From Taken to Totally Naked: How Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson Pulled Off Their Most Shocking Scenec

When you think of Liam Neeson, you probably imagine the brooding hero of Schindler’s List, the vengeful father of Taken, or the tender heart of Love Actually. What you might not picture is Neeson donning a skirt, cracking slapstick gags, or choreographing a threesome with Pamela Anderson. Yet, that’s exactly what audiences are getting in the new reboot of The Naked Gun.

Appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Neeson revealed the unlikely journey that brought him to comedy’s most ridiculous franchise. Seth MacFarlane approached him years ago about stepping into the role of Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Leslie Nielsen’s iconic bumbling detective. Neeson’s response? With a trademark grin he told Colbert: “I said how much? Okay, I’ll be there.”

And while the action sequences may come naturally to the 73-year-old actor—he’s worked with the same fight coordinator for decades—it was the film’s raunchier moments that truly tested his comedic mettle.

Yes, there is a sex scene. And yes, it’s with Pamela Anderson.

Colbert pressed the actor about the much-buzzed-about sequence, which features a brief glimpse of nudity and, as Neeson reluctantly admitted, a “very unexpected threesome.” The veteran actor confirmed that this was the first time in his career he’d worked with an intimacy coordinator, something he described as “a little bit strange.”

But he quickly praised Anderson, who, according to him, was both fearless and hilarious throughout the shoot. “Pamela and I knew what to do,” he joked, before conceding that the choreography of such a scene required careful planning—and plenty of humor.

The pair’s chemistry has extended beyond the screen. Anderson even baked sourdough loaves and bran muffins for Neeson during filming, a gesture he admitted he loved. And on the promotional trail, the duo delighted fans by re-creating the Titanic pose on the bow of a boat in Berlin—though Neeson laughed that the moment was “less romantic” than it looked, given the risk of Anderson falling into the river.

Of course, Neeson couldn’t escape Colbert’s playful ribbing about his legs—a body part he admitted he was self-conscious about as a young boxer. But his willingness to poke fun at himself is precisely why this unlikely casting works. In Colbert’s words: “It’s one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen. Pound for pound, it doesn’t go 15 seconds without a joke.”

For Neeson, who grew up on Laurel and Hardy and the Three Stooges, the move to comedy feels like a return to his childhood sense of humor. Only now, the laughs are bigger, bawdier, and, occasionally, barer.

As The Naked Gun hits theaters, fans can expect the full Neeson package—action, absurdity, and yes, even an intimacy-coordinated threesome with Pamela Anderson. At 73, the actor isn’t slowing down. Instead, he’s leaning in, proving that even Hollywood’s most stoic tough guy can have a wickedly funny side.