VIDEO: Liam Neeson Says Mel Gibson 'Was Cool' About Hangover 2 Situation
Feb. 16 2011, Published 7:00 a.m. ET
After Mel Gibson was unceremoniously dismissed from a possible career-saving cameo in The Hangover 2 last fall, Liam Neeson got the call to replace him, and on The Tonight Show Tuesday, the talented Irish actor said he had a cordial chat with Gibson after he took the part.
"I called Mel up, and Mel was totally cool," said the soft-spoken actor, who will play a tattoo artist in the film.
Neeson and Gibson's professional relationship goes back to their 1984 film, The Bounty.
Watch the video on RadarOnline.com
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, a mini-mutiny had broken out among some working on the film, when the controversial Lethal Weapon star was cast in the cameo, just months after RadarOnline.com released audio excerpts of his vile rants towards ex Oksana Grigorieva.
"I thought Mel would have been great in the movie," director Todd Phillips said in a statement following the personnel switch. "And I had the full backing of Warner Bros. Pictures president Jeff Robinov and his team. But I realize filmmaking is a collaborative effort, and this decision ultimately did not have the full support of my entire cast and crew."
Star Zach Galifianakis, who implied he was not happy with the idea of casting Gibson in previous interviews, denied pulling a power play to have the fallen star removed from the cast.
Cast & Crew Force Mel Gibson Out Of 'The Hangover 2'
"I do not consult on the movies that I'm in. I just show up and I say my lines, usually terribly, and I do consult on dialogue," Galifianakis told the Today Show in November. "But as far as hiring and firing of actors, I have no insight into that world whatsoever."