Actress Richardson dies of injuries

"Liam Neeson, his sons (Micheal and Daniel), and the entire family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Natasha," the statement said. "They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time."

The tragedy made international headlines and prompted expressions of shock and grief. She fell on a beginners slope near Montreal during a ski lesson Monday and initially appeared coherent, but an hour later she complained of a headache. As her condition worsened dramatically, she was flown to a hospital near her home in New York City, where her family gathered.

She was the daughter of Academy Award-winning actress and human rights activist Vanessa Redgrave and the Oscar-winning director and producer Tony Richardson. Her maternal grandparents were the actors Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson. Her aunt is actress Lynn Redgrave, with whom Natasha Richardson and her mother appeared in the 2005 Merchant-Ivory production "The White Countess."

Ms. Richardson may have been overshadowed by the public profile of her family, particularly her mother, but she was widely respected for the high quality and versatility of her performances.

She won a Tony Award for a 1998 revival of the musical "Cabaret," in which she played the bohemian showgirl Sally Bowles, and starred in a variety of film, television and stage productions, ranging from Blanche Du Bois in Tennessee Williams’ "A Streetcar Named Desire" (2005) on Broadway to a Disney remake of "The Parent Trap" (1998) in Hollywood.

As a young woman, Ms. Richardson was considered one of the most promising actresses of her generation and earned a reputation as a specialist in formidable dramatic parts. She received a Tony nomination and outstanding notices for her lead role as a woman with a dark past in a 1993 revival of the Eugene O’Neill waterfront story "Anna Christie."

She was a statuesque blonde with a smoky voice, and director Paul Schrader, who cast her in several movies, once noted how she "had an essential quality of mystery about her. You can watch her for the better part of two hours, and still think that she’ll show you something new."

In addition to Schrader’s "Patty Hearst" (1988), in which she played the title heiress-turned-terrorist, and the psychological thriller "The Comfort of Strangers" (1990), Ms. Richardson starred in a string of films on screen and on television in the late 1980s and 1990s.

More recently, she was a guest judge in an episode of Bravo TV’s reality show "Top Chef."

Film scholar David Kipen said of Ms. Richardson: "As an heir to the Redgrave theatrical and film dynasty, she was the British Drew Barrymore – if Barrymore had better taste in roles and men. Richardson radiated intelligence in everything she did. She won raves for Shakespeare, Chekhov, O’Neill, Williams and Ibsen, and she could sing besides. If the movies never knew quite what to do with her, that strikes me more as the medium’s fault than hers."

Natasha Jane Richardson was born in London on May 11, 1963. She made her acting debut at 4, directed by her father and playing her mother’s bridesmaid in the movie "The Charge of the Light Brigade."

At 17, Ms. Richardson passed her audition at London’s Central School of Speech and Drama without revealing her true name. She debuted in London’s West End theater district as Nina in a 1985 revival of Anton Chekhov’s "The Seagull" that starred her mother.

During the show’s run, she began a relationship with "Seagull" producer Robert Fox, and they later married. She left him to marry Neeson.

Survivors include Neeson, and their two sons; her mother; and a sister, actress Joely Richardson.