Richard E. Grant has revealed the “incredible mantra” he has lived since the death of his late wife Joan Washington.
Joan, a renowned dialect coach, died after a battle with cancer in September 2021 at the age of 74.
The actor, 65, told how his wife gave him words to live by in the days leading up to her death, which has helped him deal with the “abyss of grief” ever since.
Speaking on the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show with Helena Bonham Carter, he said: “She told me four days before she died, she said to my daughter and I, ‘I know you’re going to be sad but try to find a lot of happiness every day”.
“It’s been an incredible mantra to navigate the abyss of grief over the past 15 months and I’m grateful for that.”
Interview: Richard E. Grant has revealed the ‘incredible mantra’ he has lived since the death of his late wife Joan Washington
Helena, who previously starred with Richard in the 1997 film Keep the Aspidistra Flying, praised her friend for the way he handled his wife’s passing.
She said: “I just have to say I’m impressed with how Rich has handled the last 18 months. Most people would be prone, perched, and unable to function.
‘And yet you somehow…I don’t know. There’s something slightly off about Rich.
“I think if we took it apart we would find an extra part there or something extra that it has. And Joan herself said he wasn’t normal.
She added, “No, but you’re just amazing and a phenomenon.” What you’ve done since – most people couldn’t work. But you took each day and tried to live it and thank God for his message.
It comes after Richard shared an emotional tribute to Joan in a candid video message in December.
In the video, he was almost talking to himself as he stared into the distance with tears in his eyes.
He said: ‘It’s my late wife’s posthumous birthday today and I’ve been scrolling through all of our photos from our 38 years together.
Heartbreaking: Renowned dialect coach Joan died after a battle with cancer in September 2021 at the age of 74 (pictured together in 2019)
Richard said: “She told me four days before she died, she said to my daughter and I, ‘I know you’re going to be sad, but try to find a pocket of happiness every day'”
Candid: Helena Bonham Carter, who previously starred with Richard in the 1997 film Keep the Aspidistra Flying, praised her friend for the way he handled his wife’s death
“You watch and watch and watch and always try to watch and the time is fixed and you read into things”.
He continued: “The last eight months of her life when she puts on a brave face with so much determination, it’s so heartbreaking.”
“The wonderful thing about memory is that I remember her now in her prime and still deny that she wasn’t there.
He captioned the candid video: “In denial even though I know what I know.”
Emotional: It comes after Richard shared a tribute to Joan in a candid video message in December
He also shared a photo of his beloved partner which was taken on his last birthday on December 21, 2020.
Joan looked stylish in a dark coat and smiled for the camera in a grand hall for the festive season.
Richard wrote: “Taken on her last birthday, 21st December, my beloved late wife Joan”.
Speaking to Radio Times about his passing, he said: ‘The hardest part is in the evening when I can’t FaceTime Joan and talk to her about the details of my day.
Candid: In the video, he was almost talking to himself as he stared into the distance with tears in his eyes
Memory: He captioned the candid video: ‘In denial even though I know what I know’
“I have an ongoing conversation with her in my head, knowing there will be no reciprocation.”
Richard told how he missed Joan more during the winter time at Christmas and their wedding anniversary in November.
He said: “Our wedding anniversary is November 1; Joan’s birthday is December 21; there’s Christmas Day and then Oilly’s [his nickname for his daughter Olivia] birthday is January 4th.
“Last year, Oilly and his companion Florian very generously invited me to Venice and then to visit his family in the south of Austria, which was absolutely magical.
“This year, I’m going with them to the Caribbean, so as not to be in London at Christmas.”
Heartbreak: It comes after the Withnail and Me star said he still had an ‘ongoing conversation’ with his late wife on his mind
