Dennis Quaid has admitted his "heart breaks every time" he thinks of his late The Parent Trap co-star Natasha Richardson. The actor, 71, became emotional while reflecting on the actress - who died aged 45 after suffering a brain bleed following a skiing accident in 2009 - and the memories they shared while filming the beloved 1998 movie.
"My heart breaks every time," Dennis revealed during a new episode of the Out of Order podcast after watching one of their scenes together. "Natasha... she was just an incredible person and amazing."
In the film, Natasha played Elizabeth James, a wedding dress designer who unexpectedly rekindles her romance with her ex-husband Nick Parker, portrayed by Dennis, after their twin daughters, Hallie and Annie - both played by Lindsay Lohan - meet at summer camp and secretly swap places.
Reflecting on the experience, Dennis added that working alongside Natasha was so special that, "If there's anybody I'd ever want to work with again, it'd be her."
He added: "She was a great person, besides being an amazing actor to work with. She really was, and the way she went was [very tragic]… just a little accident on the ski slope."
The Substance actor also praised Natasha - who shared two sons, Micheál, 30, and Daniel, 29, with her husband Liam Neeson - for the warmth and charm she brought to the set.
© Alamy"She has a charm to her," Dennis said, adding that she often drew on "her relationship with her own kids" to shape her performance. "There's just something magical about her… She's present when you're working with her."
Dennis, who recently reunited with some of his other co-stars Elaine Hendrix and Lisa Ann Walter, also reflected on the enduring success of the 1998 film.
© Getty Images"There's a whole generation of kids who were eight years old at the time who watched the movie 42 times on VHS, and now their kids are renting it with them," he said. "It turned out to be the most-watched film of anything I've ever done."
Meanwhile, during a 2020 cast reunion, Dennis and Lindsay gushed about Natasha's warm energy, with the actress saying: "Natasha had such an elegance and grace, and she was so maternal to me," and Dennis adding: "[Natasha was] so giving and so glad to be there, and transmitted that joy of being able to do what we do."
