Steven Spielberg has been long rumored to direct Lincoln, a biopic of our 16th president that would focus on two months of his life and be heavily influenced by the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. Liam Neeson was originally cast in the lead role, but now the actor has come forward to say he is no longer involved in the project.

In an article from Digital Spy, Liam Neeson told GMTV that he was simply too old to continue to pursue the role, even though he is only a mere two years older than the President when he died. He said, "I'm not actually playing Lincoln. I was attached to it for a while, but now I'm past my sell-by date."

The actor will instead take on the role of President Lyndon B. Johnson in Lee Daniels' upcoming civil rights drama Selma.