Richardson takes Nip/Tuck break

Richardson's film work includes 101 Dalmatians and The Patriot

British actress Joely Richardson is taking a break from hit US show Nip/Tuck to care for her daughter Daisy, 15, who has to undergo surgery.

"I don't know if I will ever be here (in Hollywood) again," Richardson, 41, told the Daily Mail newspaper.

"Her daughter's surgery has been arranged for some time and this is not some life-threatening illness," a spokeswoman for Richardson said.

The teenager has a medical condition which affects circulation.

The spokeswoman said Richardson had arranged for the time off before the latest series began.

"We have not made any decisions just yet about whether Joely will return to the show next year," she added.

I don't want to do the show without her Nip/Tuck creator Ryan Murphy

The Daily Mail reported that Richardson currently spends six months a year in Los Angeles filming the show but will return to the UK on a permanent basis.

Richardson said she loved her work but had to put her daughter first.

"Surgeons and hospitals have been a big part of our lives. We were always told that she would have to have more surgery when she got older. The time has come," she told the newspaper.

Richardson is divorced from Daisy's father, founder of Working Title films Tim Bevan, but the pair share custody of their daughter.

Nip/Tuck creator Ryan Murphy told the Mail he was praying the actress would make it back for the next season of the show.

"I don't want to do the show without her," he said.

"The dynamic of the show changed with the difficulty of what she was going through... that said, Joely's the best she's ever been," he added.

The actress has played a leading role in the controversial plastic surgery drama since it began in 2003.

Richardson plays the part of Julia, the estranged wife of Miami plastic surgeon Dr Sean McNamara (played Dylan Walsh).

Nip/Tuck has drawn criticism for its graphic scenes.

The Emmy-award winning show, now in its fourth series in the US, has aired in the UK on Sky and Channel Four.