The 'Suspect' actor expresses his 'complicated gratitude' to his late mother while opening up about their difficult relationship shortly after the elderly passed away.
- Jul 21, 2023
AceShowbiz - Richard E. Grant's mother has passed away at the age of 93. The 66-year-old actor has taken to social media to announce his mother Leonne has died.
"Complicated gratitude to my Mother, who died this morning at the age of 93, for giving me the Gift of Life (sic)," he wrote on Twitter.
Richard's post also featured a lengthy video message. In the video, Richard confessed to having had a "complicated" relationship with his mother. He said, "During a filming break this morning, I saw that I had eight missed calls from Africa and knew weirdly why, which proved to be that my 93-year-old mother died this morning."
"We had an incredible complicated relationship, and she was somebody that for me anyway, emotionally withdrawn, withheld her approval of anything. So nothing was ever quite good enough, but what that proved to be was a great motor for ambition and determination to try and prove yourself be the best you possible can, and ironically whatever she demanded she got. Applause, approval from everybody around her, including me."
"I went to stay with her for a couple of weeks, six weeks after my wife had died, with COVID restrictions being lifted, and she sent me a very terse email at the end of the trip, saying 'I regret to say your visit was an absolute disaster, we only have two things in common, books and classical music.' "
"She was very physically untactile, I've gone the opposite extreme, and been a very tactile and loving father and husband in response to that. Do I feel sadness that she has died? I feel resignation more than anything. But most of all gratitude for having given me life."
