Liam Neeson was born in Ballymena, Northern Ireland on 7th June 1952. At the age of nine, Neeson took boxing lessons and soon after he had beaten most of the challengers All Saints Youth Club could come up with. It was at this time he began boxing on the amateur competitive level. Neeson moved to Dublin and within a year of moving made his film debut as Jesus Christ in an educational film aimed at Irish Bible students. In 1992 Spielberg asked Neeson to star in his best role to date in Shindler's List, for which he was nominated an Oscar for Best Actor. As of 2006, Neeson's next film appearance will be in the American Civil War epic Seraphim Falls with Pierce Brosnan and Angelica Huston. He is also set to star as Abraham Lincoln in a film directed by Steven Spielberg. Neeson was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in her 1999 New Year's Honours List.