Celebrities join wake for Natasha

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The 45-year-old Irish actor spent more than six hours with family and friends including Uma Thurman and Ralph Fiennes at the wake in New York.

As her family made preparations for the funeral, theatres in London's West End dimmed their lights in a tribute.

Neeson, who was the last to leave the private wake at the American Irish Historical Society, was joined by the couple's sons -- Micheal, 13, and Daniel, 12 -- as well as Richardson's mother, Vanessa Redgrave, and sister, Joely Richardson.

An array of stars including Thurman, Fiennes, Matthew Broderick, Ethan Hawke, Diane Sawyer, Matthew Modine and Sarah Jessica Parker also came to offer their condolences.

Earlier, Broderick said: "Natasha was a very close friend of our family, so it's been a very, very sad few days and I think it will stay that way for a good while."

Mathilde Krim, of the American Foundation of Aids Research -- where Richardson had been on the board of trustees since 2006 - said everyone appeared in a state of shock and Neeson appeared distraught as he received everybody.

Meanwhile in London's West End, illuminations in the world famous theatre district were lowered temporarily prior to curtain up on Friday night.

The Society of London Theatre said the two-minute mark of respect was intended not only for Richardson but for the Redgrave family as a whole. It followed a similar tribute on Broadway, in New York, which was watched by Neeson on Thursday.