At 71 years old, Irish actor Liam Neeson has done it all. From working as a truck driver in his early life to starring in hit film series “Star Wars,” there seems to be nothing he can’t do.

He’s been nominated for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, two Tony Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. In 2020, Neeson was listed at number 7 on The Irish Times list of Ireland’s 50 greatest film actors.

Throughout his life and career, Neeson has seen his fair share of hardships and struggles. After all, being successful in the entertainment industry takes determination and grit. But there’s one part of his life that has been the hardest for Neeson to overcome—the death of his wife.

Neeson first met Natasha Richardson in 1993, when they were both cast in a Broadway rendition of Anna Christie. At the time, Richardson was married to producer Robert Fox. At the time, the couple was going through a divorce.

Soon after the premiere of “Anna Christie,” Neeson flew to Poland to begin shooting scenes from “Schindler’s List.” Neeson was worried that Richardson might forget about him, so he sent her a letter the day before her 30th birthday.

Neeson was surprised when Richardson wrote back to ask, “This is like a letter from a buddy. What is our relationship?” Neeson said in an interview with the Daily News that this is when he knew he was in love with her.

“That was when I knew I really loved this person,” he said. “I thought, ‘This is real and genuine and is something that has to be protected.’”

Liam Neeson (2017), (Vera Anderson/WireImage/Getty images)

A Romance Of The Ages

After her letter, Richardson flew to Poland to join Neeson during filming. Over the next few months, the pair became inseparable.

Just one year after her divorce, Richardson agreed to marry Neeson. After he finished filming, they bought an 1810 farmhouse on a property in Millbrook, New York, which is where their wedding took place in July of 1994.

Like any relationship, the couple was not without issues. Richardson told the Daily News that beginning her new life with Neeson was difficult due to both the public nature of her divorce and the rumors of an affair circulating from fans and the media.

Still, she couldn’t help how she felt about Neeson. Ultimately, their love was more important to her than anything else.

“It was not an easy time when I met Liam,” she said. “Working with him, what happened between us, and that becoming public knowledge in conjunction with my marriage falling apart, was kind of bad timing. So what can I say? Obviously, I fell very much in love with him.”

The pair went on to have two children, Michael and Daniel. Michael was born in 1996, and Daniel was born only a year later. Both Richardson and Neeson continued their acting careers while raising their children together.

The couple was public with their love for one another, frequently attending red carpet events together and posing for Paparazzi photos. It seemed they had the perfect marriage, and though they were both busy in their careers, they always made time for one another and their kids.