Natasha Richardson's Son Revealed A Poignant Personal Anecdote About His Mom's Iconic Film 'The Parent Trap'

Sep 11, 2023

Over a decade has passed since the tragic loss of beloved actress Natasha Richardson, who succumbed to a brain injury following a skiing accident in 2009 at the age of 45. While the world mourned the loss of this talented performer, she left behind a loving family, including her husband, Liam Neeson, and their two children. 

Natasha's youngest son, Micheál Richardson, opened up about how he keeps his mother's memory alive, especially whenever he's hit by feelings of missing her. The actor revealed that he's especially drawn to rewatching "The Parent Trap," the 1998 comedy film that Natasha starred in with Lindsay Lohan and Dennis Quaid, whenever he wanted to feel the presence of his mom.  

Micheál, born in 1995, was only 13 years old when he lost his mother. He witnessed her falling on her head during their family's skiing trip in Quebec, Canada on March 16, 2009, which led to Natasha suffering from epidural hematoma.

According to reports, Natasha had not been wearing a helmet during her skiing incident and did not collide with any objects when she fell. Initially, she seemed unharmed and even made light of the incident, but the ski patrol insisted that she consult a doctor. Despite their recommendation, Richardson declined and left the infirmary at around noon, as stated by the resort in a released statement.

The actress then signed a waiver and walked back to her hotel with her ski instructor. A few minutes later, a call to the paramedics came from the hotel, and Natasha was rushed to the hospital. Several hours later, the actress was transported to a New York hospital where the rest of the family awaited word on her situation, but sadly she didn’t make it.

Years after her death, Micheál, then 25 years old, told People in 2021 of his memory of that night and why he's drawn to rewatching his mother's old movies. 

"When it's unexpected and it's just a complete freak accident, it really sort of messes with your mind, whether you believe in fate or not," Micheál said. "It can send you for a bit of a head spin, and so you just latch on to the tiny little memories, whether it's her laugh or her energy in the room or her cooking."

"I do have her films to go back and watch her in, which I'm incredibly grateful for," Micheál added and singled out "The Parent Trap" as his favorite because his mother's role in that movie was how his son saw her.

In a 2020 interview with Vanity Fair, Micheál, who admitted he was a mama’s boy, also talked about how so alike his mother was in her role as Elizabeth James, the mother to twins played by Lohan. 

"She was this sweet, amazing mother figure — my best friend," Micheál said. "She had these amazing, big welcomes when we’d come home or she would come home." 

Talk show host Andy Cohen, who was a friend of Natasha, also agreed that she embodied the role of Elizabeth James perfectly and said that she was exactly like that perfect mother who was "involved and engaged and wonderful and loving." 

In a poignant tribute to his mother, Micheál decided to take her last name in 2019, adopting “Richardson” as his own when he started acting professionally. He explained that this decision not to carry his father’s family name was a way to honor his mother and her side of the family.

Did you watch Natasha Richardson in “The Parent Trap”? What can you say about her son’s poignant memories of his mom? Do you know someone who’s also a fan of this movie or the actress? They might love this story, so pass it along!