Liam Neeson: My tears in the night for Natasha

Liam Neeson has spoken of his grief over the death of his wife Natasha Richardson, saying it still hits him in "the middle of the night".

The actress, the mother of Neeson's two teenage sons, died two years ago, aged 45, from head injuries following a skiing accident in Canada.

The 58-year-old Irish star told the US edition of Esquire magazine: "That's the weird thing about grief. You can't prepare for it.

"You think you're gonna cry and get it over with. You make those plans, but they never work."

He said: "It hits me in the middle of the night… I'm out walking. I'm feeling quite content and it's like suddenly, boom.

"It's like you've just done that in your chest."