Richard E. Grant

Richard E. Grant (born Richard Grant Esterhuysen; 5 May 1957) is a Swazi-born English actor, screenwriter, and director. He came to public attention in 1987 for playing Withnail in the film Withnail and I, and achieved recognition as John Seward in 1992's Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Early life

Grant was born 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.

As a boy, Grant went to primary school at St Mark's, a local government school in Mbabane that had only recently become racially integrated. When Grant was ten years old, he witnessed his mother commit adultery on the back seat of a car with his father's best friend, which subsequently led to his parents' divorce. This event inspired Grant to keep a daily diary, which he has continued to do ever since. Grant wears a watch on each wrist, one given to him by his dying father, permanently set on Swaziland time.