Bruce Robinson’s 1987 cult comedy classic Withnail & I gifted the world a cinematic drunk for the ages. A mixture of despair, relatability, and tragedy combined to create a film that will make you laugh, cry, and recite until your dying days. Now, it is widely cherished and viewed by some as a rite of passage watch for those coming of age. Its popularity hails from the expertly crafted dialogue and distinguished performances. It is a hard task for any actor to convincingly pull off the art of intoxication and the star of this film has bested them all. Intriguingly, without the help of a certain member of The Beatles, the film may not have been made. It is a film that still attracts attention today and should be viewed as essential viewing for any struggling actor, student, or befuddled millennial dreaming of life in the ’60s.
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Richard E. Grant Nails the Art of Acting Drunk
Image via HandMade Films 

Richard E. Grant plays the character Withnail, a failed actor comprised of alcohol, nicotine, and pompousness. Withnail’s disregard for others, cowardice, and demand for booze lay the foundations for countless quotes and timeless hilarity. “We want the finest wines available to humanity, we want them here, and we want them now.” But had three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis agreed to play Withnail, then things could have been very different. The actor’s refusal opened the door for Grant, at the time a largely unknown actor having only starred in Honest, Decent and True.

However, it was Grant himself who took the real gamble when he tested his allergy to alcohol at Robinson’s request. The director wanted Grant to have “chemical memory” when it came to the sensation of being shit-faced. The result? Sickness, vomiting, and near death. Speaking with the Irish Examiner, Grant claimed, “I have an allergy to drink. I get a terrible rash and get ill for about 24 hours. I went to a doctor when I was 19, and he said I had none of the enzyme in my blood that processes alcohol.” The combination of champagne and vodka could have been fatal according to the doctors, but Robinson got his comeuppance concerning the cleanup.

Withnail & I is beloved for its comedy, but at its beating heart, it’s a tragic tale of despondency and misery, loosely based on someone in Robinson’s life. According to The Independent, Vivian MacKerrell, Robinson’s roommate and muse, inspired much of Withnail. In fact, he was the direct inspiration for the moment when Withnail, desperate for alcohol, knocks back some lighter fluid. Robinson wrote Withnail & I as a struggling actor in the late ’60s: penniless, cold, and hungry. The mood of uncertainty and hopelessness apparent in the film was shared with Robinson in his early life, and it wasn’t much different for Grant, who had opened up about his childhood to NPR. In the same interview, he said that he doesn’t think his method acting really impacted his performance. “But whether, in all honesty that helped my performance or my acting of drunks, I very much doubt. I seriously – I don’t believe that for one minute. But [Robinson] likes to, and he’s one of my best and greatest friends. So I’d agree to disagree with him about that.”

Grant made Withnail’s drunken antics so convincing and thirty years later he got nominated for an Oscar playing another on-screen drunk, proving he is a certified master of the drunk arts. In 2018 Grant starred alongside Melissa McCarthy in Can You Ever Forgive Me? in which Grant perfects his performance as an alcoholic, coke-dealing, HIV-positive gay man named Jack Hock The film was well received and Grant honed his ability to deliver gloom, absurdity, and merriment all in one master stroke.

What Is ‘Withnail & I’s Legacy?
Image via Handmade Films

In many ways, it was a miracle the film got made. Eventually, George Harrison’s production company, HandMade Films, offered to fund the project and production began. “It was such a gem,” Ray Cooper, head of production said of the script. “I knew it was right up George’s street because he was part of that era, the end of the 1960s, and it had the humour that he adored: very, very English, extremely acerbic and edgy and wonderful.”

Withnail and Marwood’s apparent struggle to survive is reflected in the production of the film. Paul McGann, who played Marwood (I), was initially sacked by Robinson for his inability to drop his native scouse accent and the part nearly went to Kenneth Branagh. Grant had been out of work for 9 months and had been left in the dark. Bruce Robinson had difficulties with producers, particularly Denis O’Brien, Harrison’s partner.

Now in 2023, the film’s popularity has failed to diminish. The disposition of Withnail (self-destructive lunacy coupled with an air of intelligence) delivers eternal amusement. His poetical language intertwined with vulgarity alleviates the misery the characters endure. Marwood compliments such behavior, often providing the voice of reason, albeit fearsome reason, to the bizarre antics of Withnail. Most notably suggesting that Withnail refrain from drinking lighter fluid once the booze ran dry. Much of the film tells its audience that when there is no light at the end of the tunnel, humor triumphs. This is the exact feat that makes it essential viewing for students and struggling artists alike.

For any millennials that have romanticized the swinging ’60s, the height of hedonism, and the golden age of rock, Withnail & I undercut such fantasies. For many, the bleakness of the ’50s rolled over. The dazzling sparkle of a stylish post-war London may have been apparent for those most fortunate, but for others, the gloom capped the glamour. Only those fortunate enough to have an eccentric uncle named Monty (Richard Griffiths) could escape to countryside and unwind. Withnail & I is a British classic that has survived the test of time through comedic immortality. Upon viewing once, you are compelled to do so again and again as it grows in reverence. Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann delivered truly unforgettable performances and few films match its unique hilarity. It’s personal, preposterous, and undoubtedly an all-time great.