Liam Neeson scoffs at his character's 'namby-pamby' death in “The Phantom Menace”: 'Please, hardly a Master Jedi'

Liam Neeson scoffs at his character's 'namby-pamby' death in "The Phantom Menace": 'Please, hardly a Master Jedi'

Everett Some 26 years ago,Liam Neesontook a lightsaber to the gut — and he still isn't happy about it. The actor, who starred as Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn in 1999'sStar Wars: Episode 1 — The Phantom Menace, has admitted that he wasn't impressed with his character's climactic demise, which occurred during his intense duel with nasty Sith Lord Darth Maul (Ray Park). "I thought my death was a bit namby-pamby," the British star recently toldGQwhile looking back at some of the major roles of his career. "I'm supposed to be a Master Jedi. My character fell for the, 'Oh, I'm going for your face! No, I'm not, I'm going for your stomach.' 'Oh, you got me!'" Scoffing, Neeson rolled his eyes, "Like, oh, please. Hardly a Master Jedi." Everett Despite his disappointment in Qui-Gon's fate, Neeson said makingThe Phantom Menacewas still a great experience. He especially enjoyed wielding a lightsaber, sound effects and all. "The first timeEwan McGregorand I had to draw our lightsabers, I remember we both made the sound at the exact same time," Neeson recalled, mimicking the distinct hum of the kyber-crystal-powered blade. "I remember George [Lucas] said, 'Boys, you don't have to do that. We can add that stuff." Given his fond memories from the set, Neeson was happy to oblige when the opportunity came around for him to reprise his role for McGregor'sDisney+spinoff series,Obi-Wan Kenobi. "It was just one little scene," he recalled. "I kinda liked that. It was just one line. It was nice to recreate that and be with Ewan after 18, 20 years. It was sweet." Karwai Tang/WireImage As maverick Jedi Master Qui-Gon, Neeson appeared in only the first of theStar Warsprequels. He served as a wise and gentle mentor for Obi-Wan and planned to take young Anakin (Jake Lloyd) under his wing as well — until Darth Maul and his double lightsaber intervened. In the end, it fell upon his own Padawan to mentor the Force-attuned child, eventually leading to Anakin's turn to the dark side. Want more movie news? Sign up forEntertainment Weekly'sfree newsletterto get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more. Even though Qui-Gon didn't live beyond the film in which he was introduced, Neeson has kept his relationship to theStar Warsuniverse alive and well, lending his voice out to everything from the second prequel film,Attack of the Clones,to the animated seriesStar Wars: The Clone Wars. He also had a voice cameo inStar Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker. So would Neeson ever reprise the role for more than just a few lines? The actor previously stated that he's open to it, but he shrugged off the idea of leadinghis own spinoff series. "There's so many spinoffs ofStar Wars. It's diluting it to me," he said during a 2023 visit toWatch What Happens Live. "It's taken away the mystery and the magic, in a weird way." Watch Neeson reflect on Qui-Gon's death in the video above. Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

byAlpha World

in

August 03, 2025

Liam Neeson scoffs at his character's 'namby-pamby' death in “The Phantom Menace”: 'Please, hardly a Master Jedi'

Liam Neeson scoffs at his character's 'namby-pamby' death in "The Phantom Menace": 'Please, hardly a Master Jedi...

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TV Star, 56, Says Bizarre ‘ER’ Audition Cost Him Career-Making Role: ‘I Thought I Nailed It’

TV Star, 56, Says Bizarre 'ER' Audition Cost Him Career-Making Role: 'I Thought I Nailed It'

TV Star, 56, Says Bizarre 'ER' Audition Cost Him Career-Making Role: 'I Thought I Nailed It'originally appeared onParade. ActorSam Rockwell, 56, may have all but stolen the show inThe White LotusSeason 3, but theversatile starsays he once went "too far" in an audition that could have launched him to TV stardom much earlier. Related: Justin Timberlake Shares Behind-the Scenes Tour Footage of His Rarely-Seen Kids In a recentEntertainment Tonightroundtable promoting their animated filmBad Guys 2, Rockwell sat down with costarsAwkwafina,Anthony Ramos, andMarc Maron. WhenCrazy Rich Asiansscene-stealer Awkwafina, whose real name isNora Lum, asked the group to share early career auditions they likely bombed, Rockwell jumped in without hesitation. "ER," Rockwell confessed. "I was up forER… Noah Wyle's part." Rockwell then revealed he may have overcommitted to the character of Dr. John Carter by showing up to the audition wearing a lab coat and carrying a fake hypodermic needle. While the other actors laughed at Rockwell's humble take on the failed audition, he added, "I thought I nailed it," only to realize the producers likely thought he was crazy. The actor was quick to clarify that there was no actual needle attached to the prop syringe. Nonetheless, he admitted the props were probably more off-putting than he had intended. Related: Nicole Scherzinger Leaves Jimmy Fallon Speechless With Jaw-Dropping High Note: 'She's Iconic Period' Though Rockwell didn't land theERrole alongside his longtime friendGeorge Clooney, he went on to become one of Hollywood's most sought-after film and television stars, with credits includingCharlie's Angels,The Green Mile, andIron Man 2. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 TV Star, 56, Says Bizarre 'ER' Audition Cost Him Career-Making Role: 'I Thought I Nailed It'first appeared on Parade on Aug 3, 2025 This story was originally reported byParadeon Aug 3, 2025, where it first appeared.

byAlpha World

in

August 03, 2025

TV Star, 56, Says Bizarre ‘ER’ Audition Cost Him Career-Making Role: ‘I Thought I Nailed It’

TV Star, 56, Says Bizarre 'ER' Audition Cost Him Career-Making Role: 'I Thought I Nailed It' TV Star, 56, Says Bizarre '...

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Doctors Without Borders US CEO: Gaza aid system is ‘unsafe’ and ‘inefficient'

Doctors Without Borders US CEO: Gaza aid system is 'unsafe' and 'inefficient'

Doctors Without Borders USA CEO Avril Benoît emphasized the need for improved humanitarian aid distribution systems in Gaza amid aid organizations' warnings of hunger andmass starvation. Speaking with ABC News' "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos on Sunday, Benoît described what she and doctors are witnessing firsthand. ""People are desperate. The patients that we're seeing are malnourished and we have seen women deliver prematurely," Benoît said. She said the lack of food aid has put newborns at risk due to mothers not having enough nutrition to breastfeed. "We're also seeing people coming in with all the catastrophic injuries that you would expect in an open zone of airstrikes and continuing hostility as they're coming in with those trauma injuries, and third-degree burns to their entire bodies, children with their faces blown off, and all the major orthopedic cases." She explained how children's bodies aren't strong enough to ward off infections and disease. "Their bodies are not strong enough to even fight, to -- to be able to withstand the risk of infection. They're -- they're not recovering properly. And that's -- that's exacerbating the problem in the health facilities because, of course, you would want people to have all the chances in the world to be able to overcome their injuries, to discharge them, to make room for others," she said. Benoît blamedIsraelfor clinics and hospitals in Gaza not being able to do their jobs. "The hospital infrastructure, which Israel has largely destroyed with the clinics and other outpatient facilities that we have and with the rest of the humanitarian organizations that are trying to support the medical needs in Gaza, we are completely overwhelmed and starvation is making things all that much more catastrophic." Benoît's appearance on ABC News comes after U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabeevisited Gazaon Friday to inspect current models of food aid distribution. Several aid organizations report that some people in Gaza, especially children, are down to eating only one meal per day and others not eating at all. "My own colleagues are eating every second day and scrounging around for food," Benoît said. She described the current model of distribution, controlled by Israel and backed by the U.S., as being significantly ineffective and inefficient. "It's unsafe. It's an inefficient way to deliver aid. People have to cross very unsafe zones to reach those areas that are controlled by the IDF and military contractors from the U.S., and then there are insufficient quantities." She further stated how Israel is making matters more difficult for those in Gaza who need the aid. "And the injuries are not only people being shot as they're leaving the zone with their bags of flour, but it's also from the trampling that happens, the injuries that happen when people are crushing and jumping over each other because of all the gunshots against unarmed civilians who are just trying to survive with a bit of food aid," Benoît said. Despite the dire situation, Benoît remains hopeful as she presses for more aid and for a ceasefire to come soon. "So we very much hope, for everyone's sake, all the civilians inside Gaza, including hostages, but of course, all of the people, the families and the children that there's an end to this with a real, lasting ceasefire," she added.

byAlpha World

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August 03, 2025

Doctors Without Borders US CEO: Gaza aid system is ‘unsafe’ and ‘inefficient'

Doctors Without Borders US CEO: Gaza aid system is 'unsafe' and 'inefficient' Doctors Without Borders USA CEO Avril Benoît e...

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What to know about the earthquake that shook the New York area Saturday night

What to know about the earthquake that shook the New York area Saturday night

A relatively mild,3.0 magnitude earthquake shook the New York metropolitan areaSaturday night. Here's what to know. What happened? The earthquake hit in the New Jersey suburb of Hasbrouck Heights at about 10:18 p.m. Eastern time at a depth of about 6.2 miles (10 kilometers). It was felt fairly widely in northern parts of the state, southern New York and even in southern Connecticut. There were no initial reports of serious injuries or significant damage in New Jersey or across the Hudson River in New York City. City officials said that as of late Sunday morning they had not been called to respond to any building-related issues. The Big Apple has more than 1 million buildings. Many posts on social media reported the ground rumbling, and the U.S. Geological Survey reported more than 10,000 responses to its 'Did You Feel It?' website. Though people in the United States might associate earthquakes more often with the West Coast, scientists say these types of incidents on the East Coast are not unlikely. How frequent are earthquakes in the New York area? The area feels an earthquake about once every couple of years. "The northeast part of the United States does not see large earthquakes very often," said Jessica Turner, a geophysicist with the National Earthquake Information Center, which is a part of the USGS. Since 1950, only 43 other quakes of this magnitude and larger have occurred within 155 miles (250 kilometers) of Saturday's event, according to the USGS. A much larger,4.8-magnitude quakethat struck in Tewksbury, New Jersey, a little farther west of the city, in April 2024 was felt as far away as Boston and Baltimore. Some flights were diverted or delayed after that quake, and Amtrak slowed trains throughout the busy Northeast corridor. A smaller, 1.7 magnitude earthquake thathit the Astoria section of Queens, New York, in January 2024 stirred residents. The region sees a more damaging one only a couple times a century, if that. New York was damaged in 1737 and 1884 by earthquakes, according to USGS data. How do East Coast earthquakes compare with West Coast ones? The difference between East Coast and West Coast quakes lies in the "mechanism," said seismologist Lucy Jones. California is at the edge of the San Andreas fault system, which has two tectonic plates: the Pacific Ocean plate and the North American plate. Two plates move and push to build up stress, meaning earthquakes happen relatively frequently. New York falls in the middle of a plate, far from the nearest boundaries in the center of the Atlantic Ocean and in the Caribbean Sea — resulting in residual stresses and making it difficult to predict where earthquakes will occur. The area is also home to the well-known Ramapo Fault line. Geologists have not seen evidence that would suggest it has had a large earthquake in some time, but there have been smaller ones. Saturday's quake cannot necessarily be associated with this fault, experts say. The same size earthquake is felt over a much larger area in New York than it would be in California. "The rocks on the East Coast are particularly cold and hard and therefore, do a better job of transmitting the energy," said Jones. In California, the various faults are more akin to a broken bell, which doesn't transmit energy as well. Does this signal more to come? Every earthquake makes another one more likely, but within a range, scientists say. "At just 3.0, the chances are there will not be another felt event," Jones said, estimating about a 50-50 chance there will be no activity that can be recorded. "Most likely is an unfelt, magnitude 1 or 2 aftershock." ___ Associated Press writers Julie Walker in New York City and Michael Hill in Altamont, New York, contributed.

byAlpha World

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August 03, 2025

What to know about the earthquake that shook the New York area Saturday night

What to know about the earthquake that shook the New York area Saturday night A relatively mild,3.0 magnitude earthquake shook the New York ...

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Ed Kelce, Travis and Jason's dad, mourns death of 'beloved friend' Maureen Maguire

Ed Kelce, Travis and Jason's dad, mourns death of 'beloved friend' Maureen Maguire

TravisandJason Kelce'sdad has shared news of the death of a loved one. Ed Kelce, father of the football stars,announced the lossof Maureen Maguire, 74, in a Facebook post on Saturday, Aug. 2. He shared a link to anobituary that describedMaguire as his "beloved friend," though aLos Angeles Timesinterview with Kelce published in 2024 noted Maguire was his girlfriend. Maguire, a former elementary school teacher who was born in New York but spent most of her life in Philadelphia, "passed away peacefully surrounded by her loved ones," according to the obituary. She "grew an unexpected love for football later in life, sharing many laughs and adventures with her beloved friend Ed Kelce and her loyal dog Butch," the obituary also read. "Together, they traveled often and attended football games and concerts, and embraced every opportunity to enjoy life to the fullest." Maguire was predeceased by her husband, Daniel J. Maguire Jr., and is survived by her three children, six grandchildren, and her sister and brother. Travis Kelcefinally posts Taylor Swift photos on Instagram: See the couple's date nights Ed Kelce was previously married toDonna Kelce, Travis and Jason's mother, for more than 20 years. In an appearance on her sons'"New Heights" podcastin 2023, Donna Kelce noted that she and Ed are "friends to this day," adding, "We get along great. It's just sometimes people move apart, that's all." Travis Kelceconsoled by Taylor Swift as retirement rumors swirl after Super Bowl loss "We're like a tag team with you two," she added, addressing Jason and Travis. "When one of you had to go out of town, another person would help the other child, so it was perfect." Speakingwith the Los Angeles Timesin 2024, Ed Kelce revealed an amusing interaction Maguire had with Travis Kelce's girlfriend,Taylor Swift, soon after they met. When Swift was posing for a photo with Ed Kelce and nuzzled up to him, Maguire jokingly warned, "Hey, that's my boyfriend," according to the Times, which said the singer "laughed and struck something closer to a father-daughter pose." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Ed Kelce mourns death of 'beloved friend' Maureen Maguire

byAlpha World

in

August 03, 2025

Ed Kelce, Travis and Jason's dad, mourns death of 'beloved friend' Maureen Maguire

Ed Kelce, Travis and Jason's dad, mourns death of 'beloved friend' Maureen Maguire TravisandJason Kelce'sdad has shared news...

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