SOUTH AFRICA'S TV WEBSITE
SIGN IN SEARCH MENU
SOUTH AFRICA'S TV WEBSITE


Richard E. Grant

Full / Real Name: Richard Grant Esterhuysen
Born: 05 May 1957 (66 years old)
Gender: Male

Rate:

9.0

Add to Actor Favourites

Bio

Richard E. Grant is a Swazi-born British actor, screenwriter and director who came to public attention in 1987 for playing Withnail in the film Withnail and I, and achieved international recognition as John Seward in 1992 blockbuster Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Grant was born in Mbabane, Swaziland. From an early age, he knew he wanted to be an actor - a passion fuelled by an instant infatuation with Barbra Streisand.

Richard's parents divorced when he was 11, which caused a great deal of scandal in Swaziland, as his father, Henrik, was the Swazi Minister of Education.

Henrik was also a heavy smoker and died 13 years later of lung cancer, aged 51. Richard later lamented that his father wasn't alive to see Withnail and I.

Richard attended Waterford boarding school as a child, and then studied drama at Cape Town University where he co-founded a multi-racial, avant garde ensemble called the Troupe Theatre Company.

He acted in many Troupe productions over that two year period, including Fanshen, Total Eclipse and Steven Berkoff's Agamemnon. He also directed versions of Metamorphosis and The Threepenny Opera.

A year after his father's death, Richard packed up and left for England, arriving in London in 1982. He initially worked as a waiter in Covent Garden until getting work in the theatre, culminating in his 1984 nomination as Most Promising Newcomer for his performance in Tramway Road at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith.

During 1983 Richard met and worked with Joan Washington on a series of regional British dialects. She later became his wife. Joan is eight years older than Richard and already had a son Tom from a previous marriage.

Richard follows a strict lifestyle. He doesn't drink alcohol (he's allergic to it), tea or coffee. He also doesn't smoke or eat dairy products.

His first film was an award-winning TV production called Honest, Decent and True, and this lead to his audition for Withnail and I. The cult and financial success of Withnail meant that Hollywood began to come calling and Richard finally had the big break that most actors aspire to.

Whilst landing the fantastic part of Withnail was what they had been waiting for, it was also an incredibly unhappy time for Richard and Joan. Their first child together was born prematurely, during the first few days of filming Withnail, and only survived for a few hours.

Tiffany is buried not far from the family home. They now have a daughter, Olivia.

Withnail and I was released in 1988, and since then, Richard has had roles in numerous films. He's worked with some of America's greatest directors - Robert Altman, Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese - and has a penchant for playing some of the finest film crazies.

Grant has had strong supporting roles in the films Henry & June, L.A. Story, The Player, The Age of Innocence, The Portrait of a Lady, Spice World, Gosford Park, Bright Young Things and Penelope.

Grant is also an author, having written an autobiography and a novel called By Design that is set in Hollywood. He also wrote and directed the 2005 film Wah-Wah, loosely based on his own childhood experiences.

In 2015 he had a starring role in the ITV period drama horror series Jekyll and Hyde.



LATEST ARTICLES

New on TV today: Tuesday 19 March 2024

Curiosity documents the demise of Napoleon and "FBI night" returns to M-Net with three shows.


BET's Queendom companion pack

Pix, vids, production credits and who's who in BET's new local 18h30 or 21h30 show.


e.tv documentary investigates the Joshlin Smith tragedy

Shahan Ramkissoon goes to Middelpos, Saldanha Bay where Joshlin went missing on 19 February.


Muvhango Teasers - April 2024

Ring-ring. Manditi gives Matshidiso a chilling call and he wants more money. 500K should do it.


New on TV today: Monday 18 March 2024

Netball drama Obstruction shoots hoops on Mzansi Magic and S3 gets you to Ready Steady Cook.


New on TV today: Sunday 17 March 2024

HISTORY delves into Royal Murder Mysteries and SABC2 asks you to Listen to My Song.


Why Yolanda got disqualified from Big Brother Mzansi 4

Another housemate drowns in alcohol promoted by Big Brother, while Big Brother looks on and moralises.


New on TV today: Saturday 16 March 2024

The only new show tonight is the drama Sullivan's Crossing on M-Net.


Uzalo Teasers - April 2024

How do you detect an enemy? Mondli’s quest to find the mastermind brings out the worst in him.


New on TV today: Friday 15 March

Manhunt on Apple TV+ is a true story, as is The Sixth Commandment on M-Net and Death by Fame 2 on ID.

LATEST SITE ACTIVITY


More activity at TVSA Central



LATEST SOAPIE TEASERS



LATEST SOAPIE TEASERS





×
×

You browser doesn't have Flash, Silverlight, Gears, BrowserPlus or HTML5 support.