Natasha Richardson's Son Micheál Shares His One Wish 12 Years After Her Tragic Death

In a new interview, Micheál Richardson, the son of Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson, revealed the types of conversations he wishes he could have with his late mother.

By Elyse Dupre Mar 16, 2021 8:19 PMTags
Micheal Neeson, Natasha RichardsonGetty Images

Micheál Richardson had just entered his teenage years when his mother, Natasha Richardson, passed away. Now, he's speaking out about her legacy. 

The 25-year-old actor remembered the late actress in a new interview with The Times

Natasha died two days after she suffered a head injury while skiing in 2009. She was 45 years old. "It was so sudden," Micheál recalled. "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. I do have her films to go back and watch her in, which I'm incredibly grateful for."

Micheál's favorite film of his mom's is the 1998 version of The Parent Trap. In the movie, Natasha played Elizabeth James, a wedding designer in London who falls back in love with her ex (Dennis Quaid) after their twin daughters (Lindsay Lohan) meet at a summer camp and switch places on them.

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Fans adored the mother she played onscreen, and Micheál said Natasha was a "terrific" mom off screen, as well. 

"What I wish is I could have just these adult conversations with her, these random questions about the industry or music," he told the publication. "I was a mama's boy growing up and she was really my best friend. I mean we were all a close family, but Danny [his younger brother] was my dad's boy and I was my mom's boy, for sure."

Watch: Lindsay Lohan Sparks "Parent Trap" Reunion Rumors

A few years ago, Micheál, who is also the son of Liam Neeson, changed his last name from Neeson to Richardson in honor of his mom.

"It was mainly like a homage to my mother, a way to carry her with me," he explained. "Going into this industry, carrying her last name, it definitely inspires me and it is also comforting." 

He also remembered her while making the 2020 film Made in Italy. In the movie, Liam and Micheál played an estranged father and son who return to Tuscany to renovate a villa they inherited from the dad's late wife. 

When asked if acting in the picture helped them talk about Natasha, Micheál said, "I wouldn't say it made it easier. Luckily, before we would talk about Mom and it was always in a way of just remembering her in the small things. It was emotional, but equally, you know, it's a funny film. There are a lot of comedic elements, so although at some points in the rehearsal process it was kind of daunting and draining, it was a lot of fun too."

And while Micheál told The Times grief is "so easy to brush under the carpet and not acknowledge it because it's too painful" he also knows it can then "start attacking different sides of you." This may have been one of the reasons he acted in Made in Italy.

"I think as I get older," he explained to Vanity Fair last year, "keeping my mom more in mind and doing things to honor her allows me to remember her and to go through the grief, and properly heal."