Dennis Quaid Honors ‘Parent Trap’ Costar Natasha Richardson Years After Her Death: ‘So Sorely Missed’
Dennis Quaid honored his late Parent Trap costar, Natasha Richardson, roughly 15 years after her tragic death.
“Natasha, God bless her,” Dennis, 70, remarked to E! News about his onscreen ex-wife-turned-wife in the classic flick. “She’s so sorely missed. What a beautiful, beautiful woman, great person.”
Natasha unexpectedly passed in 2009 at the young age of 45 after sustaining a head injury while on a skiing trip. Her sons, Micheál and Daniel, were only 13 and 12 at the time. She was additionally survived by her beloved husband, Liam Neeson, who speaks often about her life, legacy and their love.
“I spoke to her and she said, ‘Oh, darling, I’ve taken a tumble in the snow.’ That’s how she described it,” Liam, 71, recalled of their conversation amid the accident. Though Natasha maintained that she felt OK, she was taken to the hospital soon thereafter with a traumatic brain injury.
“I went in to her and told her I loved her,” Liam explained, painting the picture of his wife’s last moments. “[I] said, ‘Sweetie, you’re not coming back from this. You’ve banged your head. It’s — I don’t know if you can hear me, but that’s — this is what’s gone down. And we’re bringing ya back to New York. All your family and friends will come.’ And that was more or less it.”
Unwavering fans of The Parent Trap surely remember Dennis and Natasha’s incredible onscreen chemistry, playing separated parents Nick Parker and Elizabeth James, whose twin daughters scheme their reunion. A young Lindsay Lohan played twins Hallie Parker and Annie James, and the film instantly became a 1990s classic. As for character Nick’s fate, Dennis told E! News that he’d likely be sitting above his California winery taking in the view with his love.
"I guess he'd be sipping some of the wine out of his vineyard, not traveling too far from home," Dennis said, noting that Nick is “still with Elizabeth.”
Natasha has been remembered by her family for not only her grace and charm, but also for her portrayal of Elizabeth. Her son Micheál told The Times in 2021 that he watches The Parent Trap when he misses his mom, a woman he remembers as “terrific.”
“It was so sudden. 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, adding, “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."
