Irish actor Liam Neeson has revealed that he became a U.S. citizen after receiving incredible support from Americans following his wife Natasha Richardson’s sudden death.
The 57-year-old Ballymena native explains he is still very much an Irishman, but the warmth from American well-wishers prompted him to seek U.S. citizenship.
In fact, the “Taken” star said he is still receiving extraordinary letters of condolences from Americans.
''That is partly the reason why I've recently become an American citizen,'' he told Diane Sawyer in an interview on Wednesday on “Good Morning America.” ''I'm still a proud Irishman, of course, but I've become an American citizen - I'm very proud of that.''
British actress Richardson died in March after a freak skiing accident in Quebec.
The Tony Award winner, and daughter of legendary actress Vanessa Redgrave, fell on her head while skiing on the Mont Tremblant Resort, but declined medical assistance at the time, laughing off the incident.
The actress later complained of a headache and was rushed to a Canadian hospital before being transported back to a clinic near her home in New York. She had suffered an epidural haematoma, and passed away with her family at her bedside. Neeson and Richardson were married for 15 years.
The American acting community famously rushed to Neeson’s side, and Broadway’s lights were dimmed to honor his beloved wife.
Neeson said that five months later, he and the couple’s two young sons, Michael, 13, and Daniel, 12, are “doing good.”
“To be honest, we are taking each day as it comes,” he said.
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