Felicity Kendal opened up about her grief as she made a sad admission. The Good Life actress, 79, spoke candidly about her heartbreak following the death of her partner, Michael Rudman, three years ago. The theatre director tragically died, aged 84, in April 2023 after a number of health ailments, including a heart attack, bypass surgery, a broken back and being hospitalised with Covid. He required full-time carers in his home in the last two years of his life.
The actress has opened up about the loss in a new interview. Felicity explained she attempts to focus on “the wonderful times rather than the sad” and doesn’t want to waste her time as “life is so precious”. The on-screen star revealed she relies heavily on her support network, whom she calls “very important".
She told Prima Magazine of her grief: “I mean it has been three years now, so it’s moved from being really all-consuming.”
Felicity added, “Even though you try not to show it, it sort of takes over every aspect of your life – missing that person that was part of your everyday. So the everyday changes.”
The performer, who took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2010, said Rudman “was so loved by everybody”, said the first year of grief led to her asking: "What do I put in place because I’m not the same person any more?”
“You think, ‘I’m of less value because I’ve only got half of me’ and then you realise you have a chance now at another life and you have to have a different routine.”
Felicity said that, when her sister died, the thought that helped her was: “she’s not here, so I better not waste this” and it is a recurring thought following her partner's death.
“I think that’s what I’m now feeling. And it’s just about remembering the wonderful times rather than the sad times and that does happen. It’s a three-year journey.”
Felicity married Michael in 1983 but the couple officially divorced in 1991 after several marital problems.
She began a romance with playwright Tom Stoppard, but later reunited with her ex-husband Michael eight years later.
