Liam Neeson Worried About Raising Teen Sons Alone After Losing Wife Natasha Richardson | Now They’re Doing Alright

Liam Neeson first met his wife, actress Natasha Richardson (the daughter of famed British actress Vanessa Redgrave) while starring opposite each other in Anna Christie on Broadway in 1993. The Parent Trap actress was 29 at the time and married to producer Robert Fox but when she met the tall and handsome Neeson, it was hard to deny their unmistakable chemistry.

"She was a radiant beauty. Yeah, cascading hair. I remember. There was—that was very, very attractive. I'd never had that kind of an explosive chemistry situation with an actor, or actress," Neeson confessed to Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes. "We had just this wonderful kind of dance—free dance on stage every night. She and I were like [Fred] Astaire and [Ginger] Rogers."

The Irish actor fell madly in love with Richardson and the two tied the knot in 1994. Sadly, Neeson lost the love of his life in a skiing accident. The pair were together until her death in 2009. They had two sons, Micheál and Daniel, who were just 13 and 12 when she died. Neeson was not only mourning the loss of his beautiful wife but he was worried about how he was going to raise his children on his own. 

Speaking of being a single dad he said he was doing okay at the time and that "it could have been a hell of a lot worse." The Taken star also mentioned that U2 frontman Bono also helped his sons after their mom's death. "I'm name dropping for a second. Bono is a pal and he came 'round to have dinner. And I remember he was sitting beside Micheal and, just out of the blue he said, 'What age are you, Micheal?' and Micheal said, 'Thirteen.' And he said, 'Yeah, that's the age I was when I lost my mum'." Neeson was so grateful for that moment and even said, "I could [have] kissed him for it. He was, like, saying, 'You know, I lost my mom at this age and I'm doing OK. And you will do OK too.' You know."

The actor, whose wife died in 2009, admitted his sons "know I'll always be there." Speaking to GQ in 2014 he said that "the thing Tasha and I really wanted to instill in them was manners. That may sound like such a basic thing, but I’ve heard so many adults say, 'Oh, my God, your sons—they look you straight in the eye. They’re very polite and mannered.' It makes me proud. And it can get you through a lot, in a way. Just showing respect for your fellow man."

At the time of the interview, his sons were teens and he was especially a bit worried about his boys growing into men. "They're experimenting. They're flexing muscles and sometimes dangerous avenues, and you think, 'F***. If Tasha was here, someone could share this'," he told the magazine for their cover story. "But yeah, we're doing all right, you know?"

References:

https://www.gq.com/story/liam-neeson-cover-story-april-2014

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/liam-neeson-on-natasha-richardson-death-and-hollywood-success/

Cover Image Source: Getty Images | (L) Photo by Brad Barket (R) Photo by Neilson Barnard