In 2008, a then 55-year-old Liam Neeson became a bona fide action hero after starring in “Taken” — a wildly successful action thriller that raked in a whopping $226.8 million on a $25 million budget. Of course, that level of box office success meant sequels, which brought in more cash than the original. There was even a television adaptation of the blockbuster franchise, and now it’s streaming for free on both The Roku Channel and The CW.
NBC’s “Taken,” which debuted in 2017, served as a modern-day prequel to the movie franchise. Former “Vikings” star Clive Standen took on the role of a younger Bryan Mills — the CIA operative destined to develop that famous — as Neeson so gruffly put it — “very particular set of skills.” The series follows the former Green Beret as he pursues a ruthless cartel boss following the death of his sister, seeking revenge before being pulled into covert CIA black ops missions.
Taking over an iconic role originated by Neeson came with plenty of initial hesitation for Standen. During an interview with Collider, the actor admitted he was nervous about taking on the part. “I did worry,” Standen recalled. “When I first got sent the script by my agent, I didn’t read it. I just assumed that it was going to be full of car chases and explosions and no substance… And then, my agent rang and said, ‘Did you read Taken?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, it was full of car chases and explosions.’ And he said, ‘You obviously didn’t read it ’cause it’s not that.'”
Poor ratings led to Taken being canceled after only two seasons
Standen quickly jumped aboard after connecting with showrunner Alexander Cary (“Homeland”), appreciating how the series grounded the character in reality rather than turning him into an invincible superhero. “Bryan is just a guy. I don’t want him leaping around like a gazelle. That’s not believable,” Standen told the outlet, adding that the action maintains a “relentless” momentum. “I like the fact that Bryan gets beaten up and knocked around, and hasn’t quite got the answer, but he learns.”
In a separate interview with The Wrap, Standen opened up about what stood out the most about this younger iteration of Bryan Mills. “What I love about Bryan’s character is he’s not as suave and sophisticated as someone like James Bond. He hasn’t got the cool thing to say to the girl or the villain,” Standen explained to The Wrap. “Bryan’s just a bit of a nerd, and that’s what I think is so great about him.”
Unfortunately, the series wasn’t a huge hit with critics, and audiences just weren’t tuning in, forcing NBC to yank “Taken” from its primetime slot. According to Deadline, “Taken” was canceled after two seasons and 26 episodes following underwhelming Friday night ratings, where live viewership ranged from 2 to 3 million per episode. But if you’re a fan of the high-octane film series and missed out on Bryan Mills’ origin story, both seasons of “Taken” are ready to binge right now on The Roku Channel and The CW TV.
