Who is Joely Richardson? All about Natasha Richardson’s sister as she reacts to Liam Neeson Pamela Anderson romance

Joely Richardson, the British actress widely recognized for her role in Nip/Tuck, gave what fans are interpreting as a subtle show of support for Liam Neeson’s romance with Pamela Anderson.

The 60-year-old posted seven ‘love heart’ emojis on a carousel of images shared by Anderson on August 1, where she posed alongside Neeson.

Joely Richardson is the younger sister of Natasha Richardson, Neeson’s late wife. The former couple met during a Broadway production of Anna Christie and married in 1994, building a life together until Natasha’s untimely passing. Joely’s quiet gesture stirred speculation among fans about how the family viewed Neeson’s new relationship.

An insider told Us Weekly,

“Pam and Liam are a good match because they have similar personalities and understand each other."

Earlier, Liam, while speaking to People Magazine about shooting The Naked Gun with Pamela, said,

“With Pamela, first off, I’m madly in love with her. She’s just terrific to work with,” Liam said at the time. “I can’t compliment her enough, I’ll be honest with you. No huge ego. She just comes in to do the work. She’s funny and so easy to work with. She’s going to be terrific in the film.”

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Joely Richardson reflects on sister Natasha’s death and career shift

Joely Richardson reflected on a painful chapter of her life during a conversation with Tatler, speaking openly about how the death of her sister, Natasha Richardson, shook her world.

The sisters had grown up close, raised between London and the U.S., attending prestigious schools like the French Lycée and St Paul’s Girls’ School. Joely later veered off to train at a tennis academy in Florida and eventually studied in Ojai, California.

Natasha’s sudden death in 2009, after a head injury sustained on a Canadian ski slope, left Joely reeling. At the time, Natasha’s sons with Liam Neeson were just 12 and 13, and Joely stayed in New York to be near them. She stepped away from mainstream TV, choosing instead to perform in intimate theatre productions.

“It wasn’t a wise choice career-wise, but that was the stuff I most wanted to do then.” she explained.

Looking back, she recognized she had entered “soldier mode.”

“I didn’t know that’s what I was doing… you carry on but something’s not right, I was permanently on alert and I worked off cortisol energy for a long time anyway, even before that. It’s not good. It has no shelf life and it’s an exhausting way to live.” she explained.

Eventually, Joely Richardson made the decision to return to England.

“After 30 years, I just thought, ‘Oh God, I don’t want to be going into work and crying my eyes out… I’m quite happy to park all that for a bit." she said.

But reestablishing herself in the U.K. market came with its own struggles. “It’s ironic because a lot of the companies are American, but it was very difficult,” she remarked.

She recalled the unexpected challenge of finding representation again: “It’s never the story people think it is!” A connection with agent Sue Latimer helped her regroup. Bit by bit, smaller parts came her way, roles in shows like Suspect and Mrs Bolton.

“So it’s weird that sometimes the back step is actually the thing that [made] casting directors want to hire me again.” she shared.

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Joely Richardson reflects on loss and the long road to healing after her sister’s death

Joely Richardson had been in the middle of filming The Day of the Triffids when the news reached her: her sister, Natasha Richardson, had been injured in a skiing accident. At the time, no one realized how serious it would become.

“It was the weirdest thing,” she told The Times.

“We didn’t know it was going to be the end. Work released me, I was covered for insurance for a few days. I grabbed a tiny bag and jumped on the plane to New York. As a result, I didn’t have any clothes or anything with me.” she explained.

When the time came to attend the funeral, Joely Richardson had nothing of her own to wear. The only option was to wear Natasha’s clothing.

“So when it came to the funeral I had to borrow clothes and shoes of Tash’s, I was suddenly aware I was speaking to people in the church wearing my sister’s shoes and it was just terrible, awful, devastating. And then, of course, on a different level I had to step into them.” she shared.

Her grief ran deep, not just as a sister, but as someone who had never known life without Natasha by her side.

“It wasn’t just about children being left without a mother. It was about the ramifications for me, I hadn’t lived a day of my life without Tash. I didn’t know the world without her.” she explained.

Looking back, she said it took “about five years to get over the shock and trauma and horror” that followed her sister’s death.