Anna Maxwell Martin opens up on grief after losing husband
Anna Maxwell Martin has opened up about her experience of grief following the death of her husband Roger Michell.
Michell, a British filmmaker who's perhaps best known for his hit 1999 romantic comedy Notting Hill, died at the age of 65 in 2021.
Despite separating after 10 years of marriage in 2020, he and Martin remained close friends, with Martin recently telling The Telegraph that Michell was her "friend and sounding board".
Franziska Krug//Getty Images
Related: Best streaming services in 2024
During a recent appearance on BBC's Woman's Hour, Martin said she experienced "financial terror" in the wake of Michell's death and worried about the mental health of their two daughters.
"My husband died three years ago and things were really difficult on every aspect of our lives," she shared.
"One of those was that there's a lot of stuff that comes with grief, and one of them is financial terror.
"And then there are real practicalities around your children and their mental health, and supporting them, which is your priority."
Mike Marsland//Getty Images
Related: Anna Maxwell Martin transforms in new look at true crime ITV drama
The actor continued: "Looking back I was probably in a heightened state of shock and fear for a long time until very recently.
"I’ve travelled this road of grief and sudden traumatic death before. I’ve done it before. So in a way I could pick myself up and do it again.
"It was horrible to have to see my children walk that road. But I’m pretty gritty and pretty strong, and I think I’m quite deft. I thought, I’ve just got to keep the motor chugging on."
David M. Benett/Dave Benett//Getty Images
Related: Ludwig review: Is BBC's new crime show with Anna Maxwell Martin worth watching?
Martin explained that she previously experienced grief at the age of 24, which she described as "very lonely".
"I was very isolated because no one I knew had been through it. Then when it happened with Rog, I saw it more as, 'we’ve got to keep it together for the kids'." she said.
"It’s something about being a woman in your 40s and by then, if you’re lucky enough you would have succeeded in having the best friends and best people around you.
"You’ll have stopped making mistakes in that area of your life and I really did. I had exceptional friends and an exceptional support network."
Freelance Reporter, Digital Spy After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022. In that role, Iona wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona now contributes to DS as a freelance reporter.
Iona has reported from the Black Adam red carpet, and interviewed celebrities ranging from Love Island stars to the cast of Disney's live-action The Little Mermaid.
