Dame Helen Mirren has spoken about the profound sorrow she feels upon seeing her stepson’s face daily, even after his tragic death due to a rare form of eye cancer. The renowned actress, who didn’t have biological children, became a stepmother to Taylor Hackford’s two sons when they wed in 1997.
Her stepson, Rio Hackford, passed away at 51 years old in 2022 from ocular melanoma, a type of eye cancer. Dame Helen revealed in an interview that she keeps his picture as her phone screensaver, a constant reminder of his presence in her life.
Reflecting on the loss, Dame Helen emphasized the importance of regular eye check-ups, suggesting that early detection could have potentially saved her stepson’s life. Eye cancer, including melanoma, is a rare but serious condition, with fewer than 1,000 cases diagnosed annually in the UK, as per NHS data.
Dame Helen and Taylor Hackford, who met on a film set in 1985, exchanged vows in 1997. Despite her initial admission of lacking maternal instincts, she found joy in being part of her husband’s children’s lives. Recently, she starred in the film adaptation of The Thursday Murder Club and has a notable career with multiple Oscar nominations and wins.
The veteran actress has collaborated with her husband on various projects and is set to appear alongside Morgan Freeman, Al Pacino, and Danny DeVito in Taylor’s forthcoming film, Sniff, awaiting a release date confirmation.