Liam Neeson has reflected on the time Star Wars director George Lucas told him and his co-star Ewan McGregor to stop making lightsaber noises while filming an action scene.

The Taken actor, 71, recalled the amusing moment, which occurred while filming 1999’s Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, on Monday’s episode of the Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend podcast.

“The first time we actually had to use the lightsaber to start a little fight… We both automatically (made the noises),” Neeson remembered. “George said, ‘Let’s cut there. Boys, we can add that in later.'”

The actor, who played the Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn alongside McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi in the film, also revealed his opinion on the explosion of Star Wars content since Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012.

“I mean it is a cult. There’s so many movies and spin-offs now I think it’s diluting the whole thing. That’s my personal thing,” he confessed.

Neeson made a brief cameo in the 2022 Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi but only had about two lines of dialogue.

Also in the interview, the Batman Begins star was asked by host Conan O’Brien how often Star Wars fans approach him for an autograph.

“Not all the time,” Neeson answered. “Occasionally there’s kids after a Star Wars autograph and I don’t want to give autographs at the airport. Oh but it’s not the kid, it’s the grandfather, there he is – or the dad. They become 11 year olds.”

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