Still grieving Neeson turns down role
By Alexandra Heilbron on January 28, 2010 | 13 Comments
Liam Neeson has turned down a movie role because he’s still grieving his wife Natasha Richardson‘s death. When Richardson died following a skiing accident last March, Neeson was already signed up to star alongside Jeremy Irons in a new film by Scottish director Norman Stone, about Saint Columba, who brought Christianity to Scotland. Stone said he waited several months to see if Neeson felt ready to take on the role. “It has been a difficult time for Liam,” said Stone. “I think he would have been great in the film. We wanted him to play the part of King Aidan, who has fiery clashes with Columba (Irons)… The script was with him for several months and I understand he loved it. He has decided not to go ahead, which is a pity, but the decision was made after what has been a difficult time for him and I respect the circumstances. He is a truly great actor.” At the time his wife died, Neeson was filming Atom Egoyan‘s Chloe, which opens March 26.
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I had no idea that Natasha was his wife,time heals Liam,have faith.My condolences to you on your loss.
TIME is the greatest healer, speaking from experience, it does not take the pain away, just gets easier to handle…..Sent you a card awhile back….
It was such a stupid accident – I had skiid those same slops many times since I was 14 I am now 60 — I took some bad falls and hit my head as well — guess I was lucky — I could see how much you loved each other — I will pray every night that you get through this — maybe a movie roll would take your mind of it — I am sure she would not want you to give up what you love for her passing ….
I have watched possibly every movie you have made. I remember the one you played the ghost in the castle, very funny. The movie Taken was the most intense, thrilling movie that I believe I have ever seen. You are a fantastic actor. I lost my wife to cancer 14 years ago. The pain never goes away, but I get by, by remembering the good times and knowing that she would not want me to mourn her. I try to live up to her expectations of me every day. Stay strong. Your fans and friends are behind you.
He went right back to filming that movie in Toronto right after the funeral so thats a bit strange.
Not really, clay, I think he felt a very strong sense of responsibility, and felt the need to finish what he started.
I know what it’s like to grive when you lose a loved one, I lost one of our boys years ago. The only way I made it through is having the living God in my life he is my srength and comforter. You too can go to him for comfort.
I don’t think Liam will ever read this, but if he does, and for the rest of you who may be experiencing the same thing:
Pain never goes away entirely.
It dulls with time like furniture does if you let dust accumulate on it.
But there are always those people (not necessarily intentionally – they may just say or do something) who “clean” some of the dust off the furniture — and, voila, there’s the pain again.
Memory, however, is a wonderous thing — over time we forget just how bad things hurt in the beginning and they hurt less.
And love, like pain, never goes away entirely, that’s why the English language possesses a term like “bittersweet.”
And there’s this, too. Once you know how to love, it’s like the saying about riding the bicycle — “you never forget.”
I think he’s probably just raising his kids. Understandably, he is still grieving but, I don’t think that is all of it, I think he’s just raising his kids and doesn’t want to take off for months to do a movie at this point, leaving them with no parent for months.
Strange he filmed both the A-Team and Clash of the Titans after his wife died.Could be he was trying to lose himself in work and it wasn’t working anymore.
Liam, it isn’t anyone’s business when you come back. You take as much time as YOU need, dear man. Yes, time IS a great healer. You have heard all the cliches. All the words of wisdom. But you need to heal in your own personal way, your own personal time, and people need to understand this, no matter how long this may take….
Losing the love of your life is like losing the other half of your soul, and how does one get over losing half of oneself. I know you must feel that feeling of desolation will never go away. I know it would be that way for me with my partner. But I also know that we could never ever be completely apart, and I would have to TRY to find some consolation in that….
You are in my thoughts and prayers, Liam, though it is doubtful you will actually see this posting.
I feel for the guy. And I’m not sure, but hadn’t he started those films prior to, I may be wrong. But also the one year anniversary of her death is coming up shortly and that is hard on many people. And maybe he could do the movie, but it is his kids who are having a harder time coping. Who knows. It is good of him to know he needs this break. Hopefully he will be better for it.
Yes, Carol, I’m pretty sure you are right about him starting those movies before her death, and even though he was suffering, he wanted to finish his commitment, which I think was very honorable of him. I really feel for him too, have always loved Liam.