Liam Neeson Opens Up For the First Time About Natasha Richardson's Death

By John Mitchell Posted Feb 15th 2011 11:41PM

Nearly two years after his wife, Tony-winning actress Natasha Richardson, passed away following a skiing accident, Liam Neeson is opening up for the first time about that terrible night in March 2009.

"I walked into the emergency [room] -- it's like seventy, eighty people, broken arms, black eyes, all that -- and for the first time in years, nobody recognizes me," the 'Taken' star told Esquire. "Not the nurses. The patients. No one. And I've come all this way, and they won't let me see her. And I'm looking past them, starting to push -- I'm like, 'F**k, I know my wife's back there someplace.'"

Neeson rarely speaks about his private life, and was initially hesitant to talk about Richardson with Esquire writer Tom Chiarella. However, while recounting a motorcycle accident that put him in the hospital in 2000, the Oscar-nominated star of 'Schindler's List' began to discuss the tragic parallels between the accident he survived and the one that took the life of his wife.

After striking a deer, Neeson lost control of his motorcycle and crashed into a ditch, breaking his pelvis in two places. He was transferred to New York City's Lenox Hill Hospital, and Richardson, who was filming in Canada, rushed to be by his side. "I found out later they'd told her I wouldn't last the night," Neeson said. "Well, they never f**king told me that."

The scene would be repeated nine years later, only in reverse, with Neeson rushing from the Canadian set of the film 'Chloe' to be with Richardson, who had hit her head in a skiing accident.

After the fall, Richardson was initially lucid and simply asked to be taken back to her room, dismissing the ambulances that reported to the scene. Three hours later, however, the actress was taken to a small Canadian hospital after complaining of a headache. Within a few hours she was transferred to a larger hospital in Montreal. Neeson rushed from the set of 'Chloe' to be with Richardson, who had fallen into a coma as a result of a brain hemorrhage sustained during the fall.

The day after Richardson's accident, she was flown to Lenox Hill Hospital, where she died on March 18, 2009. On March 19, theater lights on Broadway and in London's West End were dimmed in honor of the respected actress and dedicated AIDS research activist.

liam neeson esquire

"What am I gonna do? How am I going to get past the security?" Neeson told Chiarella, recounting what was going through his mind when he arrived at the hospital. "And I see two nurses, ladies, having a cigarette. I walk up, and luckily one of them recognizes me. And I'll tell you, I was so f**king grateful -- for the first time in I don't know how long -- to be recognized. And this one, she says, 'Go in that back door there.' She points me to it. 'Make a left. She's in a room there.' So I get there, just in time. And all these young doctors, who look all of eighteen years of age, they tell me the worst."

According to Chiarella, Neeson stopped the interview briefly while discussing Richardson, blinking back tears while gazing across the eatery at members of the late actress's extended family, who were coincidentally at the restaurant -- a favorite of Neeson and Richardson's -- the day of his interview with Esquire.

The actor returned to the set of 'Chloe' immediately after Richardson's funeral. "I just think I was still in a bit of shock," he said. "But it's kind of a no-brainer to go back to that work. It's a wee bit of a blur, but I know the tragedy hadn't just really smacked me yet."

Neeson and Richardson have two teenage sons, Michael and Daniel.

"I think I survived by running away some. Running away to work. Listen, I know how old I am and that I'm just a shoulder injury from losing roles like the one in 'Taken,'" the actor told Esquire. "So I stay with the training, I stay with the work. It's easy enough to plan jobs, to plan a lot of work. That's effective. But that's the weird thing about grief. You can't prepare for it. You think you're gonna cry and get it over with. You make those plans, but they never work."

Neeson's full interview is featured in Esquire's latest issue, on newsstands Feb. 22.

Tags: liam neeson, natasha richardson

Comments

(122)

Wednesday 16 February

By Dayna

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Wow, Sharon....what a judgemental creepy thing you are. He came across as a grief stricken husband, not a drunken irishman. You're miserable.

By Pauline

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I agree that Liam has a vulgar mouth- worse than a potty mouth though. Apparently he doesn't care who reads his interviews - or what his children might think about their father who doesn't know how to speak without being vulgar. It makes no sense for any man to use language such as he has unless he just thinks he wants to shock everyone into pitying him. Grow up Liam.

Tuesday 15 February

By Deborah Fausset

My daughter had a traumatic brain injury in Las Vegas, the same day his wife did. I remember reading about it in the trauma center and thinking that she is going to be okay and so is my daughter and then 2 days later Natasha died and I have never been so scared in my life, but by some miracle my daughter made it through. I cried for a person that I didnt even know, so sorry Liam.

By Chris

So glad that your daughter recovered. I just loved his wife, Natasha...I admired her beauty, talent, and reputation. Was so sad when the tragedy took her - can't imagine what it's like for her family (all of them) to lose her. I'm just a fan, they're her loved ones. May God continue to grant them healing and even joy in the midst of their continued grieving. Love ya, Liam.

By karen

glad your daughter made it.

By Ed

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Azzhole, and I am not talking about Liam either!

By Nicole

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You people mean to tell me that all you are concerned about here is that he cussed a couple of times? Are you serious? Get over it! He lost his wife in a tragedy and he is saying that he wasn't able to go see his wife- I think most people would drop a cuss word too. My heart goes out to him and his family.... and to the other people on here who have nothing better to do than to criticize the way someone mourns.

By Victoria

The first time I saw him on television, I knew he would be a big star! He is awesome!

By deanna1

he is still grieving and is still full of anger that she is gone, its pretty typical behavior. The incident didn't 'need' to end this way had she just gone immediately to the hospital...but, we all have attached to us a ending date in life, and this was her's, say a little prayer for him.

By L

I admire Liam Neeson. Losing someone you love would be hard for anyone, but keeping away from drugs and/or alcohol and pushing yourself into work sounds like a much better vice. I hope he is able to move on from this in a healthy way!

By Really

oh geesh! 70 OR 80 people in the emergency room (?) yah, right, talk about exageration...good grief

By J

And thats a slow day dumbazz...apparently you havent been to a ER Room lately.

By judodon

Thats a normal day here!!!!

By MikeNewsome

Same thing I thought when I read it, it would take an awfully large emergency room to hold 80 people, I have never seen more than a dozen people in an emergency room, and that's on a busy day.

By dawn walter

Ugh im a nurse & u bet ur back end there could have been that many in the er @ one time..does grief mean ur not capable of counting???????????????

By cinikim

You are an idiot........the ER's are filled with people 24/7 because they do not have insurance and can't pay to go to their regular Dr. Have you been to an ER lately? Then shut up, because 70-80 people in an ER is a slow day.

By Susan

I don't suppose you've ever been in an emergency room during ski season. Seventy or 80 people isn't a lot. ER is so busy during this time, they hardly have time to breathe.

By Sharon

He should have approached the front desk and told them who his wife was and give them his name. They may not have let him back because the doctor's were trying to save her life and didn't want anyone besides the medical staff in the room. Going to the ER cussing isn't going to impress anyone.

By dlee

what an idiot!! when was the last time you entered an ER room? what 20 yrs ago? get with the program , Er's are chocked full of the uninsured and I'm sure the only reason he was unrecognized was they don't speak english and are immigrants and don't have a clue who he is. Thats a fact.

By jenne

78 or 80 people in a NYC hospital sounds like a slow night. Guess you have never traveled to NYC and witnessed firshand how many people actually live and work there. Crap, there are 70 or 80 sometimes in an albany emergency room..... and we have about 1/100 the amount of people.

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