Liam Neeson recalls harrowing waterfall stunt from ‘Seraphim Falls’

Neeson, currently promoting his new action film *The Mongoose*, which also stars Marisa Tomei and Ving Rhames and is directed by Mark Vanselow, reflected on his long collaboration with Vanselow, who also serves as his stunt double.

The incident occurred during the filming of the 2006 film *Seraphim Falls*, a Western starring Neeson and Pierce Brosnan. Neeson recounted a scene involving a waterfall, stating, “There was a waterfall sequence. When we shot it, we had to have a waterfall that wasn’t frozen with ice and winter conditions. We found it, and Mark does a stunt coming over that waterfall. It was freezing cold water and I was very, very concerned.”

Vanselow elaborated on the conditions, explaining that the scene was filmed in Oregon during a period of relentless rain. “Yeah, it was dynamic. It was in Oregon, and it had rained for 30 days straight and it was raining all throughout the shooting, so the river was just engorged with water. I was actually underneath a helicopter going over the falls.”

He added a humorous detail about the pilot, Craig Hosking, who also worked on *The Mongoose*. “At the end of it we had a warming tank, and landing area. He dipped me in the hot tub like a martini olive, then landed the helicopter next to it.”

Neeson recently voiced anxieties about the changing nature of the film industry, particularly the shift towards streaming releases. He expressed concern about the future of feature films amidst industry consolidation and mergers.

“The movie industry is changing, streaming services are merging, companies are being bought out. We’re all very concerned about the state of Hollywood. What’s going to happen to feature films?” he stated. Neeson also acknowledged the challenges faced by many actors, noting, “I’ve been very, very lucky. I have friends and acquaintances, actors, some of whom haven’t worked for months and months. It’s a profession filled with rejection. It really is.”