Joely Richardson Breaks Silence on Death of Natasha

By PopEater Staff Posted Dec 8th 2009 09:20AM

'Nip/Tuck' actress Joely Richardson is speaking out for the first time about coping with the loss of her big sister Natasha, who died eight months ago following a skiing accident. She was 45. The Richardson sisters didn't have that much in common, but in the end were "enmeshed in each other."

"I hadn't lived a day in my life without her," she told Tatler magazine this week (via the Daily Mail), "You worry about your children and your elders, but I never imagined such a thing as this. Tash was a given to me."

Natasha Richardson suffered a head injury March 16 while skiing in Canada after falling during a ski lesson. Her death two days later was described by doctors as due to "epidural hematoma due to blunt impact to the head." She is survived by husband Liam Neeson and their two sons.

"The shock shatters you on a cellular level," Joely, 44, recalls of learning of her sister's death, "it takes time for the pieces to come back together."

The day after Natasha's funeral, Joely went back to work on the set of a BBC production of 'The Day of the Triffids.' Her grief had a great impact on her performance, she says.

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=793527&pid=793526&uts=1260283371

http://www.popeater.com/mm_track/popeater/tv/?s_channel=us.tvpop&s_account=aolpopeater,aolsvc&omni=1&ke=1

http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf

Joely Richardson Pics

The Redgrave-Richardson-Neeson family posed for a group photo at Natasha's funeral in New York on March 22.

Getty Images

Getty Images North America

Joely Richardson Snapshots

SANTA MONICA, CA - JUNE 07: Actress Joely Richardson arrives at the 11th Annual Young Hollywood Awards on June 7, 2009 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Valerie Macon/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Joely Richardson

Getty Images

Actress Joely Richardson speaks onstage at Hollywood Life's 11th Annual Young Hollywood Awards at The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage on June 7, 2009 in Santa Monica, California. Hollywood Life's 11th Annual Young Hollywood Awards - Show The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage Santa Monica, California United States June 7, 2009 Photo by Jesse Grant/WireImage.com To license this image (57629779), contact WireImage.com

Jesse Grant/WireImage.com

(L-R) Actress Vanessa Redgrave, Micheal Neeson (3rd-L), Joely Richardson (6th-L), Daisy Bevan (7th-L), Daniel Neeson (2nd-L) and actor Liam Neeson (R) gather together prior to the funeral of actress Natasha Richardson at St. Peter's Lithgow Episcopal Church on March 22, 2009 in Millbrook, in Dutchess County, New York. Richardson died at Lenox Hill Hospital on March 18 in New York City after suffering a ski injury at the Mont Tremblant resort in Montreal. Natasha Richardson - Funeral - March 22, 2009 St. Peter's Episcopal Millbrook, NY United States March 22, 2009 Photo by Christopher Peterson/FilmMagic.com To license this image (57030329), contact FilmMagic.com

Christopher Peterson/BuzzFoto/FilmMagic.com

( L - R) Actress Vanessa Redgrave, Micheal Neeson (3rd L), Joely Richardson (6th L), Daisy Bevan (7th L), Daniel Neeson (2nd L) and actor Liam Neeson (R) gather together prior to the funeral of actress Natasha Richardson at St. Peter's Lithgow Episcopal Church on March 22, 2009 in Millbrook, New York. Richardson died at Lenox Hill Hospital on March 18 in New York City after suffering a ski injury at the Mont Tremblant resort in Montreal. Natasha Richardson - Funeral - March 22, 2009 St. Peter's Episcopal Millbrook, NY United States March 22, 2009 Photo by Christopher Peterson/FilmMagic.com To license this image (57029967), contact FilmMagic.com

Christopher Peterson/BuzzFoto/FilmMagic.com

MILLBROOK, NY - MARCH 22: Actor Liam Neeson (3rd-L), his sister-in-law Joely Richardson (5th-L) and screenwriter Carlo Gabriel Nero (4th-L) arrive for the funeral of actress Natasha Richardson at St. Peter's Lithgow Episcopal Church on March 22, 2009 in Millbrook, in Dutchess County, New York. Richardson died at Lenox Hill Hospital on March 18 in New York City after suffering a ski injury at the Mont Tremblant resort in Montreal. (Photo by Joe Corrigan/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Joely Richardson;Carlo Gabriel Nero;Liam Neeson

Getty Images

MILLBROOK, NY - MARCH 22: (L-R) Actress Vanessa Redgrave, Micheal Neeson (3rd-L), Joely Richardson (6th-L), Daisy Bevan (7th-L), Daniel Neeson (2nd-L) and actor Liam Neeson (L) gather together prior to the funeral of actress Natasha Richardson at St. Peter's Lithgow Episcopal Church on March 22, 2009 in Millbrook, in Dutchess County, New York. Richardson died at Lenox Hill Hospital on March 18 in New York City after suffering a ski injury at the Mont Tremblant resort in Montreal. (Photo by Joe Corrigan/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Vanessa Redgrave;Micheal Neeson;Daniel Neeson;Daisy Bevan;Joely Richardson;Liam Neeson

Getty Images

"A strange autopilot kicks in; your psyche puts your work day into a different compartment from your private life. I'm not kidding -- my first shot back on set was reacting to someone dying."

Asked how she is coming to terms with her sister's death, Richardson replied: "I don't look at happiness as being a great goal. A sense of peace, definitely, but it's like the seasons. I think we're meant to have a spring, summer, autumn and winter. I'm not looking for a perpetual summer because that would be a flat line."

Richardson said: "I cannot imagine that there will ever be a day when I don't think of Tasha."

Tags: joely richardson, JoelyRichardson, liam neeson, LiamNeeson, natasha richardson, NatashaRichardson, niptuck