Veteran actor Liam Neeson was supposed to join the ranks of Roger Moore, Sean Connery and Daniel Craig, as one of the few actors to portray Agent 007 in the big screen. However, Neeson turned down the career-changing role for something far more important to him -- a life with his late wife, Natasha Richardson.

During an interview with the Hull Daily Mail, the "Non-Stop" star narrated how he was offered the opportunity of a lifetime. He said, "I was heavily courted, let's put it that way. And I'm sure some other actors were too."

But when the time came to decide if he would take the role or not, he was also presented with another ultimatum. He continued, "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."

Neeson married Richardson in 1994 and spent 15 years together. In March 16, 2009, Richardson sustained a head injury after getting into a skiing accident in Canada. NY Daily News reported the Tony-Award winning actress was placed on life support and was brain-dead for two days after her accident. She passed away on March 18 at the age of 45.

According to the Huffington Post, based on the timeframe that Neeson provided, he was probably offered the role of 007 in the 1995 film "GoldenEye". This, of course, was the first of four Bond films that starred Pierce Brosnan. Somehow, the thought of Neeson being considered to play Bond can change one's view of "Tomorrow Never Dies", "The World Is Not Enough" and "Die Another Day".

But as Brosnan enjoyed the fame of playing the MI6 secret agent, Neeson went on to live a married life with Richardson until her death in 2009.

So, do you think the "Taken" star would have been a better Bond than Brosnan? Hit us up in the comments section below.