ET confirms that actress Natasha Richardson has died after being hospitalized for a skiing accident. She was 45.

In an official statement to ET, a spokesperson for the family said: "Liam Neeson, his sons, and the entire family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Natasha. They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time."

Natasha Jane Richardson came into the world on May 11, 1963, in London, England. Born into one of theater and film's most famous acting dynasties, her mother is actress Vanessa Redgrave and her father is the late director and producer Tony Richardson. She was the granddaughter of British actors Sir Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson. She is a niece to Lynn Redgrave and Corin Redgrave and her sister is "Nip/Tuck" actress Joely Richardson.

She married fellow actor Neeson in 1994 and they had two sons together, Micheál Richard Antonio Neeson, 13, and Daniel Jack Neeson, 12. She was previously married to producer Robert Fox before their divorce in 1993.

Professionally, Richardson trained at London's Central School of Speech and Drama and quickly gained extensive stage experience in London's West End and later on Broadway.

She won a Tony Award in 1998 for playing Sally Bowles in Cabaret and was nominated as Best Actress in a play in 1993 for a revival of Eugene O'Neill's Anna Christie, starring opposite Neeson. The couple became an item that year.

This past January, Richardson and her mother played the roles of mother and daughter in a one-night benefit concert of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music at New York's Roundabout Theatre Company.

Natasha made her feature film debut playing Mary Shelley -- the British novelist who penned Frankenstein -- in the movie 'Gothic' in 1986. Her performance caught the attention of director Paul Schrader, who then cast her in the title role in 'Patty Hearst' in 1988. In 1994 she co-starred with Jodie Foster and Neeson in 'Nell' and in 'The Parent Trap' in 1998 with Dennis Quaid. More recent films include 'Blow Dry' in 2001, Ethan Hawke's 'Chelsea Walls' in 2001 and 'Maid in Manhattan' in 2002. Richardson was nominated for Best Actress by the British Independent Film Awards for her performance in the 2005 film 'Asylum.' She just completed work on the Universal Pictures dramedy 'Wild Child' last year.

An accomplished cook, the actress was renowned for lavish dinners she and her husband regularly held at their upstate New York estate. Regular diners at the couple's table included Ralph Fiennes, Griffin Dunne, Meryl Streep and Laura Linney. She even appeared as a guest judge on the cooking reality show "Top Chef."