Why Liam Neeson almost came to blows with Harvey Weinstein: 'You don’t want to do this'


Hollywood marketing veteran Gerry Rich claims that Taken actor Liam Neeson almost had a physical fight with disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein


Actor Liam Neeson poses on the red carpet before the screening of his movie "Taken 2" during the 38th Deauville American Film Festival on September 7, 2012 in Deauville, France© Getty Images
Kate Thomas
Kate ThomasWebsite Editor
51 minutes ago

The extraordinary moment Liam Neeson almost came to blows with movie mogul Harvey Weinstein has been detailed in a new memoir.

The public showdown at a secret screening of the 1993 Miramax film Ethan Frome has been revealed in former marketing vet Gerry Rich's new autobiography, Chasing Hollywood, which Page Six has obtained in advance of its release.

Liam Neeson attends "The Naked Gun" New York Premiere on July 28, 2025 in New York City.© Getty
Liam Neeson once reportedly came to blows with Harvey Weinstein

The book opens with the iconic moment a furious Neeson, who was allegedly angry at Weinstein for recutting the period drama without telling any of the film's lead actors, stormed into the Tribeca Film Center to confront the film producer.

"You don't want to do this, Harvey!" Liam supposedly shouted. "I do what I want. I’m a millionaire!" Weinstein reportedly fired back.

"Liam looked at him, perplexed," writes Rich, then yelled, "'I’m a millionaire too. What does that matter? You don’t want to fight me.'"

The story made headlines at the time, with the now disgraced Weinstein admitting to Page Six that "tempers did flare."

"If you think I’m stupid enough to shove Liam, I’m not," the Miramax founder joked at the time. HELLO! has contacted Liam Neeson's representatives for comment.

Former Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein appears in Manhattan criminal court for the retrial of his rape case on May 14, 2026, in New York City© Getty Images
The alleged public showdown took place at a secret screening of the 1993 Miramax film Ethan Frome

A tell-all book set to expose Hollywood history 

Gerry's tell-all book looks set to ruffle feathers in Hollywood. The former marketing boss's career spans stints at Paramount, Miramax, Columbia Pictures, Universal and MGM, where he became the head of marketing at age 32.

His behind-the-scenes access to some of Tinseltown's biggest names is explored in the memoir, which also recounts tales about the likes of James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli and Jackass star Johnny Knoxville.

The story happened over a decade before the downfall of Hollywood producer Weinstein, who produced Oscar-winning films such as Pulp Fiction and Shakespeare in Love.

Harvey Weinstein arrives at the  Manhattan Criminal Court, on February 10, 2020  in New York City. Since testimony began on January 22,2020 six women have taken the stand to say they were sexually assaulted by Weinstein. All of the allegations against the former Hollywood titan are at least six years old, while one of them dates back three decades.Weinstein, 67, faces life imprisonment if convicted of predatory sexual assault charges related to ex-actress Jessica Mann and former production assistant Mimi Haleyi© Getty
'If you think I’m stupid enough to shove Liam, I’m not,' Weinstein joked at the time

In 2017, investigative reports exposed decades of severe sexual abuse and misconduct allegations against him, igniting the global #MeToo movement.

Weinstein was subsequently convicted of multiple sexual assault and rape offenses across trials in New York and Los Angeles, leading to a lengthy prison sentence.

Liam Neeson’s retirement from action films

Liam, 74, previously revealed that his time as an action hero was coming to an end. After emerging from the pandemic, the Taken star vowed to wrap up his existing projects and then quietly retire from the genre.

Liam hasn't slowed down, despite vowing to retire from action films© Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Image
Liam hasn't slowed down, despite vowing to retire from action films

"There's a couple more I'm going to do this year - hopefully, COVID allowing us - there's a couple in the pipeline and, then I think that will probably be it," Neeson told Entertainment Tonight.

However, he said he was still enjoying the rush of shooting action movies, joking: "I love doing 'em. I love beating up guys half my age."

He later mused about his longevity in an interview with Sunday TODAY, admitting it felt surreal to receive script offers meant for young Hollywood heartthrobs in his 70s.

"Audiences aren't stupid, you know. They're gonna go, 'Oh, f** this guy, Liam Neeson. He's got to be 71, 72, 73...' I'll stop at some stage'," he said.

Liam Neeson© Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Image
Neeson's most recent role was opposite Zachary Levi in The Fix

Despite vowing to step back, the star actually hasn’t stopped. Neeson's most recent role was opposite Zachary Levi in The Fix, a CIA-focused spy thriller directed by Guy Moshe.

He has also ventured into comedy, starring opposite Pamela Anderson in not one, but two different projects: Love Is Not the Answer and The Naked Gun Reboot. 

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