One can only imagine the real-life horror of how the events must have unfolded, from a seemingly insignificant fall through some sort of revelation of real damage leading to her being airlifted to NYC and dying soon after being declared brain dead due to bleeding, to the chasm in the immediately family now without a mother and wife.
I never had the good fortune to see Ms. Richardson onstage in her classic Anna Christie or Cabaret performances (Tony nominated and winning, respectively). However, I first experienced her strong talent in the title role of Paul Schrader's Patty Hearst, an underrated depiction of one fascinating and hellish corner of the 1970's. She did a great job channeling the real-life kidnapped heiress and leaving the audience on a haunting question at the end. Highly recommended.
Richardson's death reminds me of that of Carole Lombard, the brilliant comedienne who was at that time married to screen king Clark Gable. It was 1942 and Lombard was 33, on her way back to L.A. from a war bonds rally when her plane crashed outside of Las Vegas killing all 20 people aboard, including her mother. Gable reportedly never got over losing her, and one imagines Neeson will face a similar fate.
There's a lesson here about living each day to the fullest because it can all be gone tomorrow. Actors like Neeson and Richardson do/did exactly that every time they step/stepped onstage.
One hopes that provides some solace, but subject to such real tragedy -- and horror -- it'll be hard for that solace to take root.
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