This theatrical blueblood started her film acting career while still in drama school appearing in her father's "The Hotel New Hampshire" (1984) and as the young Jean Travers in David Hare's "Wetherby" (1985), with the mature Jean being played by Richardson's real-life mother, grande dame Vanessa Redgrave. The radiant and blithe blonde, a veteran of the Royal Shakespeare Company, subsequently marched through such undistinguished endeavors as "King Ralph" (1991), "Shining Through" (1992) and the de-musicalized "I'll Do Anything" (1994). In the former two, she played chilly elegant Europeans, in the latter, a film executive. Perhaps her most demanding film role to date has been as the youngest of the three Cissie Colpitts in Peter Greenaway's riddle-ridden classic "Drowning by Numbers" (1988).

Richardson won critical acclaim for her superb performance in "Sister, My Sister" (1995), the inspired by true events film about two sisters working as maids who ultimately kill their employer. She co-starred as the fashion designer owner of the puppies in the live-action remake of "101 Dalmatians" (1996). After her talents were squandered in the bloated, lackluster sci-fi drama "Event Horizon" (1997), Richardson's attention turned away from conventional Hollywood fare and she gave distinctive performances in the indie character drama "Wrestling with Alligators" (1998); "Under Heaven" (1998), a modernization of novelist Henry James' "The Wings of the Dove" (Richardson received an Independent Spirit nomination as best supporting female for the film); the above average UK telepics "The Tribe" (1998) and "The Echo" (1998).

The actress played David Duchovny's perfect, doomed wife in the underrated 2000 romantic comedy "Return to Me" for director Bonnie Hunt, and played opposite Hugh Laurie as a couple trying desperately to conceive in the witty Brit comedy "Maybe Baby" (2000). After a stint playing Mel Gibson's sister-in-law in the historical themed blockbuster "The Patriot" (2000) and as Marie-Antoinette in the period drama "The Affair of the Necklace" (2001), Richardson hit paydirt when she was cast in the edgy, adult cable drama "Nip/Tuck" (f/x, 2003 - ), playing frustrated housewife Julia McNamara, who likes to believe she's sacrigficed her personal growth for the advancement of her plastic surgeon husband's career. The juicy role earned Richardson a Golden Globe nomination as Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama in the series' first season. In the 2004 season, she was joined on-screen by her real-life mother Vanessa Redgrave, appropriately playing Julia's hyper-critical and condescending matriarch.