After news broke that Natasha Richardson died Wednesday in New York City following a skiing accident, the Tony Award-winning actress' friends shared their condolences over her sudden and tragic passing.
Lindsay Lohan, who starred with Richardson in 1998's "The Parent Trap," released the following statement to the media. "She was a wonderful woman and actress and treated me like I was her own," Lohan said, according to US Weekly. "I didn't see much of her over the years, but I will miss her. My heart goes out to her family. This is a tragic loss."
Director Sam Mendes, who directed Richardson in her Tony Award-winning role in "Cabaret," described her as having "combined the best of [her mother, Vanessa] Redgrave and [her father, Tony] Richardson: the enormous depth and emotional force of a great actor on the one hand, and the intelligence and objectivity of a great director on the other. She was one of a kind, a magnificent actress. She was also an amazing mother, a loyal friend and the greatest and most generous host you could ever hope to meet. It defies belief that this gifted, brave, tenacious, wonderful woman is gone."
Recently, Richardson was a guest judge on "Top Chef." The show's host, Padma Lakshmi, remembered her in a statement: "She was great. She was lovely. She was just like one of the gang. She was very, very articulate. She was very, very opinionated. She was very compassionate. She had a very sophisticated palate."
Jane Fonda, who met Richardson in 1977 when her "Julia" co-star Redgrave brought her daughter to the set, recalled, "She was a little girl but already beautiful and graceful. It didn't surprise me that she became such a talented actor. I wanted to go to the Lenox Hill Hospital where I was told she had been taken to see if there was anything I could do for Vanessa, any comfort I could bring, but today was a two-show day [for Broadway play "33 Variations"] and as the curtain went up tonight, I heard the tragic news. It is hard to even imagine what it must be like for her family. My heart is heavy."
Joan Rivers recalled a fond memory she had of spending time with Richardson and her husband, Liam Neeson. "We spent one amazing day on a boat with my whole family and she and Liam and the boys. They were such a family. I mean, [her death] just shouldn't have happened. And they made such a good-looking couple too. He doted on what she said, she doted on — it was just perfect."
In a statement, Mia Farrow said, "Natasha is irreplaceable. I cannot think of anyone kinder, more generous, thoughtful, smarter or more fun. She is the godmother of two of my children. The Neesons and Vanessa have always made me feel a part of their wonderful family. My thoughts and prayers are with them."
Dame Judi Dench added to the outpouring of emotion, saying, "She had an incredibly luminous quality that you seldom see. And a great sense of humor. I thought she was a really great actress."
Regis Philbin and his wife, Joy, said, "They live around the corner from us. It's such a surprise. She's a lovely woman. Liam and those two little boys are great. They're a lovely family."
Family friend Blythe Danner said, "I can't talk because I started crying. I'm heartbroken. She was so kind to us when Bruce [Paltrow, Danner's late husband] was ill. She's so generous. I don't think that I can handle it."
Alan Cumming, who was her "Cabaret" co-star, wrote on his Web site, "I, like everyone, am totally devastated by the sudden death. The term 'life force' seems trite but that is what she was: a woman who powered through life and fascinated everyone she encountered. I have been thinking about the times I spent with her since I heard the news of her tragic accident, and the strongest memory I have is of her laughter, her unmistakable throaty laugh. I think that's a great way to remember someone. She was a brilliant actress... Liam and the boys and her whole family have lost an amazing woman. We all have. Goodbye, darling."
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