Non-stop in NYC! Liam Neeson is making the rounds to promote his latest action flick in the Big Apple, but the actor is also hitting up City Hall while he's at it. The Non-Stop star is going head-to-head with new NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, asking that horse-drawn carriages don't get "taken" away as a means of transportation.
USA Today reports that Neeson, 61, recently invited City Council members to the Clinton Park Stables to show them how "well cared for" the animals are. When the mayor was a no-show, the Irish actor then allegedly said he should have "manned" up. Horse-drawn carriages have widely been considered as cruel to animals. Neeson's view is the minority in this situation, as stars like Lea Michele and Miley Cyrus have all led campaigns to ban its practice.
Neeson has been involved because he has been around the horses for years, an insider told Us Weekly. He knows the men that work with the horses, and has seen how they are treated, the source added. (Neeson's actress wife Natasha Richardson died five years ago after suffering a head injury from a skiing accident in Montreal, Canada. The pair are parents to sons Michael, 19, and Daniel, 18.)
Mayor de Blasio has implemented a plan to replace the horse-drawn carriages with vintage electric cars. When he didn't show up to discuss the situation with Neeson, the actor reportedly joked to council members: "Like we need more cars in New York."
The two men have yet to cross paths, but de Blasio did respond to the Taken star's advances on Monday, March 10. During an appearance on MSNBC's Morning Joe, the NYC mayor said he's a fan of Neeson's film work, but to keep horse-drawn carriages just doesn't "make sense."
