How Liam Neeson’s Mother-in-Law Helps Him Parent and Find Strength in Grief

Liam Neeson lost his wife, Natasha Richardson, in a tragic skiing accident in 2009. Their relationship was something right out of a Disney movie — and although it was a tragic loss, Neeson has never stopped loving her. He has since spoken publicly about the deep grief he felt after her death, and now he’s getting candid about how Richardson’s mom, Vanessa Redgrave, helps him with parenting.

Their marriage was considered one of the strongest in Hollywood.

Natasha Richardson and Liam Neeson first met in 1993 while they were both working on a play in Dublin, Ireland. They fell in love and got married in 1994. Neeson revealed that he fell in love with a “taken” woman while living in Australia. The couple had 2 sons, Micheál and Daniel.

Their love never fades.

In 2009, Richardson suffered a severe head injury in a skiing accident and passed away a few days later. Neeson has spoken about his loss, revealing, “I speak to her every day at her grave. I go down there quite often, so I do speak to her as if she’s here. Not that she answers me.”

Liam and his mother-in-law, Vanessa Redgrave, are very close.

Recently, the famous British actress, who’s worked in theater, film, and television, turned 86 years old. After the loss of her daughter, Redgrave still maintains a beautiful relationship with Neeson, and they only have good things to say about one another. Neeson has freely praised Redgrave’s talent and commitment as an actress, and she has openly praised him for his warmth and decency as a person.

Liam Neeson shared how he balances work and fatherhood.

Neeson’s real-life family is cared for by his Oscar-winning mother-in-law, Redgrave, while he is away saving his on-screen loved ones from bad guys. “I have a great support team [and] if I’m away on a project, my mother-in-law moves in,” said the actor.

Just one day before his sixty-eighth birthday, he sadly lost his mother, Kitty. Having lost 2 extraordinary ladies who were close to him, Redgrave is a special person in Neeson’s life and has a special place in his heart.

His losses made him the good man we know today.

Speaking about the pain he felt after the death of his wife, he acknowledged that one peculiar aspect of mourning is that it is impossible to prepare for.

“You think you’re gonna cry and get it over with. You make those plans, but they never work. It hits you in the middle of the night — well, it hits me in the middle of the night. I’m out walking. I’m feeling quite content. And it’s like suddenly, boom. It’s like you’ve just done that in your chest,” he said.