Liam Neeson’s sons found it challenging to readjust to life without the care of their mother. Here’s how they coped.
Hollywood action figure Liam Neeson was 40 years old when he starred in “Anna Christie” on Broadway in 1993. The show turned out to be a huge success and was widely praised by fans and critics.
However, what made “Anna Christie” that successful was the evident chemistry between the lead stars, Liam and Natasha Richardson. The pair’s chemistry and connection reflected in their rendition. They also both earned Tony nominations for their performance.
Unknown to many, Liam and Natasha’s chemistries transcended just their stage performances. The duo slowly fell in love with one another during their stint on the show. As Liam later would reveal, he stated:
“I’d never had that kind of an explosive chemistry situation with an actor, or actress. We had just this wonderful kind of dance—free dance on stage every night. She and I were like [Fred] Astaire and [Ginger] Rogers.”
However, at the time, Natasha was married to movie producer Robert Fox. Still, that did not prevent the two from seeking out a relationship. Instead, the actress broke things off with Robert and, in 1994, exchanged marital vows with Liam.
Less than a year after getting married, the duo welcomed their first child, son Micheál in 1995. Shortly after, they became parents again to another son Daniel.
Liam and Natasha’s relationship became the envy of many in Hollywood as the couple supported one another in their professional and personal lives. Sadly, after almost two decades of marriage, tragedy struck the family when Natasha died after a skiing accident in Quebec.
The actress and mother of two was pronounced brain dead after her accident resulted in a significant brain injury. Natasha’s sudden passing left her two young sons, Micheál and Daniel, in the care of their father.
The Kids Struggled With Natasha’s Death
Natasha’s sudden passing was a massive blow to Neeson and their kids. The actor unexpectedly became a single father, and their sons lost their mother at a pivotal period of their life.
Micheál and Daniel were 13 and 12 years old, respectively, when the accident occurred. After Natasha’s death, many of the family’s friends threw their support behind Liam and the kids.
The kid’s grandmother Vanessa Redgrave also took on the role of caring for the kids. The kids took their mother’s passing very hard, especially Micheál. The teenager felt he could cope with his mother’s death by socializing more with his friends. Spending time with his friends became his top priority, and Micheál started missing class just to be with them.
However, the teenager soon realized that family was of the utmost importance to him. Micheál was thankfully able to get back on the right track after undergoing therapy at a camp in Utah.
Micheál Keeps in Touch With His Mother Through Her Movies
Whenever Micheál found himself missing his mother, the actress’s son would watch his favorite movie of hers, “The Parent Trap.” According to him, the character Natasha played resembled how she was in life, and it reminded him of her.
During an interview with People 2021, Micheál recalled his mother’s death, calling it a freak accident. He said:
“When it’s unexpected, and it’s just a complete freak accident, it really sort of messes with your mind, whether you believe in fate or not. It can send you for a bit of a head spin, and so you just latch on to the tiny little memories, whether it’s her laugh or her energy in the room, or her cooking.
Micheál, now an adult, noted he felt grateful for the opportunity to be able to watch his mother’s movies. He explained that some people might decide to push away the memories of someone they’ve lost.
However, he felt forgetting those memories was an unhealthy thing to do. Instead, one should try very hard to remember them. To honor his late mother, Micheál decided to take her last name Richardson.
Micheál seems to have grown accustomed to life without his lovely mother. He is now dedicated to honoring the late star in any way he can. He is also aiming to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry appearing in a couple of films like his father did back in 1988.
