cross-posted at skippy and a veritable cornucopia of other community blogs.

in a shocking and tragic development, actress natasha richardson has died from an apparent head injury sustained on a skiing trip. latimes:

natasha richardson, the luminous british actress from one of the world’s great acting families, whose performances ranged from the highbrow drama "the handmaid’s tale" to the lightweight comedy "the parent trap" and the tony-winning broadway production of "cabaret," died wednesday. she was 45…richardson suffered a devastating brain injury in a skiing accident monday at mont tremblant, a luxury resort in canada. the actress was taking a lesson on a beginner’s run near the bottom of the ski area and was not wearing a helmet in what first appeared to be a minor accident.she initially reported that she was well, but soon started to complain of a headache. hours after the fall, the star of a number of acclaimed stage plays — including roles in "anna christie," "a streetcar named desire" and "closer" — slipped into unconsciousness, and she was transported tuesday from a montreal hospital back to new york, where she was surrounded by family and friends.


natasha richardson was always a delight to watch onscreen, and came from a long line of amazingly talented show biz royalty in england. her father tony richardson was the famous director/producer (tom jones, a taste of honey), and everyone knows her mother vanessa redgrave.tho she never was the star in her movies, ms. richardson was always a supporting actor that could be counted on, and often stole the show from those she was supporting (see: maid in america, the parent trap). onstage, she won both the tony award and drama desk award for her performance as sally bowles in the sam mendes production of cabaret.natasha richardson was married to liam nisson, and they had two little sons. we offer our heartfelt condolences to the family. the world is a little darker tonite. rip natasha richardson, taken from us far too soon.