WATCH Richard E Grant thanks ’emotionally withdrawn’ mom for Gift of Life as she dies at 93

eSwatini actor Richard E Grant has paid tribute to his mother in a raw and honest video posted on Twitter. The 66-year-old, who studied at the University of Cape Town, described the video-message as “complicated gratitude to my Mother, who died (yesterday) morning at the age of 93, for giving me the Gift of Life”.

In the video, Grant says his mom, Leonne, “always withheld her approval of anything”… which proved to be a great trigger for ambition and a need for him to prove himself. He also said that ironically she herself demanded and received approval from everyone around her.

He says his mother was emotionally withdrawn and that “nothing was ever quite good enough”. Even his visit to her home when he was mourning the loss of his beloved wife of 35 years in 2021, ended with a critical email. Grant says that after staying with his mom, just six weeks after his wife – voice coach Joan Washington – died, he received a message from his mom in which she said “your visit was an absolute disaster” and that they only had two things in common – a love of books and classical music.

On an optimistic note Grant shared that while his mother was so un-tactile, it made him very loving and tactile with his wife and daughter.

Grant says he immediately knew his mother had died when he saw he had several missed calls from Africa while filming on Thursday morning.

In an interview with SAPeople years ago, Grant revealed he had witnessed his mother with her secret lover when he was a child in eSwatini (formerly Swaziland), and the subsequent breakdown of his parents’ marriage. Of her death yesterday, he said he felt nothing but “resignation”… and a gratitude for the gift of life that she gave him.

Richard E Grant’s tribute to his mother in full:

“During a filming break this morning (Thursday 20 July) 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“We had an incredible complicated relatonship, and she was somebody that for me anyway, emotionally withdrawn, withheld her approval of anything.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.”

WATCH Richard E Grant’s tribute to his mother

Complicated gratitude to my Mother, who died this morning at the age of 93, for giving me the Gift of Life. pic.twitter.com/wWnQF9yc0J

— Richard E. Grant (@RichardEGrant) July 20, 2023