LIAM NEESON - NEESON STARTED DATING AT 24

SCHINDLER'S LIST star LIAM NEESON was so shy around females when he was growing up, he didn't start seriously dating until he was 24 years old.

Neeson, married to actress NATASHA RICHARDSON, plays sex researcher ALFRED KINSEY in controversial biopic KINSEY but he claims he was nowhere near as informed as his character when he was growing up in Northern Ireland.

He says, "I remember when I started seriously courting at the age of 24. Going to a dance in Belfast, fancying this girl and wondering how I could buy her a lemonade. Seriously, I'm not exaggerating.

"We're dancing away and I thought, I have to ask her to come over (to my table) and eventually she read my thoughts and said, 'Do you mind sitting down? Your feet are killing me.'"