Most people whose father is a Hollywood star would be desperate to use his name to their advantage.
In a touching tribute Liam Neeson’s son Micheal has dropped his illustrious surname to adopt that of his beloved late mother, Natasha Richardson.
“He’s taken, officially, the name of his mother. He’s Michéal Richardson, not Michéal Neeson,” the 23-year-old’s grandmother, actress Vanessa Redgrave, told the Daily MailOpens a New Window. in an article published on Saturday, October 20.
The Letters to Juliet star told the publication that her aspiring actor grandson made the switch for sentimental reasons. “That wasn’t because he wanted to avoid his father’s fame, which is enormous,” she clarified. “He wanted to hold his mother close to him — because she was a remarkable actress. Absolutely remarkable.”
Micheal was just 13 years old when his mother died after hitting her head while they were on a skiing holiday in Canada in 2009.
Natasha, who had appeared in Hollywood films such as The Parent Trap and Maid In Manhattan, was taking a beginner’s skiing lesson when the accident happened, and died later in hospital in New York at the age of 45.
It is understood that Natasha’s younger son with Liam, Daniel, 22, will keep using the name of his father, whose blockbusters include the Taken series and Schindler’s List.
Micheal has gone into the family business and is forging a career as an actor, but has not yet given an interview.
Oscar nominee Neeson also opened up about his own struggles following the death of his wife, whom he wed in 1994 after meeting on Broadway in the early ‘90s. “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,” he told EsquireOpens a New Window. in March 2011.
Redgrave, for one, approves of her grandson’s decision: “Our quaint customs dictate we have to have a male name. I don’t object,” she told the publication. “Why not? It’s as good as any.”
(Excerpt) Read More at: USMagazine.com and DailyMail.co.uk