Who was Rio Hackford?

TRAGEDY struck the world of entertainment when the death of a well-known actor was announced.

Rio Hackford's brother broke the news of his passing as tributes to The Mandalorian and American Crime Story star poured in.

Who was Rio Hackford?

Rio Hackford was familiar to audiences for his various roles across film and television.

Prior to his Hollywood career, Rio was exposed to the entertainment industry by his Oscar-winning father, Taylor Hackford.

Taylor directed films such as An Officer and A Gentleman, Ray, Love Ranch, and Dolores Claiborne.

The stepson of star actress, Helen Mirren, Rio had roles in True Detective, Treme, and Pam & Tommy.

Rio's other on-screen credits include American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson, Jonah Hex, Swingers, and Stay Alive.

He also appeared alongside his stepmother on her titular TV program, When Nature Calls with Helen Mirren.

Outside of acting, he also owned a few clubs in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Rio was the owner of One-Eyed Jacks, El Matador, and Pal's Lounge.

Other venues that belonged to him were The Homestead, located in San Francisco, and El Dorado, located in Los Angeles.

What was Rio Hackford's cause of death?

On April 14, 2022, Alex Hackford revealed details of his brother Rio's death to .

Per Alex, Rio died of an undisclosed illness at his home in Huntington Beach, California - he was 52 years old.

Rio's friend and screenwriter, D.V. DeVincentis, penned a heartfelt tribute on social media, sharing a black-and-white photo of the late actor.

"Rio was more attuned to experience than anyone I've ever known," DeVincentis shared on Instagram.

"He was a great magnet to creative people, with a Zelig-like path that could make a page-turner of a biography."

DeVincentis added: "He loved the alchemy of personalities and talents, and was one of the great facilitators in this respect.";

"He would stop what was happening to point it out, compel you to pay attention."

"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."

The actor is survived by his wife, musician Libby Grace, two children, brother Alex, his father Taylor, and stepmother Helen Mirren.

Helen posted an Instagram tribute to Rio as well, simply captioning a photo of him, "El Rio."

Stars such as Lake Bell, Cary Elwes, Robin Tunney, and paid respect to the family through Helen's post.