Michael Collins - Casting a Legend

Right from the start, Jordan knew whom he wanted in the title role. "Liam Neeson was always going to be part of this film, from the moment Neil started writing it," explains Woolley. "It was Neil's and Liam's obsession right through the eighties and early nineties."
"I still don't know why he cast me," says Neeson. "I've never asked him and he has never offered me an explanation. I liked that and always trusted him."
During that period both Irishmen's movie-making reputations were on the rise. Jordan's success with "The Crying Game" and "Interview With The Vampire," and Neeson's Academy-nominated performance in "Schindler's List" put them in the top rank of international talent.
"There's no actor in the world like Liam at the moment," declares Jordan. "Sometimes, with films like this, you can find that the central character is overwhelmed by all the colorful subsidiary characters, but, when I saw the rough cut for the first time, I could see that Liam carries it through like a train."

"Obviously a lot has happened to both of us professionally and personally over the last few years," says Neeson. "In this case the old adage is true -- the right time has come. Certainly, Neil's rise as a writer and director within the film industry was important...I guess my own, too. It just came together at the right moment, particularly with the creative renaissance which has occurred in Ireland over the last few years.
"I'm from the North of Ireland," continues Neeson. "In my history books at school, this period got about one sentence -- the whole Irish independence movement got maybe one paragraph. These people were presented as rebels, to be put down. We learned about the Great Fire of London, but not about our own history.
"The whole period is like an oyster shell that we're only beginning to pry open. It's about a certain period, from 1918 to 1922, but it's also about the British oppression of Ireland for 700 years. To try to telescope that into a feature film is some achievement. But I strongly believe that we've retained and highlighted the spirit of the truth."
Neeson points out the power that movies have to awaken our interest in history. "It's interesting that 'Schindler's List' has opened the doors to a whole incredible educational process, especially in America. It would be great if that happened with this film."
On a personal level, Neeson did considerable research to learn about the life and beliefs of the character he was about to portray.
"Collins was steeped in Irish nationalism," says Neeson. "The place he came from had seen some of the worst extremities of the Irish famine. And he realized that if another attempt was going to be made for an independent Ireland, the tactics would have to be completely different. It couldn't be done by 'pints of Guinness' heroes, those made brave by a drink or two. Collins saw right through all that romanticism. He decided that he was going to be better than the other side at what he did.
"He was an extraordinary administrator and organizer. He devised these guerrilla military tactics that shocked the world. Strangely enough, they didn't shock Winston Churchill or Lloyd George, who totally respected him. Collins brought the British empire to its knees -- a phenomenal feat."
Collins' story is also one of love shared and love lost, according to Neeson. "It's got all the classic elements of Greek tragedy, the subjugation of your own personal hopes and dreams for the good of the country. In that way Collins was certainly a hero, he loved Ireland and the Irish people, and wasn't in it for any personal gain."

A Special Note From Director Neil Jordan
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