Why Liam Neeson’s grown-up son changed his name

Liam Neeson is a devoted dad-of-two, and has raised his sons alone for many years following the death of his wife Natasha Richardson in 2009. 

The Hollywood star is father to Micheál, 30, and Daniel, 28, with the former following in his family’s footsteps in the entertainment industry. 

Back in 2018, Micheál made headlines after it was revealed that he had changed his last name. He switched his surname Neeson to Richardson, to honor his late mom. 

Per The Daily Mail, Natasha’s actress mom, Vanessa Redgrave, said of her grandson’s decision: “That wasn’t because he wanted to avoid his father’s fame, which is enormous. He wanted to hold his mother close to him — because she was a remarkable actress. Absolutely remarkable.” 

Micheál was just 13-years-old when Natasha, aged 45, died in a skiing accident while the family were on holiday in Mont Tremblant, Quebec. 

© Patrick McMullan via Getty Image

The actor previously opened up about the struggles he had coming to terms with his mom’s passing in his teenage years. 

He told The Sunday Times: “In my mind, subconsciously, I either pushed it out or stored it deep inside. And so, within the next week I was like, ‘Okay, on with my life.'” However, things went “downhill,” when Micheál attempted to block out his mother’s death. 

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He said: “Things just started going downhill. The people I was with, we were partying a lot. It was dark. I hit rock bottom. 

“Everybody said, ‘This kid has lost his mum, that’s where the problem comes from.’ And I was like, ‘No, it isn’t, I just like to party.’ But looking back I realize it was a delayed reaction.” 

Today, Micheál is a talented actor, with several big films under his belt. He appeared in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, Vox Lux and Big Dogs. 

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In 2019, he starred in a with his dad, Cold Pursuit and again in 2020, where they both appeared in Made in Italy. Working with his dad was a great experience for Micheál, and Liam enjoyed every moment of it too. 

He opened up about the role during an interview with The Irish Post in 2019, describing it as a “no-brainer” working with him, especially as they “didn’t have to pretend to have a relationship”. “It was just having a regular conversation with your boy,” he said. 

Their second film, Made in Italy – which is about a father and son bonding over the death of the family’s matriarch – was incredibly close to home for the pair. Micheál still watches his late mom’s films, something he finds incredibly comforting. 

He told The Times in 2021: “It [her death] was so sudden … 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.”