Liam Neeson supports son Micheál at gallery opening

He plays a tough guy dad in Taken, but actor Liam Neeson showed his softer side as he took on a supporting role to his 19-year-old son Micheál. The star was prouder than ever as the teenager, whose mother is the late actress Natasha Richardson, took his first steps towards a career as a fashion curator by launching a gallery in London's Soho.

On his special day Micheál was also supported by family friend Ralph Fiennes, who co-starred with Natasha and Jennifer Lopez in the 2002 movie Maid in Manhattan.

Proud Liam supports his son Micheál at the 19-year-old's gallery opening Photo: Getty Images

The Maison Mais Non will show clothes by new fashion graduates, collaborating with London's famed Saville Row tailors. It's an important achievement given the difficulties Micheál has overcome in the past few years. After coping with the loss of his mother following a tragic skiing accident in 2009, he hit the party scene in New York where the family was based.

Family friends Topes Calland (left) and Ralph Fiennes (right) were also on hand for support Photo: Getty Images

"I was putting socializing with my friends as my top priority," he told the Evening Standard. "Rock bottom was when I chose to miss classes to meet up with them, as well as not realizing that family — and work — come first. After a while, I thought, ‘What am I doing? This is instant gratification."

His father and younger brother Daniel, 18, encouraged him to go to rehab in the Utah desert last summer. When he emerged Micheál moved to London, which allowed him to spend time with his maternal grandmother, Oscar-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave, who he described as "a beautiful person."

Micheál says his late mother, the late Natasha Richardson, seen here with his dad in 2008, would be proud of him Photo: Getty Images

With a new lease on life, Micheál has now decided to bring the worlds of high fashion and traditional craftsmanship together with his latest project and he says his mother would have been impressed. "One thing my Mum taught me was to dress how you feel, dress how you want," he said. "She loved dressing up for every occasion and sometimes wore some pretty crazy stuff."

Surprisingly shy given his movie star pedigree and with a slight hipster air, the teenager seems to have found his calling adding, "Fashion is so important as it shows who you are."