Natasha Richardson, a film star, Tony-winning stage actress and member of the Redgrave acting family, died Wednesday after suffering injuries in a ski accident, according to a family statement. She was 45.
Richardson was injured Monday in a fall on a ski slope at a Quebec resort about 80 miles northwest of Montreal.
Richardson's family released a statement saying, "Liam Neeson, his sons, and the entire family are shocked and devastated by th tragic death of their beloved Natasha. They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time."
According to a statement from Mont Tremblant Ski Resort, Richardson fell during a lesson on a beginners' trail.
"She did not show any visible sign of injury, but the ski patrol followed strict procedures and brought her back to the bottom of the slope and insisted she should se a doctor" .
She was accompanied by her instructor, returned to her hotel, but about an hour after the fall was "not feeling good" . Ambulance was called, and Richardson was taken to a local hospital before being transferred to Hospital Sacre-Coeur in Montreal. From there she was transferred to Lenox Hill Hospital in NY City.
Natasha was practically born to perform. Her grandfather, Sir Michael Redgrave, was a famed British actor. Her mother, Vanessa Redgrave, is an Oscar-winning actress, and her father, the late director Tony Richardson, helmed such films as "Look Back in Anger," "The Entertainer" and the Oscar-winning "Tom Jones."
But being part of a family of actors wasn't always easy for Natasha. Her parents divorced when she was 4 and her mother, involved in controversial political causes, gave away a lot of money, putting the family in financial straits.
Then there was the family heritage, of which Richardson once said, "Though my name opened doors it didn't get me work, and a lot of pressure comes from having a mother who is considered one of the greatest actresses of her generation".
Some of Richardson's greatest successes were on the stage. At 22, she played opposite her mother and Jonathan Pryce in a London production of Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull"; the performance earned her the London Drama Critics' most promising newcomer award.
