If there is any older gentleman actor who has sent a legion of female hearts aflutter, it would undeniably be Irish heartthrob Liam Neeson. Who could stop themselves being taken in (pun very much intended) by the haunted eyes of the gravelly-voiced action hero who went to the ends of the earth to rescue his daughter from some seriously bad guys in Taken (2009)?

Of course, if action heroes don't do it for you, you could also easily fall for the lonely widower in Christmas favourite Love Actually (2003). Or you could just watch Neeson steal the show in war drama Schindler's List (1993).

In short, Neeson has more than earned the accolades heaped upon his doorstep. But has the time come for the sun to set on his glittering career? Unfortunately, according to the man himself in an interview with People magazine, the answer is a solid 'yes'.

"I'm 72 - it has to stop at some stage," Neeson told the publication. He performs in his own fight scenes, but leaves the more intricate stunt work to longtime collaborator Mark Vanselow. "You can't fool audiences. I don't want Mark to be fighting my fight scenes for me."

Neeson reckons he will be finished with showbiz by the time 2025 rolls around, but has not fully committed himself to saying goodbye just yet. "Maybe the end of next year," he muses. "I think that's it."