Liam Neeson Played This Western Villain That Changed His Career Because of a 'Family Guy' Joke

2014 comedy A Million Ways to Die in the West was a riotous pastiche of the Western genre. Seth MacFarlane directed and starred as Albert Stark, a gutless man who is haunted by the many ways one can die in the Old West. However, he must find some courage when he falls for a gunslinger (Charlize Theron), attracting the ire of her outlaw husband, Clinch Leatherwood, played by Liam Neeson. The normally intense Irish actor blended perfectly into the film’s wacky world of quickfire punchlines and physical comedy. However, it may not have happened were it not for a sketch from a 2006 episode of MacFarlane’s TV show, Family Guy.

The Gag That Led to a Lasting Friendship

Few stars have ever been drawn to a role as a result of being mocked, but it was a joke in season five, episode six of the cartoon (titled "Prick Up Your Ears") that led to his involvement in the 2014 comedy. During the episode, the actor is the target of ridicule in one of the animation’s trademark cutaway gags, where lead character Peter (MacFarlane) says: “Without my advice, those kids are going to be as hopeless as Liam Neeson when he tries to play an American cowboy.” It then cuts to a scene showing the star (imitated by John Viener) attempting to sound authentic as a cowboy. While not referenced specifically, it may have been a shot at Seraphim Falls, a Western starring Neeson that was released just a few months before the episode aired.

A few years later, MacFarlane approached the actor to appear in A Million Ways to Die in the West, but Neeson was aware of the joke, having been told about it by his sons. He said during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: “When Seth called me up to ask would I do this film, I said ‘I’ll do it, on condition that I can use my own Irish accent.’” MacFarlane agreed, and Neeson became the villain of the film, providing the perfect macho counterpart to MacFarlane’s nervous, cowardly sheep farmer.

'A Million Ways to Die in the West' Introduced Us to Neeson’s Funny Side

Beyond a brief cameo in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, Liam Neeson had not made many comedic appearances in film. Initially a prestige actor best known for dramas such as Schindler’s List and his role as Qui-Gon Jinn in the Star Wars franchise, 2008’s Taken was a box office smash that reinvented him as a tough action hero, usually playing characters out for revenge. 2014 was the peak of that era, with Non-Stop, A Walk Among the Tombstones, and Taken 3 all finding similar success. However, among the gritty thrillers was MacFarlane’s film, showing a side fans were not used to.

As Clinch Leatherwood, he is mostly there to intimidate MacFarlane’s hero. However, he shows a remarkable knack for deadpan humor, such as a scene with his reluctant wife Anna (Theron) where he shows himself to be especially gullible, and ends up knocked out with a flower placed between his exposed buttocks. After years of serious tough guys and award-winning biopics, Neeson showed he was happy to have a laugh at his own expense, and puncture some of the on-screen aura he had built in other genres. It would also, as it turns out, open a new chapter in his varied career.

Seth MacFarlane and Liam Neeson Would Become Regular Collaborators

A Million Ways to Die in the West was a modest box office success. However, even more impressive is that it would start a run of collaborations between the two men. After being mimicked on the show, Liam Neeson would appear on Family Guy, voicing himself in 2015, in a season 13 episode titled "Fighting Irish".

The story centers around Peter Griffin’s boasts that he could beat up the Taken star, only for Neeson himself to hear of it and challenge him to a fight. He would also appear in MacFarlane’s comedy sequel Ted 2, parodying his intense action movie persona, playing a grocery store customer who wants to buy some cereal; as well as live action comedy The Orville, guest-starring as a starship captain.

Most significantly, however, MacFarlane would produce last year’s reboot of The Naked Gun, bringing in Neeson to step into the late Leslie Nielsen’s shoes as the hapless Frank Drebin Jr. After adding to the gags in supporting roles and cameos, the Oscar nominee was finally at the center of the fun, recapturing the magic of the old comedies in a way that was warmly received by both critics and audiences.

From a cartoon cutaway to a career reinvention, A Million Ways to Die in the West was yet another example of Liam Neeson transitioning between genres to reveal a different side of his range to audiences.

A Million Ways to Die in the West is available to buy or rent on VOD services in the U.S.