Irish actor Liam Neeson has revealed that he turned down the chance to play James Bond because his then-girlfriend Natasha Richardson told him that she would not marry him if he accepted the role.

The 61-year-old actor, best known for his work in Steven Spielberg's 1993 Oscar winner 'Schindler's List', said that he was heavily courted for the iconic 007 role 19 years ago, reported Contactmusic.

"I was heavily courted, let's put it that way, and I'm sure some other actors were too. It was about 18 or 19 years ago and my wife-to-be said, 'If you play James Bond we're not getting married!' And I had to take that on board, because I did want to marry her," he said.

The couple tied the knot in 1994 and became parents to sons Micheal, 18, and Daniel, 17, before Richardson tragically died following a skiing accident in Montreal, Canada, in March 2009.