Richard E Grant arrives for the Everybody’s Talking About Jamie premiere after death of wife Joan
Richard E Grant puts on a brave face two weeks after the death of his wife Joan as he attends the Everybody’s Talking About Jamie film premiere
Richard E Grant, 64, put on a brave face on Monday as he attended the Everybody’s Talking About Jamie film premiere at the Royal Festival HallThe actor shared with fans last Thursday that he was preparing to say goodbye to his wife of 35 years, six days after announcing her death He wrote: ’35 years ago we pledged ”in sickness and in health,” that time has come for us today’Richard also thanked well-wishers for their support after the death of his wife Joan at the age of 71 – as he said grief had hit him ‘like a tsunami’ Richard and Joan had been married for 35 years after meeting at an actors’ studio before she passed away
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Richard E Grant arrived for the Everybody’s Talking About Jamie film premiere on Monday – his first appearance following the death of his wife Joan.
The actor, 64, arrived at the Royal Festival Hall looking dapper in a suit as he stopped for photos on the red carpet.
He put on an incredibly brave face at the event as it comes two weeks after the death of Joan, 71.
Premiere: Richard E Grant arrived for the Everybody’s Talking About Jamie film premiere in London on Monday – his first appearance following the death of his wife Joan
On Thursday, the successful star penned a moving post for his ‘beloved’ wife Joan ahead of her funeral.
He shared with fans that he was preparing to say goodbye to his wife of 35 years, six days after announcing her death, writing: ‘The depth of our sorrow is mirrored by the magnitude of our love.’
The Withnail star also wrote that grief had hit him ‘like a tsunami’.
Spruce: The actor, 64, arrived at the Royal Festival Hall looked dapper in a suit, as he stopped for photos on the red carpet
Film premiere: It is the first time he has been spotted since he shared the tragic news earlier this month that Joan had passed away at the age of 71
Emotional: Richard revealed he was attending his ‘beloved’ wife Joan’s funeral on Thursday, taking to Twitter to share a moving post
Richard shared a touching snap of his beloved wife alongside an image of the pair embracing, revealing in the caption he was set to attend his wife’s funeral in the coming hours.
He wrote: ’35 years ago we pledged ‘in sickness and in health,’ that time has come for us today, as @OliviaGranted & I and our friends gather for the funeral of my beloved wife Joan.
‘The depth of our sorrow mirrored by the magnitude of our love.’
Emotional: The 64-year-old shared with fans that he was preparing to say goodbye to his wife of 35 years, six days after announcing her death (pictured in April 2019)
Richard is playing a drag queen in the new Everybody’s Talking About Jamie movie after previously saying he thought gay roles should be reserved for gay actors.
The Liswati-English star told Travel Gay that he was ‘in terror’ of playing a drag queen and that the role gave him ‘sleepless nights’.
Richard stars as drag queen Loco Chanel in the new movie for the West End hit Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, in which the lead character goes on a journey of self discovery that leads to him attending his high school prom in drag.
New role: Richard is playing a drag queen in the new Everybody’s Talking About Jamie movie
Appearance: Richard previously said ‘he thought gay roles should be reserved for gay actors’
Candid: He previously said in a 2019 interview: ‘How can you justify heterosexual actors playing gay characters?’
He had previously said in a 2019 interview with the Sunday Times: ‘How can you justify heterosexual actors playing gay characters?’
When asked by Travel Gay what changed his mind for this movie, Grant responded: ‘When I met Jonathan Butterell, the director of Jamie, I asked why he wasn’t casting a gay actor or drag queen? He said, “you have sad eyes.”
‘He pointed out that the whole creative team was gay and we’ve decided you’re the best person to play this part.’
Red carpet snaps: Richard was pictured with co-stars Shobna Gulati and Max Harwood
Group snap: The cast stopped to take a dazzling picture
Dazzling: Lauren Patel (right) was also in attendance
Show-stopping: Jamie Campbell (right) wowed in a newspaper-studded gown
Richard explained that he told Jonathan he would have to ‘argue’ and ‘justify’ his casting choice and further admitted the role was ‘so out of his comfort zone’ due to never doing drag or a Sheffield accent.
He described the opportunity as ‘frightening but also exhilarating’ and added: ‘To get something that gives you sleepless nights is a good thing to find.’
Richard also credited his ‘brilliant’ dance teacher who had previously worked with Kylie Minogue – after he was taught how to strut, walk and parade around in heels.
Worked hard: Richard also credited his ‘brilliant’ dance teacher who had previously worked with Kylie Minogue – after he was taught how to strut, walk and parade around in heels
Smiling: The acting veteran put on an incredibly brave face
New project: On his latest work, Richard said: ‘To get something that gives you sleepless nights is a good thing to find.’
Successful bunch: Ralph Ineson (right) also stars in the film
The successful star thanked well-wishers for their support after the death of his wife Joan at the age of 71 – as he said grief had hit him ‘like a tsunami’.
He shared a montage of family photos on Twitter with the message: ‘Overwhelmed by the messages of love, condolence & support we have received from loved ones & strangers from all over the world & the appreciation from actors Joan taught over the years.
‘Grief hits us like tsunamis as we try and put one foot in front of the other without her.’
Emotional: Richard thanked well-wishers for their support after the death of his wife Joan at the age of 71 – as he said grief had hit him ‘like a tsunami’
Joan, a voice coach from Aberdeen, met Grant at the start of his career in 1986 and the pair have been together ever since.
The Withnail and I star revealed Joan passed away on Friday in an emotional tribute that included a video of the pair dancing together and laughing before they embraced along to the song Only You by The Platters.
Richard wrote: ‘ONLY YOU! Joan – Love of my Life & Giver of Life to our daughter Olivia.
‘Our hearts are broken with the loss of your Life last night. 35 years married & 38 together.
‘To be truly known and seen by you, is your immeasurable gift. Do not forget us, sweet Monkee-mine.’
The pair had overcome tragedy in their life and spoke publicly about how their first child together sadly died after just half an hour.
Joan had suffered multiple miscarriages but had been determined they would keep trying after seeing how good her husband had been with her son from a previous relationship Tom.
Then in 1989 she fell pregnant with daughter Olivia after telling him ‘Fatherhood suits you. You’re very good at it’.
Touching: Joan Washington, daughter Olivia Grant and Richard E Grant smile happily this family picture taken back in 2007
Sad: Richard wrote: ‘To be truly known and seen by you, is your immeasurable gift. Do not forget us, sweet Monkee-mine’
Washington, from Aberdeen, trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama and had nearly 40 years’ experience in the film industry as a voice and dialect coach, working with stars including Anne Hathaway, Vanessa Redgrave and Emma Stone.
Among her early projects in the mid-80s were Yentl starring Barbra Streisand, Highlander, and The Bounty, featuring Mel Gibson and Sir Anthony Hopkins.
Recent years saw her work on features such as The Witches, where she coached Hathaway for the part of the Grand High Witch, and Yorgos Lanthimos’ black comedy The Favourite, where she worked with Stone.
In a joint interview with the Independent in 2011, Grant recalled them meeting for the first time.
He said: ‘I met her at the Actors’ Centre in London. She was wearing a boiler suit and had fairly short, cropped hair and Kicker shoes, and was chain-smoking, which I thought was insane.
‘She was teaching an accent session with a bunch of actors, and I thought she had the most wonderful voice and huge, sort of monkey eyes. She seemed fairly frenetic.
‘I thought that she was really cute and all that. It was December 1982.’
The actor has previously admitted he had not considered getting married until he had met her.
Mr and Mrs: Richard and Joan are pictured on their wedding day 35 years ago in a snap posted by the actor to mark their anniversary
Happy: Last year Richard posted pictures of the pair celebrating their 34st wedding anniversary on his social media pages
Together: Their close knit family would often attend events together, such as the BAFTAs here in 2019 with Olivia, Richard and Joan
RIP: Sanjeev Bhaskar was among a slew of stars who took to social media to offer their sympathies for Joan
Moving: Dawn French also led Twitter tributes to Joan, giving her condolences to Richard and his family
Tribute: Actress Tamzin Outhwaite and writer Irvine Welsh also gave kind words in memory of Joan and her legacy
Speaking in an interview with The Independent, he explained: ‘I’d never really thought about getting married, didn’t think it was necessary.
‘Joan had been married, and she had staunchly said to me that she didn’t want to get married again, and so we’d never talked about it.’
It wasn’t until the couple spent six weeks apart when Richard returned to his family home in southern Africa for a Christmas break that he realised marriage was the ultimate commitment.
The star proposed immediately upon his return and Joan happily accepted, with the couple going on to set up home together in Richmond, south-west London.
Joan in her earlier years as she rose to fame as one of the industry’s best voice coaches, working with stars around the world
Richard added: ‘Before I got married, I didn’t hold any store by it.
‘My parents were divorced when I was 11 and it made such a profound impression on my life that I suppose I thought that by not getting married, you could avoid your life being carved in two. But that changed.’
The couple went on to have one daughter, Olivia, 31, together, while Richard is a step-father to Tom, 44, from Joan’s previous marriage.
Tragically, Joan endured three miscarriages and the couple’s first child, Tiffany, died shortly after birth after being born prematurely.
The actor has since described daughter Olivia as a ‘miracle baby’.
Posting a sweet Instagram montage of images to mark her birthday in January, he wrote: ‘Happy Birthday Olivia! You were a miracle baby and your Life is the greatest gift we’ve ever received!’ (sic).
Comedians Sarah Millican, Dawn French and David Baddiel were among those sending messages of support, along with actress Eva Pope.
Nigella Lawson said: ‘What a wonderful woman Joan Washington was. And how devastating to have to say ‘was’. My heart’s broken for Richard E Grant and Olivia. May her memory be a blessing.’
Together: Grant married voice coach Joan Washington in 1986 and a daughter with her and a stepson before she died last week
Jessica Chastain said: My heart is broken. Joan Washington had such a profound impact on me, yes as an artist, but mostly as a woman. I’ve looked toward her. Her strive towards excellence made her the celebrated dialect coach she was.’
Pope, who appeared in Coronation Street, wrote: ‘Oh my heart aches for you….deep condolences Richard. She taught me in that very house..’
Sanjeev Bhaskar wrote: ‘Rest in peace Joan, glorious friend. Condolences and love to Richard and Olivia’, while Dawn French added: ‘Joan Washington will always be remembered by those of us who knew her and were taught by her, as a phenomenal woman. So much love to Richard E Grant and all the family.’
Actress Tamzin Outhwaite wrote; ‘Oh Richard, I am so sorry. From afar yours looked like the most beautiful love affiar.
‘Sending you and Olivia my deepest condolences.’
Writer Irvine Welsh added: ‘Oh Richard, I’m so sorry to hear about Joan. Such a terrific person.’
Hollywood star Jessica Chastain posted a tribute along with a picture of her and Joan holding what looked to be a script
