The Tragic Death Of Helen Mirren's Stepson, Rio Hackford

Actor and businessman Rio Del Valle Hackford died Thursday, April 14 at the age of 52. Hackford's brother said that he died of an unspecified illness in Huntington Beach, California, as reported by Variety. Hackford was the son of film director Taylor Hackford and Georgie Lowre. In 1997, Taylor married actor Helen Mirren, making Rio her stepson. In response to her stepson's tragic passing, Mirren posted a smiling photo of her stepson on her Instagram and the caption "El Rio." The comments of the post are full of Hackford's fans offering an outpouring of mourning and love for the actor.

Screenwriter D.V. DeVincentis wrote a tribute to Hackford on his Instagram, "Rio was more attuned to experience than anyone I've ever known," DeVincentis remembered. "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."

Hackford's most recent roles were as the manager in Hulu's hit series "Pam and Tommy" and as the performance actor for IG-11 in "The Mandalorian." He also owned several nightclubs across the country, including One-Eyed Jacks in New Orleans, as well as bars in San Francisco, and Los Angeles, per the Daily Mail.

Over the course of his decades-long career, Hackford built an extensive resume in the acting world. According to IMDb, the actor started out in the movie "Pretty Woman" in an uncredited role. After this break into the entertainment industry, he quickly built up his repertoire in films such as "Swingers," "Jonah Hex," and "The Lookalike." Hackford was also known for his recurring roles in prestige TV series like "Treme" and "American Crime Story: Impeachment."

D.V. DeVincentis, Hackford's friend, wrote about Hackford's passion for acting and movies."Not simply obsessed with movies and how they mirrored and compelled, [Hackford] was something more: a superfan of enumerable scenes, of particular gestures of unsung actors, weird career turns, roaring comebacks, cinema swan songs" DeVincentis reminisced. "Rio was the apex curator of experience, it was his oxygen, his life."

Hackford's love of movies will forever be immortalized in the vast number of films and TV shows that he was a part of making throughout his life.