Liam Neeson, 63, caused a stir in July when he stepped out in New York appearing dangerously thin. Fans were concerned about his health, but he provided no explanation for his abrupt weight loss. He’s now spilling the goods and describing how he lost twenty pounds.

But don’t worry: it was all in preparation for his next movie Silence. According to the 63-year-old, he shed 20 pounds at the behest of director Martin Scorsese.

“Martin wanted us all to look a bit more gaunt, which [costars Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield] did as well,” Neeson, 63, said of losing 20 pounds during a press conference for the film, according to Collider. “I know Adam went to the extreme. He’s an ex marine and when he’s given an order, he follows it through. He was like something out of Auschwitz. Martin requires this level of [dedication] and I think it pays off.”

The film is based on the story of two Jesuit Portuguese priests who come to Japan to promote the gospel.

But why didn’t Liam just tell fans that the weight drop was for a part instead of letting them worry? Perhaps it’s because the picture is already being discussed as a possible Oscar contender. Perhaps they didn’t want the film’s buzz to build up too quickly, risking the audience forgetting about it before it was released. In any case, we’re looking forward to seeing how all of that hard work pays off in Silence.

Over the weekend, at the 4th Annual Los Cabos International Film Festival, Neeson and the picture’s producer Gaston Pavlovich were on hand to discuss the creation of the film.

Martin Scorsese, the Oscar-winning filmmaker, is “intimidating,” according to Neeson.  “He’s legendary – so as a performer you have to get over that. I had to get over that … He require[s] absolute silence on set, like everybody has to stop work when he’s giving a direction or explaining a scene. I mean everybody – the guy that s painting 400 yards away has to stop. If he hears one tiny sound it’s shattered for him so he commands that respect. He commands that silence and especially for this film it was necessary.”

While details and photographs from the film, which is based on Shusaku Endo’s 1966 novel and set in 17th century Japan, have been scant thus far, two new shots from the upcoming release have been released.

One of them reveals Liam’s 20-pound weight drop in full, with his face withdrawn, long hair and a beard covering much of his face, unclean clothing, and a forlorn look.

Andrew Garfield was also committed to the job. As previously reported, the Spider-Man actor not only lost 40 pounds, but was so consumed by the process that it harmed his relationship with now-ex-girlfriend Emma Stone. “He’d been in a dark place for months, getting into his role,” a source told Us of the actor, who spent months filming in Taiwan with Neeson and Driver.

Martin’s first picture since The Wolf Of Wall Street, Silence, was completed in May.