(CNN) Liam Neeson appeared on "Good Morning America" on Tuesday in the wake of controversy over his saying he contemplated carrying out a racist revenge attack after someone close to him was raped.

"I'm not racist," Neeson said. "This was nearly 40 years ago."

The actor reiterated a story he shared in an interview with The Independent during a press tour for his new movie, "Cold Pursuit," which he said Tuesday is a dark comedy about revenge.

In the newspaper interview Neeson began recounting his personal story after being asked about his film character turning to anger. He did not reveal who was attacked but said he found out when he returned home from a trip.

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