Lynn Redgrave dies at 67

KENT — Actress and Kent resident Lynn Redgrave, 67, died at her home here on Sunday, May 2. The cause of death was breast cancer; she had been diagnosed with the disease in 2002.

A statement was published by her family on her official Web site, Redgrave.com: “Our beloved mother Lynn Rachel passed away peacefully after a seven-year journey with breast cancer. She lived, loved and worked harder than ever before. The endless memories she created as a mother, grandmother, writer, actor and friend will sustain us for the rest of our lives. Our entire family asks for privacy through this difficult time.â€

She moved to Kent some time early in the last decade and was an active part of the community, according to First Selectman Bruce Adams.

“She contributed a great deal in terms of her name and helping organizations,†Adams said. “I heard many good things about her at the Congregational Church. She will be missed by a lot of people.â€

Redgrave took part in the annual Kent Film Festival in 2007. In 2008, one of the items auctioned in a fundraiser for Sharon’s Hotchkiss Library was a dinner with the actress.

According to the Internet Movie Database Web site, Redgrave was born in London in 1943. She was part of a famous acting family that included her parents, Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, and her older sister, Vanessa Redgrave. She was the aunt of the late Natasha Richardson.

Lynn Redgrave was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her lead role in “Georgy Girl†in 1966 (Elizabeth Taylor won that year, for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?â€). She was also nominated in 1998 for her role in “Gods and Monsters.â€

Redgrave had 96 acting roles in television and movies, from British Broadcasting Company (BBC) productions to American sitcoms, including her last role, as a guest star on “Ugly Betty†last year. Recent film appearances were in “Confessions of a Shopaholic†in 2009 and “The Jane Austen Book Club†in 2007.

She had a substantial stage career in the United States and her native England. She was nominated for two Tony awards, including one for a one-woman show she wrote about her father, “Shakespeare for My Father.â€

She was married to actor and director John Clark from 1967 until 2000, when they divorced. Their three children are Benjamin, Kelly and Annabel Clark.