Ellen Page criticises Liam Neeson amid race row: 'It’s just so f***ing racist'

Exclusive: The Oscar-nominated actor criticised Neeson during an interview with The Independent

Ellen Page at the premiere of Netflix's 'The Umbrella Academy' (Getty Images)

Ellen Page has called Liam Neeson “just so f***ing racist” after he admitted to once roaming the streets with a cosh, looking for a “black bastard” to kill after the rape of a close friend.

Page criticised Neeson during an interview with The Independent about her upcoming Netflix series The Umbrella Academy.

“If you wanna own up to that, yeah, but you’re acknowledging that that’s f***ing... so f***ing, beyond f***ing... it’s just so f***ing racist,” the Oscar-nominated actor said.

“You can say it, and own up to it, but then you have to prepare for the response people are gonna give you. We can own up to things and say sorry – we can’t just assume we’ll be forgiven. And you can’t be doing it with that expectation, because then that’s not really a true apology.

“It’s hard to know how to have f***ing words for that conversation to be honest. I’ll be honest. That’s so f***ed.”

Neeson has previoulsy insisted he is not racist, saying his behaviour was a result of wanting to show “honour” after someone close to him had been assaulted.

:: Read the original, exclusive interview that started a global conversation

Others to have criticised Neeson include Regina King, who told The Independent that the incident changed how she thought of the Taken actor.

“Do you need to be responsible for what you make other people feel because you’re expressing what you feel? Absolutely,” she said.

“So don’t be surprised when someone doesn’t want to work with you… or when you’re not getting a job because they can’t hire any other actors who want to stand beside you. That was a choice that you made.”

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Page has been outspoken on various issues over the past few weeks, recently criticising Chris Pratt for attending an “infamously anti-LGBT” church. Read The Independent's full interview with Page here.

The Umbrella Factory reaches Netflix 15 February