Richard E. Grant and Joan Washington.Photo: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty

Joan Washington and Richard E. Grant

Richard E. Grantis reflecting on the process of writing his newly released memoir a year after thedeath of his wife Joan Washington.

TheStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalkeractor also shared that writing the book “was like resurrecting my wife, because I went through all the stuff of how we met and all the good things that happened to us [over] almost 40 years together, career and personal.”

“So that was amazingly helpful,” he added.

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Joan Washington and Richard E. Grant.Karwai Tang/Getty

Joan Washington and Richard E Grant attend day eight of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 09, 2019 in London, England.

Grant said that his late wife’s advice to him and Olivia “gave [them] permission to be happy,” even though it was difficult.

But a year later, when Grant looks back at photos of Washington, “I see her in her prime, when she was well, rather than what thecancerdid to her,” he said.

“It’s a trick of what the brain does, and what your memory does, to help you survive,” Grant added.

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Grant announcedthe news of his wife’s deathin a statement on social media Sept. 3, 2021.

Without revealing her cause of death at the time, he shared a sweet video of himself dancing with his love, which ended with the pair hugging in a warm embrace.

“Do not forget us, sweet Monkee-mine,” the actor added alongside a set of broken-heart emojis.

A Pocketful of Happinessisavailable now.

source: people.com