” 

Neeson furthered that he and Ciarán were smitten by the sight of her, which made the actress blush. She then told Neeson that she didn’t know about their first reaction to her and described it as “amazing.” Fans were clearly touched and giddy about the said encounter and expressed their feelings in the comment section on YouTube. One realized:

“Awww. I never knew those two were a couple! Nor did I realize she and he were in Excalibur together! Gonna watch my copy soon, then!!”

Another noted:

“Aww, that's so... can I say sweet-ish? I love her reaction and I love her. She's like Sean Connery. Just gets better/sexier looking with age. Must be fabulous genes.”

One fan wrote:

“What a sweet story, and understandable. Helen is still quite beautiful.” 

Are you a fan of Liam Neeson and Helen Mirren? What can you say about their special friendship? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends, and other loved ones.