The sad reason Liam Neeson never played James Bond

Liam Neeson did not become one of the possible candidates to be Agent 007. However, there was a reason that stopped him when evaluating the role of James Bond. The actor has acknowledged that his late wife Natasha Richardson is the reason he did not seriously consider playing the character in the 1995 film ‘GoldenEye’.

While speaking to Rolling Stone about his new movie, ‘Marlowe,’ in an interview published on Monday, Neeson, now 70, clarified that “He wasn’t offered James Bond” but had considered taking on the iconic role of the famous spy until Richardson, whom he married in 1994, stepped in..

“They looked at a lot of actors. ‘Schindler’s List’ had just come out and Barbara (Broccoli) had called me a couple of times to ask if I was interested, and I said, ‘Yeah, I’d be interested,'” Neeson said on the interview. “And then my lovely wife (Natasha Richardson), God rest her soul, said to me while we were shooting the movie ‘Nell’ in the Carolinas: ‘Liam, I want to tell you something: if you play James Bond, we won’t get married“So I’d tease her by going after her, making my hands look like I was holding a gun, and then (hums James Bond theme song),” she added. “I loved doing that m– -!”

The ‘Revenge’ star went on to say that Richardson, who died in 2009 at age 45 from blunt force trauma after falling while skiing at Mont Tremblant in Quebec, delivered him “a James Bond ultimatum” regarding the role.” And he meant it! Come on, there are all these pretty girls in various countries getting in and out of bed,” Neeson told Rolling Stone, laughing. “I’m sure a lot of her decision making was based on that!” he commented.

Neeson has referenced the “James Bond ultimatum” in the past, most notably in a 2014 interview in which he said he “had to accept (Richardson’s ultimatum) because I wanted to marry her,” according to The Independent.

Recalling the death of his late wife, Neeson said in another part of the Rolling Stone interview that did not “know how to answer” a question about how he stayed afloat after Richardson’s death. “Life goes on. Natasha’s mother, Vanessa (Redgrave), and her sister (also actress Joely Richardson) moved away and I had a wonderful assistant, Joanna,” she told the outlet. “People came to help, you know? Big time. And I’ll never, ever forget it.”

The actor from ‘Schindler’s List’ has continued with his career these years and has several pending jobs. His new film, ‘Marlowe’ will hit theaters next May, after passing through San Sebastián.