Richard E. Grant reveals how he got through personal tragedy at the start of his career
Richard E. Grant has used "blind faith" to get through difficult times at the start of his career.
Richard E. Grant has used "blind faith" to get through difficult times.
The 67-year-old actor was married to voice coach Joan Washington - who died in 2021 following a battle with lung cancer - and while they went on to have Olivia, 36, together, it was when he was working on his starring role in 'Withnail and I' that tragedy struck in his personal life
Speaking on the 'Turning Points' podcast, he told 'Shout' hitmaker Lulu: "[Joan] was pregnant and in the last week of rehearsal, she went into labour prematurely at seven and a half months and our daughter was born. She only lived for half an hour because her lungs were too undeveloped. If she was born now they would have been able to save her, but they couldn't then.
"So exactly at this turning point of having got this lead role and first movie ever in my life it was absolutely underpinned by this terrible tragedy that happened to us. But we now have a daughter... we’re incredibly close.
"Optimism and blind faith that somebody somewhere is going to see or believe that you have the talent to do something that you feel that you have, whatever this invisible thing is. And I knew how many people he had offered this part to.
The 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?' star reeled off the host of A-Listers who had tried out for the part that turned out to be his breakthrough role and insisted that was the film that put him where he is today.
He said: "Daniel Day Lewis had mercifully turned it down and then he had seen people for two months. And when I went into the audition, I passed Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh - all these people who were already established and I thought - I don't have a chance in hell. So the fact that it worked out is still a miracle to me because I know that if I hadn't got that, I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you today. I would have been a jobbing actor somewhere. I think these chances come about maybe once, maybe if you're lucky, twice in your life."
Listen to all episodes of 'Turning Points' featuring Boy George, Brian Cox, Kristin Scott Thomas, Anastacia, and John Legend on Spotify.
