Actor Liam Neeson turned down role of James Bond in the 90s for late wife Natasha Richardson
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22 — Irish actor Liam Neeson could have played 007 in the 1990s if he wanted to but it would have come at the expense of his marriage to then future wife, the late actress Natasha Richardson.
Neeson revealed this at a recent interview with Rolling Stone and said James Bond producers Albert ‘Cubby’ Broccoli, his daughter Barbara Broccoli and her half-brother Michael G. Wilson had contacted him after Schindler’s List came out to gauge his interest in playing 007.
"I know the Broccolis,” said the 70-year-old father of two sons.
"They looked at a bunch of actors. Schindler’s List had come out and Barbara had called me a couple of times to ask if I was interested and I said, "Yes, I would be interested.
"And then my lovely wife (Natasha Richardson), God rest her soul, said to me while we were shooting Nell down in the Carolinas, "Liam, I want to tell you something: If you play James Bond, we’re not getting married.”
While he never followed through and took the role, he did admit to "going behind her back, making my fingers as though I’m holding a gun, and (humming the James Bond theme)” he joked, adding, "I loved doing that s**t!”
He continued: "She gave me a James Bond ultimatum. And she meant it!
"Come on, there’s all those gorgeous girls in various countries getting into bed and getting out of bed.
"I’m sure a lot of her decision-making was based on that!”
In the 1990s, Neeson and Richardson were one of Hollywood’s golden couples and were married from 1994 until her death in a tragic skiing accident in 2009.
The Broccoli family ultimately cast Pierce Brosnan as their new 007, with his first movie Goldeneye debuting in 1995.
