Lynn Redgrave Passes Away

May 3, 2010 1:05 PM

After the actress Lynn Redgrave learned she had breast cancer in December 2002, she chose to undergo surgery, followed by a half-year regimen of chemotherapy and radiation. She also asked her daughter Annabel Clark, then a photography student at Parsons School of Design, if she would photograph the course of treatment and recovery. [One photo maybe NSFW]

Sadly, after battling the disease for more than seven years, the Oscar and Tony-nominated actress passed away yesterday at the age of 67. Her official site. Some Slideshow Galleries. BBC Report.

Last year, Redgrave gave an interview to the New York Times before the opening of her introspective play "Nightingale” in which she discussed her maternal grandmother, and being a stage IV breast cancer survivor. An additional 14-minute audio interview with PJ Ochlan about the play is available here, in m3u format.

Ms. Redgrave was Oscar nominated for her roles in "Georgy Girl" and "Gods and Monsters" and won a Drama Desk Award and was nominated for a Tony for her role in "The Constant Wife."

She was an aunt to Natasha Richardson, who died last year in a skiing accident, and is survived by her sister, Vanessa Redgrave.

posted by zarq (36 comments total)

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posted by cashman at 1:11 PM on May 3, 2010

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Well, crap. My mom had breast cancer and the photos of Ms Redgrave are much as I remember her as she went through treatment. Miss you mom, desperately.
posted by jamaro at 1:12 PM on May 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

jamaro, I'm sorry for your loss. :(
posted by zarq at 1:16 PM on May 3, 2010

Maybe I shouldn't have looked at the treatment photos two days away from the first anniversary of my father's death from cancer.

I was surprised at how beautiful those photographs were.
posted by pinky at 1:18 PM on May 3, 2010

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posted by fleetmouse at 1:20 PM on May 3, 2010

My mom recently finished her treatment. Those photos made me cry.

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posted by nimsey lou at 1:23 PM on May 3, 2010

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posted by brundlefly at 1:23 PM on May 3, 2010

The sheer grace she had, to allow this to be done, to ask it to be done. Like she wanted people to see and go "see? It happens. It's not a shameful thing."

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posted by mephron at 1:26 PM on May 3, 2010 [4 favorites]

The photos are beautiful. I admire Lynn Redgrave all the more for doing them. What cancer treatment looks like is often one of those hidden things outside of close family and as distressing as my emotional response was to the pics it was also strangely comforting to see them, as though they finally brought home that my mom wasn't alone.
posted by jamaro at 1:28 PM on May 3, 2010

My mother is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. She doesn't like to tell me what she is going through and these photos filled in some of the blanks.
posted by munchingzombie at 1:33 PM on May 3, 2010

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posted by mer2113 at 1:37 PM on May 3, 2010

Why did I not go to Nightingale? I planned to, I wanted to—the postcard, with a wonderful illustration of Redgrave, is still on my refrigerator. Why is it so hard to appreciate the opportunities we have when we have them? Why do we only care for them when they're lost?
posted by ocherdraco at 1:39 PM on May 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

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posted by Madamina at 1:42 PM on May 3, 2010

Awesome series of photos. What an elegant woman.

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posted by SLC Mom at 1:43 PM on May 3, 2010

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posted by bearwife at 1:49 PM on May 3, 2010

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posted by Smart Dalek at 1:51 PM on May 3, 2010

She's left us many gifts, especially those photos.
posted by zarah at 1:52 PM on May 3, 2010

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posted by longsleeves at 1:56 PM on May 3, 2010

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posted by Halloween Jack at 1:56 PM on May 3, 2010

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posted by Dojie at 1:57 PM on May 3, 2010

Death is inevitable, but I'd rather go out the way my uncle did (heart attack) than the way Lynn -- and my mother -- did. Fuck cancer, just fuck it. It's an ugly way to die.

She'll be remembered.
posted by seanmpuckett at 2:15 PM on May 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

Images reminiscent of Jeret Belliveau.
posted by Sys Rq at 2:25 PM on May 3, 2010

Those photographs were surprisingly moving. I'm sorry to see her go.
posted by Forktine at 2:55 PM on May 3, 2010

What an incredibly lovely and brave series of photographs. What a lovely and brave woman she was.

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posted by jeanmari at 4:19 PM on May 3, 2010

A shock to hear she died. I think she was a wonderful person.
posted by nickyskye at 4:36 PM on May 3, 2010

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Thank you especially for the link to the photographs. When my mother had cancer, she had my father take several pictures of her for what would be her obituary photo. She wanted to be seen as she was now, not what she had been. I admired her, and Lynn Redgrave, for that.
posted by Wuggie Norple at 4:58 PM on May 3, 2010

Her brother Corin Redgrave died less than a month ago on April 6, 2010. Hard times indeed for the Redgrave family.

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posted by Morrigan at 5:57 PM on May 3, 2010

Instant replay of what Mrs notreally and I went through beginning eighteen months ago. We watched this together and cried together.
But so far so good.
posted by notreally at 6:31 PM on May 3, 2010

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posted by NicoleyDarko at 7:19 PM on May 3, 2010

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posted by jgaiser at 8:12 PM on May 3, 2010

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I don't think I can look at the photos right now. I miss my mom too much.
posted by Lexica at 8:50 PM on May 3, 2010

I recently viewed Kinsey; Ms. Redgrave's appearance in it was brief but at the same time essential and moving. Radiance, grace, dignity... the same qualities she brought to all of her work. The photographs capture these same qualities.

Prayers to the notreally's, and all others facing this battle.

Meanwhile, Lynn leaves a gap... she will most definitely be missed.

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posted by kinnakeet at 6:06 AM on May 4, 2010

Goodbye Georgy Girl

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posted by jonp72 at 6:32 AM on May 4, 2010

Like many of you, I have photos of my mom while she was going through her final chemo. I never look at them intentionally, but when they show up while I'm looking for something else, I am struck to the core by their blunt honesty about life and death.

Lynn Redgrave has always struck me as a gracious, yet unflinchingly honest, woman. I will miss her for who she was as well as for whom she portrayed.

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posted by catlet at 7:50 AM on May 4, 2010

RIP Lynne. My sincere condolences to the Redgrave family who've had a really shithouse time recently.

Lynne Redgrave was an amazing actress.

:(
posted by h00py at 6:01 AM on May 5, 2010

Note: There was a recent post about a broadcast of The Phantom of The Paradise here, and now TVOntario is screening Georgy Girl on Saturday night, May 8th, at 8:00 pm EST.

This is an interesting cynical English mid-60's movie, and worth a look.
posted by ovvl at 5:05 PM on May 7, 2010