Liam Neeson says Natasha Richardson told him not to play James Bond or 'you're not going to marry me'

Liam Neeson was once a name bandied about for the role of James Bond, but the actor has revealed that he had a very good reason for not pursuing it: the wishes of the actress he ended up marrying, Natasha Richardson.

Appearing on The Late Late Show Thursday, the action movie legend was asked by host James Corden if he was ever in the running to play 007, prompting him to share Richardson's warning.

"Yeah, they approached, I believe it was a couple of calls from Barbara Broccoli, who's now the main producer of the Bond films," Neeson said. "This was after I had done Schindler's List, which was 26 years ago. But I wasn't offered it. I know they were looking at various actors and I, apparently, was among them. However, my dear departed wife did say to me—we were doing a movie together in South Carolina—and she says, 'Darling, if you're offered James Bond, and you're going to play it, you're not going to marry me.'"

Neeson's wife, Richardson, died in 2009 after sustaining an injury during a skiing accident.

During his Late Late Show appearance, Neeson also dished on the famous actress who taught him how to drive. While making the 1981 movie Excalibur, Neeson was coached behind the wheel by future Fast & Furious star Helen Mirren.

"Helen and I formed a lovely friendship," he recalled. "But she taught me how to drive, yeah."

Watch the video above for more from Neeson.

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