Micheál Richardson was only 13 years old when his life changed forever.

His mother, acclaimed actress Natasha Richardson, died suddenly in March 2009 after what initially appeared to be a relatively minor skiing accident in Quebec.

She was just 45.

For Micheál, the loss came at an age when most children still expect their parents to be there for every milestone ahead.

Years later, he found a deeply personal way to keep part of his mother with him permanently.

He changed his surname.

Born Micheál Neeson, the eldest son of Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson eventually began using Micheál Richardson, taking his mother’s family name as his own.

“It was mainly like a homage to my mother, a way to carry her with me,” he later explained.

The decision touched the entire Richardson family.

Liam Neeson publicly supported his son’s choice, saying Natasha’s mother and sisters were deeply moved by it.

For Micheál, it was not a rejection of his famous father.

It was a way of making sure his mother remained visibly connected to the life and career he was building.

Natasha Richardson and Liam Neeson had one of Hollywood’s most admired marriages.

Their relationship began after they starred together in the 1993 Broadway revival of Anna Christie.

Neeson later recalled the extraordinary chemistry they shared onstage.

Richardson was married to producer Robert Fox when she and Neeson first worked together, but that marriage had already broken down by the time their relationship developed.

Natasha and Liam married on July 3, 1994.

Less than a year later, they welcomed Micheál.

Their second son, Daniel, followed about 18 months later.

The family built a comparatively private life despite both parents belonging to major acting dynasties.

Natasha was the daughter of Oscar-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave and director Tony Richardson.

Her grandparents were actors Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson.

Liam, meanwhile, had become an international star through films including Schindler’s List.

Then came March 2009.

Richardson was taking a beginner skiing lesson at Mont Tremblant in Quebec when she fell and struck her head.

Initially, she appeared well enough to decline immediate medical treatment.

But her condition deteriorated.

Doctors later determined that she had suffered an epidural hematoma — bleeding between the skull and the protective covering of the brain.

She was flown to New York, where family members gathered at Lenox Hill Hospital.

Neeson later revealed that he and Natasha had once made an agreement that neither would want to remain on life support in the event of catastrophic brain injury.

After relatives were able to say goodbye, life support was withdrawn.

Natasha Richardson died on March 18, 2009.

Micheál was 13.

Daniel was 12.

The impact on the boys was profound.

Micheál has spoken in later interviews about struggling to process the loss, particularly because it happened so suddenly.

Rather than gradually accepting that his mother was ill, he went from having her in his life to losing her within days.

Acting eventually became one of the ways he reconnected with her memory.

He first appeared on screen in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues and gradually built a career that included Vox Lux, Cold Pursuit and Made in Italy.

Several of those projects placed him beside his father.

In Cold Pursuit, Micheál appeared in a film starring Liam Neeson.

But Made in Italy carried a much more personal parallel.

The 2020 drama follows an estranged father and son who return to Italy to sell a home inherited after the death of the family’s mother.

For Liam and Micheál, the similarities to their own experience were impossible to ignore.

Both have spoken about how emotionally difficult — but ultimately meaningful — the production became.

Micheál has also said that becoming an actor gave him a different connection to Natasha.

She had been an accomplished stage and screen performer, winning a Tony Award for her celebrated performance as Sally Bowles in Cabaret.

She was also widely remembered for films including The Parent Trap, Maid in Manhattan and The Handmaid’s Tale.

By entering the same profession, Micheál was stepping into a family tradition stretching back generations.

But changing his name made the connection even more explicit.

His father understood.

“It was a lovely gesture,” Neeson said of the surname change.

And rather than seeing it as his son moving away from the Neeson name, he saw it as Micheál honoring the woman they had both lost.

Today, Micheál is 31 and continues to pursue acting.

A recent People profile on Liam Neeson noted that Micheál remains active as an actor while his younger brother Daniel has pursued business ventures.

Liam has also continued speaking openly about how fatherhood shaped his life.

After Natasha’s death, raising the boys became even more central to him.

The three have largely remained private about their grief, but occasionally speak about the ways Natasha remains present in their family.

For Micheál, that presence is written into his own name.

He could not change what happened when he was 13.

He could not bring back the mother he lost without warning.

But years later, when deciding what name he wanted to carry into adulthood, he chose hers.

Micheál Richardson.

A surname, a career and a quiet tribute designed to ensure that wherever he goes, a part of his mother goes with him.