Richard E. Grant reveals the mantra he lives on after the death of his wife Joan

Richard E. Grant has revealed the ‘incredible mantra’ he has lived by since the death of his late wife Joan Washington.

Joan, a renowned dialect coach, died after a battle with cancer in September 2021 at age 74.

The 65-year-old actor recounted how his wife gave him words to live by in the days leading up to her death, which have 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 me: ‘I know you’re going to be sad, but try to find a full of happiness in each day”.

“It’s been an incredible mantra to navigate the abyss of pain over the last 15 months and I’m grateful for that.”

Helena, who previously starred with Richard in the 1997 film Keep the Aspidistra Flying, praised her friend for how he dealt with the passing of his wife.

She said: ‘I just have to say I’m in awe of how Rich has dealt with the last 18 months. Most people would be stunned and despondent and not be able to function.

‘And yet somehow… I don’t know. There’s something slightly off about Rich.

“I think if we take it apart, we’ll find an extra part in there or something extra that it has. And Joan herself said that it is not normal.

She added: ‘No, but you are extraordinary and a phenomenon. What she’s done since: Most people couldn’t function. But you’ve taken 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 heartfelt video message in December.

In the video, he speaks almost to himself while looking into the distance with tears in his eyes.

He said: “Today is my late wife’s posthumous birthday and I’ve been looking at all our pictures from our 38 years together.”

Heartbreaking: Joan, a renowned dialect coach, died after a battle with cancer in September 2021 aged 74 (pictured together in 2019)

Richard said: “She told me four days before she died, she said to my daughter and me, ‘I know you’re going to be sad, but try to find a pocketful of happiness each day.'”

Candid: Helena Bonham Carter, who previously starred with Richard in the 1997 film Keep the Aspidistra Flying, praised her friend for how she dealt with his wife’s passing.

‘You look and you look and you look and you still try and you look and time is fixed and you read things.’

He continued: “The last eight months of her life when she put on a brave face with such determination, it’s so heartbreaking.”

“The wonderful trick of memory is that I remember her now in the prime of her life and I continue to deny that she is not here.

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 heartfelt video message in December.

He also shared a snapshot of his beloved partner that was taken on his last birthday on December 21, 2020.

Joan looked elegant in a dark coat and smiled for the camera in a great room for the festive season.

Richard wrote: “Taken on her last birthday, December 21, my beloved late wife Joan.”

speaking to radio schedules of her passing, he said: ‘The hardest part is at night, when I can’t FaceTime Joan and tell her the minutiae of my day.

Candid: In the video, he was almost talking to himself while looking into the distance with tears in his eyes.

Memory: Captioned candid video: ‘In denial even though I know what I know’

“I have an ongoing conversation with her in my head, knowing that there will be no reciprocation.”

Richard said he misses Joan the most during the winter period around 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 partner Florian very generously invited me to Venice and then to visit their family in southern Austria, which was absolutely magical.

This year I’m going with the two of us to the Caribbean, so as not to be in London at Christmas.

Mourning: Comes after Withnail and I star said he still has an ‘ongoing conversation’ with his late wife in his head