I’m so happy there is a UK. Actually, Graham Norton isn’t technically British, huh. He is Irish, though! And so is handsome Liam Neeson, star of the new movie The Grey! So I’m happy there is an Ireland, is what I’m saying.

Have you guys seen the trailer for The Grey, by the way? It has something to do with Alaska and a plane crash and some wolves. Actually, The Grey is in hot water over its portrayal of the Gray Wolf as some sort of killing machine—wolves, and especially gray ones, are endangered, you guys. I know this because when I was a kid I had a wolf poster on my bedroom wall. Also, a photograph of Judi Dench.

Where was I? Ah, yes. I love Graham Norton. He’s really twerpy, and he does it very, very well.

In this clip from last night’s episode of The Graham Norton Show, an audience member makes a very compelling case that she is Mr. Neeson’s first-ever fan (she has brought along a letter that he sent her 30 years ago!).

Her request: will he rerecord the greeting on her voicemail?

Needless to say, Liam Neeson does so, and with aplomb.

According to Liam, who was – ohmygosh – raised as a Catholic altar boy in Ireland, after spending much time in Istanbul filming his latest movie, The Grey, a change to practicing the Islamic religion might be in order:

“The call to prayer happens five times a day, and for the first week, it drives you crazy, and then it just gets into your spirit, and it’s the most beautiful, beautiful thing. There are 4,000 mosques in the city. Some are just stunning, and it really makes me think about becoming a Muslim.”

Liam has never made it a secret that he’s interested in religion, but hasn’t formally “settled” into a particular sector:

“I was reared a Catholic, but I think every day we ask ourselves, not consciously, what are we doing on this planet? What’s it all about? I’m constantly reading books on God or the absence of God and atheism.”

So, OK. Sure. I’m all for “to each his own,” even if I don’t practice what others practice. I’m not going to demonize someone because of their spiritual (or lack of) beliefs. It’s not my place. I know what I believe, and to me, what I believe is real, but I also believe that what you believe is also real. Call it a cop-out, call it what you’d like: it is what it is. The thing that gets me, though, is that there’s a large outcry against Liam for “abandoning” his religion and converting to a religion that many bigots worldwide look down upon. In a lot of the comment forums where related information regarding Neeson is posed, there are hate-mongers who appear to stop at nothing in alienating every single Muslim for what they believe. For example, from the Daily Mail:

“FOOLISH MAN!”

“Don’t do it, Liam!”

Or the best:

“He converts to Islam, I will loose [sic] all respect for him as an actor.”

Yes, because YOUR RELIGION dictates your talents and defines you as a person. Right.

Then you have the American sites who have a lot of commenters also saying the same thing. From the Huffington Post:

“The muslim faith is NO good! Liam does not know what he is getting himeself [sic] into!!!”

“Relax guys…he’­s only THOUGHT of becoming a Muslim…h­ope he doesn’t go thru [sic] with it :S”

What really gets me, what really, really gets me is that if Liam (or another prolific Muslim) claimed that they were converting to Christianity or some other more “user-friendly” religion, the consensus would be all “Oh! Joy! Good for him!” but because there are so many people who are prejudiced against anyone who practices the Islamic faith, Liam is looked at like some kind of traitor. Does. not. compute. Sorry.

I guess that whole “freedom of choice” thing that the world loves to ram down one another’s throats does not apply when it comes to anyone even considering the Muslim faith as a viable path. The f-ck.

Other potential titles for this post include:

Liam Neeson is Pissed
Liam Neeson Has a Toilet Accident
Liam Neeson’s Newest Project is Titled ‘You’re in Nation‘
Liam Peeson
I Looked Liam Neeson Up on Wookiee-PEE-dia Today
Liam Neeson: Stall Wars

Yeah, I know most of them were ultra cheesy, but you know what? I LAUGHED MYSELF INTO THE BATHROOM envisioning some of these titles and that, my friends, is no joke at all.

“I think I survived by running away some. Running away to work. That’s the weird thing about grief. You can’t prepare for it. You think you’re gonna cry and get it over with. You make those plans, but they never work. … It hits you in the middle of the night – well, it hits me in the middle of the night. I’m out walking. I’m feeling quite content. And it’s like suddenly, boom. It’s like you’ve just done that in your chest.”

Liam Neeson, who finally breaks his silence about his wife Natasha’s death (which happened TWO YEARS AGO if you can believe it), gives personal details to Esquire magazine about how he handled his wife’s untimely – and fatal – skiing accident.  Natasha Richardson died shortly after suffering what was considered a run-of-the-mill head injury while skiing in Canada.

Ugh.  Seriously? My heart completely breaks for this guy. Here you have one of the most singly talented male actors on the face of the earth, who so publicly loved his wife, his best friend, his admitted soul mate, only to have her taken away so suddenly. It’s a damned shame, and at the risk of getting all philosophical on your asses (’cause it just happens SO MUCH, I KNOW), tell your loved ones just how much you love them. Like, right now. Because you never do know what the next day, or even hour, will hold, and that’s a scary fucking thing to behold.

It’s only been a couple months since Liam Neeson tragically lost his wife Natasha Richardson.  If you’ve ever lost a spouse, you know that the early days after their death seem like a fog.  I suspect that Liam Neeson is in no condition to be making career decisions right now.

I, for one, am blaming that fog of grief for Neeson’s desire to be cast in an A-Team movie, based on the 1980′s show.  What other reason could their be for such misguided and cloudy judgment?

Liam would take on the late George Peppard’s role of Colonel Hannibal Smith in the Ridley Scott production.  Let’s hope salary negotiations break down.

Speaking of Ridley Scott, he’s currently working on that Robin Hood moviewith Russell Crowe and that’s shaping up to be a disaster as well.  The flick, originally titled Nottingham, but now untitled, has had its share of drama.  Sienna Miller was fired, Russell Crowe was too fat, script rewrites and a fired director.  New reports claim that Scott and Crowe are constantly fighting and shutting down production — a practice that leads to huge budget overages for any movie.

What is the lesson in all this?  Remakes — bad!

This is just horrible!

Natasha Richardson — the daughter of Vanessa Redgrave and wife of Liam Neeson — is in critical condition in a Montreal hospital after being injured in a ski accident. She reportedly suffered head trauma, although details are slim.

Natasha and Liam, who have been married since 1994, have two sons, Micheál Richard Antonio, 13, and Daniel Jack, 12.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the whole family, and we’re hopeful for a full and speedy recovery for Ms. Richardson.