Liam’s son Liam Neeson has proven his range over his decades-long acting career, with nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Award, two Tonys and three Golden Globes. The 70-year-old Irish thespian became an action hero late in life with the Taken series, where he rescues his kidnapped daughter. He earned his rom-com bona fides in the 2003 Christmas classic Love Actually, which is celebrating its 19th anniversary. In that film, he plays a widower taking care of his young love-lorn son.
As you can see, some of Liam’s most major acting roles focus on family, so it’s no surprise he’s a dedicated dad. He raised two sons, Micheál Richardson and Daniel Neeson, with his late wife Natasha Richardson.
“It’s an ongoing joy being a dad. It’s always a joy, but it’s a joyful worry,” the actor shared with Her magazine in 2013. “No matter what age they are, they’re still going to be your little boy or your little girl. And you are a hostage to love.”
Tragically, Natasha lost her life due to a skiing accident in 2009. Five years later, Liam, who wed Natasha in 1994, opened up about his last words to her when he visited her in the hospital before she died. “I went to her and told her I loved her,” he recalled to 60 Minutes. “Said, ’Sweetie, you’re not coming back from this. You’ve banged your head. It’s– I don’t know if you can hear me, but that’s– this is what’s gone down. And we’re bringing ya back to New York. All your family and friends will come.’”
Micheál and Daniel were only teenagers at the time of their mother’s death, but they have kept her memory alive and made her proud since becoming adults. Find out all about Liam and Natasha’s amazing sons, below.
Micheál Richardson
Liam and Natasha welcomed their first child, son Micheál, on June 22, 1995. He caught the acting bug from both his parents at a young age and made his film debut in 2013’s Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. Other notable credits include Vox Lux, Broken Symphony, Big Dogs and Paradise. Micheál was even lucky enough to share the screen with his dad in 2019’s Cold Pursuit and 2020’s Made in Italy.
In 2018, Micheál changed his last name from Neeson to Richardson to honor his late mother. “I think he did the right thing,” Liam told Radio Andy in 2020. “I’d hate for him to be constantly asked: ‘Oh are you Liam Neeson’s son?’ So, it was a lovely gesture. Natasha’s family, mother and sisters were very touched by it. I’m proud of it.”
In March 2021, Micheál opened up about his mother’s death to The Times, saying it was especially difficult to deal with because if was so sudden. “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,” he explained, before revealing how he keeps her memory alive. “[I] just latch on to the tiny little memories, whether it’s her laugh or her energy in the room or her cooking,” he said. “I do have her films to go back and watch her in, which I’m incredibly grateful for.”
Daniel Neeson
Daniel was born August 27, 1996 and also followed in his family’s footsteps as he studied acting and digital media at Tulane University. After a few gigs on the production side of filmmaking, Daniel would go on to launch his own eco-friendly clothing line called Pine Outfitters in 2017.
“Up this was honestly the last industry I thought I’d be a part of,” Daniel told People at the time. “I was a massive athlete. I loved to play sports like hockey and soccer, tennis and football and all of that. I always wanted to be a producer in the entertainment industry or a hockey player or something like that.” As for the company, he explained, “I would say Pine Outfitters is kind of a mix between Burton and Lululemon. So we want to have that fun snowboarder bro but also deliver a very classy style of clothing.”
