Irish actor Liam Neeson talks about his role in the action flick Taken (where he plays an ex-government operative who relentlessly and ruthlessly pursues a group of kidnappers that have abducted his daughter), performing his own stunts, and what it's like being a sexy action man at 56.

What attracted you to this role?
"On one level, it's a fairly simple story, but it's got a good kick to it, and that seemed like fun."

What's your process for choosing roles?
"I'm always motivated by script. That's my sole criteria, and it's either something that gets under my skin or it doesn't, to be honest. And with this script, I just loved the action of it. I loved the fact that I was being asked to do it. I was 54-years-old then, and I thought that in a few years' time there would be no way that I'd ever be asked to do this sort of stuff again. And I'm a father - I've got two sons - and it was easy to use an imaginative leap to figure out how I would feel if one of my children was kidnapped or taken."

For an action film, this one is very emotional as well, unlike most films in this genre. Was that part of the appeal?
"Absolutely. I liked the idea of making a thriller that had good pace and that aimed high on an emotional level. Above all, we see Bryan [his character] as a father who idolises his daughter. But then, even though it's never been a fantasy of mine to play an action hero, one gets a real kick out of shooting real movie baddies and driving like a racing car driver."

The sex slave trade depicted in the story is so horrific that it's hard to believe that it's true. Did you have the same reaction when you first read the script?
"I did, but apparently it does go on to that degree. There's a huge slave trade and a sex trade."

What did you do to get into this guy's headspace?
"I have no real process. I'm just always motivated by the script and what's required from me on a scene-by-scene basis. I trusted my director, Pierre Morel, and I just did it from there. I just played each scene for what it was. That's basically it in a nutshell."

What was it about [director] Pierre Morel that appealed? After all, you've worked with Spielberg, Scorsese, Neil Jordan.the best of the best.
"Pierre has had movies in his blood for a long time, and he's hugely experienced, especially as a director of photography. I particularly liked the originality of District B13 [Morel's first film as director], which showed that he had a director's eye and an incredible sense of rhythm and energy. That was vital on the set of Taken. I also liked the fact that Pierre operates the camera himself."

Did you empathise with your character, Bryan? Being a father yourself?
"As a father, you can't imagine anything worse [than your child being put in danger]. Of course, you wonder what your own reaction would be in that situation. You picture what you'd do to the kidnappers and you soon come to the conclusion that you'd do anything in your power to save your child. I found this particularly interesting territory, because I'm traditionally against violence, especially the kind of violence that Bryan resorts to in the movie. But it's a case of 'them or me', and Bryan takes that situation to its logical conclusion."

You had to undergo pretty rigorous training for this role. Can you talk about that?
"I keep pretty fit, but I had to crank up the level and intensity of my training. I had to get together with a couple of guys in Paris and learn these different fighting techniques, which we had to keep doing every day because there were so many fights in the film. At the end of each day's work, we went to a studio that wasn't being used and just worked through these fighting techniques and the choreography of them. Action scenes are particularly tricky. You have to pay close attention to how you move, and your body position, and you can never take your eyes off your scene partner. It requires a lot of energy, besides the safety issues. Each time, it's a real challenge. But the little boy in you comes out with all the hand-to-hand combat scenes that we filmed. With good stuntmen, especially, the fight becomes a dance that you perform with great pleasure. So it was pretty exhausting, I have to admit. I slept very well when I got to my bed, I can tell you!"

Most of Taken was shot in Paris; how was that?
"One good point about working in Paris is the greater female presence in the crew. I'm very sensitive to the energy that men and women combine to create on the set, but British and American crews are almost always overwhelmingly male. I was also grateful for French working hours, which are very civilised. Between fight scene rehearsals and filming, my days were pretty exhausting, but we had a whole night to recover. Not to mention the pleasure of the quality of life in Paris."

Would you like to make more action films?
"I like them every now and then. I've done a few of what I could call cowboy-in-armour films, and they're always good fun. It's play acting with shields and spears and swords and stuff. It's like being a kid again, and it's terrific. Working with such great stunt guys and such great choreographers is a privilege."

Taken released on August 14.