Rio Hackford, Son of Director Taylor Hackford and Stepson of Helen Mirren, Dead at 52

Rio Hackford, the son of director Taylor Hackford and stepson of Helen Mirren, died Thursday in Huntington Beach, California. He was 52. Hackford was an actor who appeared in Treme, Jonah Hex, and Star Wars: The Mandalorian. He also owned nightclubs in New Orleans, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

Hackford’s brother, Alex, told Variety Hackford died after an illness. Hackford is survived by his wife, musician Libby Grace, two children, his brother, father, and stepmother. Hackford’s mother was Taylor’s first wife, Georgie Lowres. Taylor married Mirren in 1997.

The actor’s friend, screenwriter D.V. DeVincentis, shared a heartbreaking tribute to Hackford on Instagram. He called Hackford a “connector of all sorts of people,” adding, “Not simply obsessed with movies and how they mirrored and compelled, he was something more: a superfan of innumerable scenes, of particular gestures of unsung actors, weird career turns, roaring comebacks, cinema swan songs.”

Hackford owned the New Orleans clubs Matador, One-Eyed Jacks, and Pal’s Lounge. He also owned Los Angeles’ The Monty bar and San Francisco’s Homestead. “He was a great magnet to creative people, with a Zelig-like path that could make a page-turner of a biography,” DeVincentis wrote. “He loved the alchemy of personalities and talents and was one of the great facilitators in this respect.”

“I was so sad to hear about Rio passing,” The Mentalist star Robin Tunney wrote in response to DeVincentis’ post. “I remember him exiting his old yellow cab in late 80’s Chicago! The car was enormous, but Rio could not be dwarfed by his impractical ride. He was too nice to be that handsome. Too cool to be that relatable. My [Gosh] that man was special. RIP Rio.”

Hackford made his film debut as a street junkie in Pretty Woman in 1990. His other credits include Exit to Eden, Swingers, Treasure Island, Raising Helen, Lay the Favorite, Jonah Hex, The Lookalike, Trumbo, and Term Life. He starred in 10 episodes of HBO’s Treme and served as the on-set performance artist for IG-11, the droid Taika Waititi voices in The Mandalorian. His last appearance came as a manager in an episode of Hulu’s Pam and Tommy. He directed music videos for Josh Homme’s Desert Sessions and Corrosion of Conformity.

Taylor Hackford is an Oscar-nominated director for the Ray Charles biopic Ray. He also directed An Officer and a Gentleman, White Nights, Everybody’s All-American, The Devil’s Advocate, Proof of Life, Parker, and The Comedian.