Liam Neeson will be pivoting to comedy in the upcoming Naked Gun reboot, which perfectly pays off a joke from a TV cameo he made 13 years ago.

Liam Neeson’s best movies range from great dramas like Schindler’s List to blockbuster epics like Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and Batman Begins, all of which have contributed to him being one of the most recognizable actors of all time. The 71-year-old star has been working for nearly five decades, though he’s only rarely appeared in comedic roles despite being fantastic at them.

The original Naked Gun movie is streaming on Max as of May 2024.

The Naked Gun was a spoof comedy movie franchise from the late 1980s and early ’90s, starring Leslie Nielsen as an absurdly unintelligent police detective. The series is incomparably silly, and a Naked Gun reboot is finally coming to fruition, with Neeson set to star in the leading role.

Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane has also been attached to the project as a producer. The Liam Neeson Ted 2 cameo proves he works excellently with MacFarlane’s humor, providing some comfort for the franchise being rebooted after 30 years.

Liam Neeson’s Life’s Too Short Cameo Was All About His Inability To Tackle Comedic Roles

Liam Neeson Made A Meta-Humor Cameo About His Acting Intensity And Inability To Perform Improv Comedy

In 2011, Liam Neeson was among the many Hollywood stars who appeared in the British comedy Life’s Too Short, developed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant and starring Warwick Davis. The series also had cameos from Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and more.

In Neeson’s cameo, he arrives in the office of Gervais and Merchant, who play fictionalized versions of themselves, and pitches himself as a comedic actor. The scene sees Neeson hilariously attempt improvisational humor, playing off his type as an intense, serious actor.

In reality, he’s now the face of a major comedy franchise, adding a level of irony to the scene.

While Neeson has proven to be quite funny, the Life’s Too Short sketch has him pretending to misunderstand the rules of improv.

Many of the show’s jokes are meta Hollywood references, with actors playing fictional versions of themselves, making fun of their public personas. In this case, Neeson plays into the idea that he may be known as an intense, serious actor for movies like Taken. In reality, he’s now the face of a major comedy franchise, adding a level of irony to the scene.

Pamela Anderson has been cast as the female lead opposite Liam Neeson in the Naked Gun reboot, and it’s her best career move in decades.

Liam Neeson In The Naked Gun Reboot Will Either Be A Stroke Of Genius Or A Disaster

The Naked Gun Movies Haven’t Aged Entirely Well, But The Reboot Could Still Be Hilarious

The Naked Gun reboot is one of the most bizarre upcoming movies, as it genuinely could either be hilarious or horrendously bad. The original series’ comedy doesn’t translate all that well to modern movies, but the duo of Neeson and Seth MacFarlane sparks curiosity.

MacFarlane recently had a hit with his Ted prequel series, and though Neeson hasn’t had any great movies in recent years, The Naked Gun reboot offers a chance for him to try something new. Neeson may have hilarious cameos, but the upcoming movie is his opportunity to be a comedic film star.