My wife and I were in line filing out of the Millerton Movie House in Upstate New York one night some years ago. It was a slow moving line down the steep stairs from the upper theater. I noticed this stunningly beautiful woman in line and was staring at her when my wife informed me that it was Natasha Richardson and Liam Neeson and I should stop staring and show some class. Her image stayed with me for a long time, this great beauty just shuffling along with the rest of us mortals. May she rest in peace.

What a horrible, sudden shock to her family. I feel so, so bad for them. I can't imagine their pain.

My husband and I saw Natasha and Liam at JFK a few years ago, coming back from the Caribbean. They were so physically stunning, and so loving to each other. My heart breaks for those two young boys she left behind, her husband, and the rest of her family.

to Ms Richardson's husband, sons, mother, and family and friends.

From this side of the fish bowl, Richardson seemed to have as fulfilling a personal life as her career.

Natasha Richardson's death has affected me profoundly; so much that I am surprised by it. I certainly felt saddened when John and Kelly Travolta's son was taken from them so suddenly, as I always feel saddened when someone I know, or know of, dies.

The Natasha Richardson death is different. I didn't even know that much about her, beyond her famous mother and other family members, including her husband Liam; but the entire picture is very much like a stage-play unto itself. I relate to Vanessa Redgrave at this moment in time because I also have two grown daughters with whom I am very close; and I am not so young myself anymore and often consider my own mortality. That plays into this extreme sadness I am feeling right now.

But more than that, I think it's because Natasha wasn't a typical movie star. She was an artist of film and, especially theater, and like the rest of her family, she brought such dignity to that art form.

Now with Natasha's name in the news everywhere over the past few days, I know so much more about her work; have watched videos of her interviews; and seen enough images to realize she was a true, natural beauty with a smile that resonated with sincerity.

Her love affair with, and eventual marriage to, Liam Neeson only adds another bittersweet layer to the tragedy as it seems they were truly in love and enjoyed their personal and family lives in relative privacy. I have no doubt that their two sons have been beneficiaries of a great deal of love and support during their lives.

This was a terrible dose of the unexpected for each member of Natasha's family, reminding all of us that nobody is immune from a loss of this nature; and that life is precious and comes without guarantees.

Natasha once said of her family "We embrace life. We are not cynical about life."

We can learn a great deal from her, even now that she has left us, maybe especially now.

I loved her work, from 'Gothic' to 'The Handmaiden's Tale' to 'Cabaret'. I didn't get the privilege of seeing her perform as Sally Bowles, but I own the cast recording soundtrack including the wonderful Alan Cumming as the MC.

I was sad to hear she'd been injured, and I've been hoping she would pull through. My condolences to her family, Liam and the boys, and her mom and sister and all her relatives.

She was far too young to leave us just yet, and she will be missed.

For a sore heart. Great obit. Just what's needed for a loss so seemingly unexpressable.

Unfortunatley over the years there have been plenty of occasions to appreciate your talent.

I first saw Natasha Richardson in the remake of the Parent Trap when I was eight years old. That movie was a childhood favorite of mine and in all, I've probably seen it close to thirty times. I've seen Richardson in a few other things and they were all impressive, but I always go back to the Parent Trap. In that role, she seemed so effortlessly warm and sincere. And from everything that I've heard in the past couple days, it seems that she was just as warm and sincere in real life. My condolences to her husband and children. I don't imagine that I'll ever watch the Parent Trap again without thinking of this tragic loss.

What a terrible loss to all of us.We will never know but for the impact she left.

...all the class, style, grace, talent and joi de vivre are cancelled. Just like that, for no reason, except perhaps to remind us that nothing is permanent and nothing is safe and if we don't do what's on our mind right now, if we don't go skiing or whatever it was we really wanted to do, we may not have the chance tomorrow.

Never mind the theft from the world of such an admirable talent and presence, someone to actually admire and maybe even try to emulate in some way. We're left poorer once again, only this is one of those times when a great many of us can feel it at once, when it isn't just some nameless face or faceless name.

To her family, especially, peace. It's all I have, that and this anger at the cosmos. Peace, when it's within reach, is a much more useful thing to wish.

One more reminder to say, when one truly feels it, "I love you."

It's horribly sad. She would have aged really well as an actress. We'll never get to see that now.

It makes me feel more grateful for my husband's continued good health.

The accident seems rather strange. It's hard to just fall down at low velocity and hit your head on skis, because the skis won't allow you to fall straight forwards or backwards. Skiing head injuries are usually caused by collisions with rocks, trees or other skiers, not just people simply falling down on the slopes.

I'm wondering if it could be possible that her fall was really fainting from a mini-stroke, and she had a massive stroke an hour later. Did the fall cause the injury or did the injury cause the fall?

I used to work on ski patrol and I've never heard of a case like this one. Most beginning skiers fall down a hundred times or so on the way to becoming intermediates. Very few people would survive learning to ski if a simple fall could do this much damage.

There has to be more to it. I suppose we'll learn later.