Director Steve McQueen has shared his disappointment in Liam Neeson, following his recent race controversy.
The actor faced heavy criticism earlier this month after revealing that “many years ago” he thought about killing a black person in the street, after a friend was sexually assaulted.
McQueen, who directed Neeson in Widows, was asked about the comments in an interview on Radio 4’s Today programme, and said: “My reaction was I was disturbed, I was upset and finally I was just disappointed.”
The film-maker also indicated that he had not spoken to Neeson about the matter, answering the question of whether he had told him how he feels with: “Well, he knows now.
“You never know what’s in people’s minds. You just never know,” he added.
Asked whether “that’s not really primeval if race is involved, that’s … a learned behaviour and therefore something very uncomfortable indeed”, McQueen replied: “I just find racism very funny and very stupid and very silly.
“It’s absurd. I don’t even know how to answer that question, if you have to get stupid to answer that question I would rather keep my intelligence if possible.”
He did offer a response to people who have defended Neeson though, adding: “Can you identify a racist by looking at them? Neither can I.”
Former footballer John Barnes was one of those who spoke out in support of Neeson in the wake of his comments.
John said earlier this month on Sky News: “He’s talking about in the moment, and you can’t blame Liam Neeson for thinking what he feels – and this is a while ago – this is what society has shown him, that black people do, that Muslims do, that society has wrongly shown him, which is what the media has wrongly portrayed to him.
“Now, what he went on to say is that he felt ashamed and horrified by the way he felt. Yes? He’s not ashamed and horrified at wanting to commit the act of revenge, he’s ashamed and horrified because that is what he thought about all black people.”
Neeson had recalled his alarming story in an interview with The Independent, in which he said his friend had been assaulted and “said it [the perpetrator] was a black person”.
He continued: “I went up and down areas with a cosh, hoping I’d be approached by somebody. I’m ashamed to say that, and I did it for maybe a week – hoping some ‘black bastard’ [two words which the newspaper refers to him as using air quotes as he said] would come out of a pub and have a go at me about something, you know? So that I could... kill him.
Neeson then reflected on his behaviour, acknowledging that he had acted in a “horrible, horrible” way and adding: “It’s awful. But I did learn a lesson from it, when I eventually thought, ‘What the fuck are you doing’, you know? I understand that need for revenge, but it just leads to more revenge, to more killing and more killing.”
He later appeared on Good Morning America to discuss the comments, where he insisted he is not racist and said he’d “definitely” have had the same reaction if the rapist had not been black.
He claimed: “If she’d have said an Irishman or a Scot or a Brit or a Lithuanian, I know it’d have had the same effect. I was trying to show honour and stand up for my dear friend in this terrible medieval fashion.
“I’m an intelligent guy and that’s why it shocked me when I came down to earth. Luckily, no violence occurred, ever. Thanks be to god.”