Helen Mirren’s stepson dies, age 51

Helen Mirren’s step son, Rio Hackford, 51, has passed away from an unconfirmed illness on Thursday, April 14 in Huntington Beach, California.

Hackford’s close friend and screenwriter, D.V. DeVincentis, took to Instagram on Friday, April 15, to pay tribute to his late friend and actor, describing him as “the apex curator of experience”.

“Life is experience. Time and sensation folding together, framing each other. Rio was more attuned to experience than anyone I’ve ever known,” wrote DeVincentis.

“He would stop what was happening to point it out, compel you to pay attention. He would order you a must-have experience from a beloved menu and hold your eye as you paid attention to what was happening in your mouth.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by DV DeVincentis (@16tons)

DeVincentis went on to express his admiration for Hackford’s unique personality and desire for the special, often under-appreciated moments in life.

“Not simply obsessed with movies and how they mirrored and compelled he was something more: a superfan of enumerable scenes, of particular gestures of unsung actors, weird career turns, roaring comebacks, cinema swang songs – all real experiences for you, when held consciously,” he wrote.

“But Rio knew the closest to you at any given moment, and keeping track of these precious possibilities for you was his most fluent language of love.

“Rio was the apex curator of experience, it was his oxygen, his life.”

Mirren also took to Instagram to post a tribute to her step son, captioning the photo “El Rio”.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Helen Mirren (@helenmirren)

The late actor was best known for roles in The Mandalorian, Treme, Swingers and appeared in a number of other films. He also owned multiple clubs and bars including Matador, One-Eyed Jacks and Pal’s Lounge in New Orleans.

He is the only son of Helen Mirren’s long-time husband, American film director and former president of the Directors Guild of America, Taylor Hackford, 77. Mirren and Hackford married in 1997 despite Mirren having long vowed never to marry.