Natasha Richardson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Natasha Richardson
Richardson in 2008
Born	Natasha Jane Richardson (1963-05-11)11 May 1963 Marylebone, London, England
Died	18 March 2009(2009-03-18) (aged 45) New York City, U.S.
Resting place	St. Peter's Episcopal Cemetery, Millbrook, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1968–2009
Spouse(s)	Robert Fox ​ ​ (m. 1990; div. 1992)​ Liam Neeson ​ (m. 1994)​
Children	2, including Micheál Richardson
Parents	Tony Richardson (father) Vanessa Redgrave (mother)
Family	Redgrave

Natasha Jane Richardson (born May 11, 1963 – died March 18, 2009) was a talented English-American actress. She came from a famous acting family called the Redgrave family. Her mother was the actress Vanessa Redgrave, and her father was the director and producer Tony Richardson. Her grandparents, Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, were also well-known actors.

Early in her career, Natasha played important historical figures. She was Mary Shelley in the 1986 film Gothic. She also played Patty Hearst in a 1988 movie about her life. Natasha became very popular on Broadway, which is a famous theater district in New York City. She won a Theatre World Award for her first Broadway show, Anna Christie, in 1993.

She also acted in many other movies. Some of these include The Handmaid's Tale (1990), Nell (1994), and the popular family film The Parent Trap (1998). She also appeared in Maid in Manhattan (2002) and The White Countess (2005).

Natasha won a major award, the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, for her role as Sally Bowles in the 1998 Broadway show Cabaret. She also won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical and the Outer Critics Circle Award for this role.

Sadly, Natasha Richardson died in New York City on March 18, 2009. This happened after a skiing accident in Quebec, Canada. She suffered a serious head injury called an epidural hematoma.

Early Life and Family

Natasha Jane Richardson was born in Marylebone, London, England, on May 11, 1963. She grew up in a family famous for acting, known as the Redgrave dynasty. Her father was director Tony Richardson, and her mother was actress Vanessa Redgrave. Her grandparents, Sir Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, were also famous actors.

Natasha's sister is Joely Richardson, who is also an actress. She also had half-siblings. Her aunts and uncles, like Lynn Redgrave and Corin Redgrave, were actors too. This means acting was truly in her family's blood!

Natasha's parents divorced in 1967. The next year, when she was only four years old, she appeared in her first movie. It was called The Charge of the Light Brigade, and her father directed it. She had a small, uncredited role.

Natasha went to private schools in London. These included the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle and St Paul's Girls' School. After school, she trained to be an actress at the Central School of Speech and Drama.

Acting Career

On Stage: Theatre Work

Richardson in 1999

Natasha started her acting career in local theaters. In 1984, she performed in A Midsummer Night's Dream in London's Regent's Park. She acted alongside future stars like Ralph Fiennes. Her first professional show in London's West End was The Seagull in 1985. Her mother, Vanessa Redgrave, was also in this play.

Soon after, she starred in a London stage version of High Society. Natasha made her Broadway debut in 1993. She played the main character in Anna Christie. This is where she met her future husband, Liam Neeson.

In 1998, she took on the role of Sally Bowles in the Broadway show Cabaret. Her performance was amazing, and she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. The Tony Award is one of the highest honors in theater.

She returned to Broadway in 1999 in a play called Closer. In 2005, she played Blanche DuBois in a new version of A Streetcar Named Desire. Just two months before she passed away, Natasha performed in a concert show called A Little Night Music. Her mother, Vanessa Redgrave, also performed in this show.

On Screen: Film Roles

Natasha's first credited movie role was in 1984 in Every Picture Tells A Story. She played an art tutor. In 1986, she starred as Mary Shelley in Gothic. This film was a fictional story about how Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein. The next year, she acted with Kenneth Branagh in A Month in the Country.

Director Paul Schrader chose her for the main role in Patty Hearst (1988). This movie was a true story about an heiress who was kidnapped. Natasha won the 1990 Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actress. She won this for her roles in The Handmaid's Tale and The Comfort of Strangers.

In 1994, Natasha was named Best Actress at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival for her work in Widows' Peak. That same year, she appeared in Nell with Jodie Foster and her future husband, Liam Neeson.

Many kids know her best from the 1998 Disney movie The Parent Trap. She played Elizabeth James, the kind and stylish mother of Lindsay Lohan's character. Her other movies include Blow Dry (2001), Maid in Manhattan (2002), and The White Countess (2005). Her last movie role was in the 2008 comedy Wild Child. She played the headmistress of a girls' school.

On Television: TV Appearances

Natasha first appeared on American television in 1984 in a miniseries called Ellis Island. That same year, she made her British TV debut in a BBC series called Oxbridge Blues. In 1985, she appeared in an episode of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. She played Violet Hunter in the episode "The Copper Beeches".

She also starred in a 1987 BBC show based on the play Ghosts. In 1993, she played Zelda Fitzgerald in a TV movie called Zelda. She also appeared in Haven (2001) and The Mastersons of Manhattan (2007).

Personal Life

Natasha Richardson was first married to filmmaker Robert Fox. They met in 1985 and were married from 1990 to 1992.

In the summer of 1994, she married actor Liam Neeson. They got married at their home in Millbrook, New York. Natasha became an American citizen. She had two sons with Liam Neeson: Micheál (born in 1995) and Daniel (born in 1996).

Natasha was very active in helping others. She raised millions of dollars to fight HIV/AIDS. Her father, Tony Richardson, had passed away in 1991. She was a board member of AmfAR, an organization that supports AIDS research. She also worked with many other charities, like Bailey House and God's Love We Deliver. In November 2000, she received amfAR's Award of Courage for her efforts.

Injury and Death

On March 16, 2009, Natasha Richardson had a serious accident. She fell while taking a beginner skiing lesson at the Mont Tremblant Resort in Canada. At first, she said she was fine and refused medical help. However, about two hours later, she complained of a very bad headache.

She was then flown to Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. Sadly, she died two days later, on March 18, from a head injury called an epidural hematoma. This is a type of bleeding in the brain.

Her family, including Liam Neeson and their sons, released a statement saying they were shocked and heartbroken. They thanked everyone for their support and asked for privacy during this difficult time.

On March 19, 2009, theater lights on Broadway in New York and in London's West End were dimmed. This was a special way to honor Natasha Richardson and show respect for her. A private funeral was held on March 22, 2009, at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in New York. She was buried near her grandmother, Rachel Kempson.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

See also

In Spanish: Natasha Richardson para niños