Liam Neeson Was ‘Smitten’ By Helen Mirren Before Meeting His Late Wife

Apr 14, 2022 by apost team

Irish actor Liam Neeson has built a big name for himself in Hollywood. From his starring roles in movies such as "Schindler's List" and the action franchise "Taken," the actor is one of the film industry's top names. He's been nominated for various awards over the years including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, two Tony Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. In 2020, he was even listed at number seven on The Irish Times' list of Ireland's 50 greatest film actors.

But while he's had a successful career, Neeson has also seen his fair share of hardship and challenges. Most notably, there's been one aspect of his life that's been the hardest for Neeson to overcome — the death of his wife, Natasha Richardson.

A glamorous acting couple, they met in 1993 when they were both cast in a Broadway rendition of the play "Anna Christie." At the time, Richardson was married to producer Robert Fox, although the couple was going through a divorce. 

They began dating later that year and were married in 1994. Together, they welcomed two sons, Micheál and Daniel. They lived as a loving family for 16 wonderful years, but in 2009, tragedy struck. While on a ski trip with one of her sons, Natasha fell and hit her head, which led to brain injury and ultimately her death.

Before Neeson met Richardson, he was in love with another actress, Helen Mirren. The pair dated in the early 1980s and remember their time together fondly. Read on to learn more about Mirren and her relationship with Neeson.

Mirren was born on July 26, 1945, in London, England. At a young age, Mirren found a love and passion for acting and landed herself the lead role in her primary school's production of "Hansel and Gretel." She also performed in more school productions as she got older and attended St. Bernard's High School for Girls. 

Furthering her education while still trying to make her dreams come true, Mirren attended the New College of Speech and Drama in London before finally auditioning for the National Youth Theatre at the age of 18. She was easily accepted into the program, and her career took off shortly after.

Mirren's work with the theater was especially great, and it led her to join the Royal Shakespeare Company. She quickly picked up more important roles with the company, including a part in "The Revenger's Tragedy," "All's Well That Ends Well," and "The Two Gentlemen of Verona." Her work onstage carried her throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s.

The stage quickly became her home during the rest of the 1970s and during much of the 1980s. Some of the plays she performed during this time were "The Seagull," "Measure for Measure," "The Duchess of Malfi," and "Elegy for a Lady." Even after she had begun finding roles in movies and television, Mirren couldn't help but return to her origins and performed as Queen Elizabeth II in "The Audience" in February 2013. Mirren even won the Best Actress in a Play award from the Laurence Olivier Awards in 2013 for her role. In 2015, she won her first-ever Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her part in "The Audience.”

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Mirren and Neeson met in the early 1980s, and worked together on the 1981 film “Excalibur.” Neeson shared with James Lipton, on “Inside the Actors Studio,” that Mirren was instrumental in helping him land an agent at the start of his career, according to Style Caster. 

The couple lived together while shooting “Excalibur,” and Neeson remembers that time fondly. “I fell in love with Helen Mirren. Oh my God. Can you imagine riding horses in shiny suits of armor, having sword fights and stuff, and you're falling in love with Helen Mirren? It doesn't get any better than that,” he said.

Neeson has also shared the story of the time he and Mirren met Muhammad Ali while they were still dating. Neeson recalled:

“He was promoting a movie called, ‘Freedom Road,’ and myself and my lady friend, Helen Mirren, were invited with some British celebrities to meet The Greatest in his hotel. When he shook my hand my knees literally went weak and, feeling shy and intimidated, and also knowing I could never be in his company again, I blurted out: 'I love you, Muhammad.’”

The actor continued, “He signed his name for my dad and proceeded to flirt with Helen in such an overt way that I guess I should have been annoyed. But all I could think was, 'Wow, Muhammad Ali is trying to pull my girl. How cool is that!'.”

In 1994, Neeson described how he felt about Mirren while they were together. “She was so sexy. I thought, ‘Gosh, that’s Helen Mirren’! She was as beautiful up close as on stage. Just so human, I was in love with this extraordinary human being,” he said to The New York Times. “I was smitten.”

Did you know Helen Mirren and Liam Neeson dated? Have you seen their film “Excalibur,” and did you enjoy it? Let us know and be sure to send this along to your friends and family.