Goodbye, Natasha

A few days ago, actress Natasha Richardson suffered a head injury while skiing in Canada with her family. According to reports, at first she got up again, leaving everyone to believe that she had gotten away with only a bump and a scare. But shortly thereafter, she began feeling nauseous and checked herself into the hospital. Because she was diagnosed with severe head trauma and internal bleeding, she was flown to a hospital in the United States, where sadly, she succumbed to her injuries and passed away.

Natasha Richardson was one of those actresses of whom you thought little (as in, not often) until you saw her. She had a lovely, lively yet quiet screen presence. Her private life seemed to very much reflect these same qualities. Married to Liam Neeson since 1994, she was the mother of two boys. Their marriage was never cause of speculation. They always seemed very happy with each other. It is a tragic loss the Neeson family has suffered. I’d like to offer my condolences.

Other than her role in “Nell”, I couldn’t even tell you why she always stood out for me. But a few years ago, after purchasing the DVD collection of the “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”, I got an unexpected treat: there was a very young Natasha Richardson as Miss Violet Hunter in the tale of the “Copper Beeches”! Even next to the formidable Jeremy Brett, she easily held her own. It remains one of my favorite episodes to this day.