Lynn Redgrave laid to rest

KENT, Connecticut - Friends and family said final goodbyes to Lynn Redgrave on Saturday, local time, and laid the 67-year-old actress to rest near her mother amid the rolling hills of upstate New York.

The star of Georgy Girl died last Sunday at her home in Kent, Connecticut, surrounded by her children. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002.

At a private funeral near her Connecticut home Saturday morning, pall bearers carried a basket-weave casket adorned with flowers through a light drizzle into the First Congregational Church of Kent.

Her older sister, Vanessa Redgrave, was among those attending, along with niece Joely Richardson, and Liam Neeson, widower of her niece Natasha Richardson.

Actor Brendan Fraser, Lynn Redgrave's Gods and Monsters co-star, said after the service that she helped him learn to respect his craft.

"Lynn had a real quiet bliss about her, and enthusiasm," Fraser said. "I think if I ever saw her sad, it was in a performance."

Redgrave was buried across the state line in Lithgow, New York, in the same rural cemetery where family members said goodbye to Natasha Richardson in March 2009. Redgrave was buried near her mother in a private service under brightening skies.

Redgrave's death comes during a difficult time for the famous acting family. Richardson died unexpectedly last year at age 45 from head injuries suffered in a skiing accident and Redgrave's older brother, Corin Redgrave, died last month.

As the youngest child of Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, Lynn Redgrave was born into an esteemed British acting dynasty. Not as acclaimed or outspoken as her sister, Vanessa, she still enjoyed a long career as an actress and playwright.

Lynn Redgrave received Oscar nominations for her 1966 star-making turn in Georgy Girl and for Gods and Monsters more than three decades later. She received Tony nominations for Mrs. Warren's Profession, Shakespeare for My Father and The Constant Wife.

Despite her pedigree, Lynn Redgrave was not averse to appearing on TV on shows like Desperate Housewives and even became a spokeswoman for Weight Watchers.

Redgrave was divorced from actor-director John Clark. She is survived by children Ben, Pema and Annabel and six grandchildren.

- AP