Anne-Marie Duff’s mother and brother Eddie later died within months of each other, and she put work on hold for 18 months to stay close to her family.
The actor is best known for Shameless and Bad Sisters. Her screen credits also include Channel 4 thriller Suspect, where she plays Dr Susannah Newman.
Speaking to Good Housekeeping UK, Anne-Marie said she had no regrets about prioritising her family.
She also spoke bluntly about her grief. “Grief is a mother[bleep]er,” she said. “I don’t know where I am with it, but I think that’s probably all right.”
Anne-Marie Duff’s 18-month break kept her close to family
Anne-Marie said she wanted to remain near her loved ones during an intensely painful period.
She and her father were there for both her mum and Eddie at the end. She recalled the reality of those moments without softening her words.
“It was hard as hell, but this is midlife, huh? This is loving people.”
The decision to step away from acting let Anne-Marie focus on the people she loved. She said the 18-month break left her with no regrets.
Anne-Marie accepted her OBE for her mother
Anne-Marie also linked her decision to accept an OBE with her mother’s illness.
She initially hesitated because the honour contains the words British Empire. Her mother’s condition then shaped the choice.
“I’m going to try and not cry when I tell you, but it was a thing I could do for my mum when she was in so much pain”, Duff said.
“She was profoundly ill. She didn’t have a movie ending to her life. Ultimately, for me, it was a gift I could give my mum. All I ever wanted was to make my family happy. She was thrilled.”
Anne-Marie grew closer to brother Eddie after his Alzheimer’s diagnosis
Eddie received an early-onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2017, while he was in his late 40s.
Anne-Marie described his illness as aggressive. She said the changes to his life were desperately sad.
Yet she remembered the following years for the closeness they created. Anne-Marie said learning to accept each moment removed distractions from their relationship.
That left more room for love and connection between them. The siblings became much closer, even as Eddie’s health worsened.
Anne-Marie Duff’s Some Woman run starts at the Dorfman Theatre in October
Anne-Marie is set to appear on stage in Some Woman at London’s Dorfman Theatre.
She described the play as exploring how women can make themselves smaller as they grow older. It also examines pressure on women to choose goodness over happiness.
Her run begins on 7 October and continues across October and November.
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