Richard E Grant facts: Actor's wife, daughter, height and films explained

17 February 2023, 12:09

Richard E Grant is one of the UK's most respected and hard-working actors of the past few decades.

Here are all the important facts about the legendary British actor.

1. How old is Richard E Grant?

   Richard E Grant was born on May 5, 1957.

   He celebrated his 65th birthday in 2022.

2. Who was Richard E Grant wife Joan and how many children does he have?

   

   Richard E Grant married voice coach Joan Washington in 1986.

   The couple had one daughter together named Olivia, and Richard also has a stepson from Joan's previous marriage named Tom, who was seven when the couple met.

   • Richard E Grant shares deeply emotional tribute to late wife Joan on their 35th wedding anniversary
   • Richard E Grant's beautiful and heartbreaking tribute to wife Joan Washington after her death

   Joan was eight years older than Richard, and they met when Richard asked for her help to perfect a Belfast accent for a role.

   He told the Independent in 1994: "I went to learn a Belfast accent from her and I then met her in this house, but she was still married to someone else. She was doing a play at the Royal Shakespeare Company and needed a black African accent. She told me that I was the only person she knew in London who could do this, and that I should come and make some tapes for her.

   "I didn't go home that night. We found that we had a fair amount in common, and that we liked speaking a huge amount. She seemed very un-English in that way. We just got on instantly."

   Joan passed away on September 2, 2021.

   🎵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 💔💔💔💔💔💔 pic.twitter.com/YcdVAVK1ja

   — Richard E. Grant (@RichardEGrant) September 3, 2021

   Richard shared a video of the pair dancing on Twitter, writing: "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."

3. What is Richard E Grant's nationality and what does the 'E' stand for?

   

   Richard E Grant talks Star Wars, Barbra Streisand and singing with Kate Garraway

   Grant was born Richard Grant Esterhuysen in Mbabane, Swaziland.

   His father, Henrik Esterhuysen, was head of education for the British government administration in the British Protectorate of Swaziland. His father had English and Dutch/Afrikaner ancestry and his mother was of English and German descent.

   Grant wears a watch on each wrist, one given to him by his dying father, permanently set on Swaziland time. He is a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and Swaziland.

4. What are Richard E Grant's biggest movie and TV roles?

   

   Withnail and I Original Theatrical Trailer

   Richard E Grant is perhaps best known for his breakout role in the 1987 movie Withnail and I, where he played the titular Withnail opposite Paul McGann.

   He also achieved recognition as John Seward in 1992's Bram Stoker's Dracula. More recently, he played Dr Zander Rice Logan and Izembaro in the sixth season of Game of Thrones.

   • Richard E Grant finally gets his giant Barbra Streisand face statue, and it looks amazing

   Other films include Henry & June, The Age of Innocence, Jack and Sarah, Spice World, Gosford Park, The Iron Lady and Jackie.

   On TV, he has appeared in The Scarlet Pimpernel, Frasier, Marple, Girls, Downton Abbey and Jekyll and Hyde, and has also hosted a couple of documentaries including Hotel Secrets.

   In 2021, he appeared in the Marvel TV series Loki as an older version of the title character.

5. Richard E Grant height: How tall is he?

   Richard E Grant is 6ft 2in (188cm), according to Celeb Heights.

6. Was Richard E Grant ever in Doctor Who?

   

   Scream of the Shalka DVD trailer | Doctor Who

   Richard E Grant appeared in three episodes of Doctor Who as Dr Simeon /The Great Intelligence from 2012 to 2013.

   He did briefly play The Doctor in the one-off Comic Relief spoof as 'The Conceited Doctor' in 1999.

   In 2003, two years before Doctor Who made its comeback, Richard played The Doctor in an official animated web series titled Scream of the Shalka. However, it is no longer considered canon with the rest of the series.