Liam Neeson's return to work just days after his wife's death was a "harrowing experience".

The 'Wanted' actor was in Canada working on the film 'Chloe' when his wife Natasha Richardson was injured in a skiing accident.

He flew her to New York and stayed at her bedside until she died a few days later from the head injuries sustained in the fall.

Yet, shortly after the death of the 45-year-old actress he called the director of 'Chloe' and announced his intention to complete work on the film immediately.

"He called me and said: 'You know let's do it right away.'," Atom Egoyan said.

"I think the only way he could have come back was right after because his family was all there to support his boys."

Neeson has two sons with Richardson, the daughter of British screen icon Vanessa Redgrave.

"Liam is heroic," added Egoyan. "He came back and finished."

But Egyon added that the 56-year-old 'Schindler's List' star is still "in a state of shock."

"I think he's trying to absorb [what's happened] ... He's suddenly a single parent with absolutely no preparation for that," says the director.

But Egoyan is confident that the actor will pull through.

Neeson, he explains, "is surrounded by people that really love him. There is a lot of support."