A 07 Jun 1998 file photo of Natasha Richardson holding her Tony award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, for her role in "Cabaret"

Tony award-winning actress and member of the famed British theatrical Redgrave family, Natasha Richardson, has died after a skiing accident at age 45.

Richardson suffered a severe head injury from what appeared to be a minor fall during a beginner's ski lesson Monday at a resort in Canada.  She was flown to a New York City hospital Tuesday, accompanied by her husband, award-winning Irish-born actor Liam Neeson.

Surrounded by her family and friends from the acting world, she died there Wednesday evening.

The daughter of the late director Tony Richardson and iconic British actress Vanessa Redgrave, Natasha Richardson's career highlights included the title role in the 1988 film "Patty Hearst," and her Tony award-winning performance 10 years later in the lead role of the stage revival of "Cabaret."

Richardson had extensive stage experience in London's West End theater and on Broadway in New York.  Neeson was her second husband.  They met in 1993 and appeared together in the 1994 film "Nell."  She married him in 1994 and they had two sons, ages 12 and 13.

Richardson was reported to have not shown any visible signs of injury immediately after her skiing accident at the famed Mont Tremblant resort near Montreal.  When she later reported not feeling good, she was transported to a Montreal hospital and later to the New York City facility when her condition worsened.

Richardson's maternal grandparents were the actors Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson.  Her aunt, Lynn Redgrave, and her sister, Joely, also are actresses.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.