Dawn French has openly reflected on her own mortality, admitting she has started thinking about "stuff that is going to come" as she ages. The Vicar of Dibley star, now 68, made the comments while discussing her fifth novel, Enough, a story that explores death. She told Bella magazine that she wants to "tackle the big, scary stuff" and infuse it with hope.
The Novel 'Enough' and Its Themes
Enough, described on Amazon as "joyfully human, darkly funny and unexpectedly life-affirming," follows 68-year-old Etta as she brings her family together for an unforgettable weekend. French said she wanted to write a life-affirming book about death. "I have set myself the challenge to talk about big, scary stuff but infuse it with some kind of hope," she told Bella.
Reflections on Ageing and Longevity
French reflected on ageing broadly, noting she hopes to live into her hundreds. "I am 68, but I am not at the end of my life. I just think at this age, you start to think about stuff that is going to come. It is important to write about things that you fear," she said. She added: "I lost my mum at 77 and I watched my mates fall off the perch in their 70s. I would like to still be going at 107."
Speaking Out Without Fear
In comments reported by the BBC to coincide with the book's release, French said she was "going to be unafraid to write about difficult things." She stated: "What's the point of being 68 if you can't say what you feel about things?"
Anecdotes: Eamonn Holmes and Brad Pitt
Elsewhere in the interview, French recalled an incident with Eamonn Holmes on This Morning, claiming she responded with a firm "dream on" after he made a remark about her. She also shared a story about a kiss with Brad Pitt, which she arranged through Terry Gilliam in a restaurant. "I passed a note to Terry that said, 'Make Brad kiss me like he's in love with me.' I got on with lunch and forgot all about it and suddenly Brad was on my face, kissing me passionately and saying, 'I'll call you'. Well, Jen's chin hit the table! It was great," she recounted on The Graham Norton Show.
French also recalled a Comic Relief sketch in 1995 where she kissed Hugh Grant. She told Best magazine: "I kissed a lot of people for Comic Relief. One day, I went on This Morning and told the story about me kissing Brad Pitt and Hugh Grant. Eamonn turned to me and said, 'You're a bit of a one, aren't you?' I went 'dream on'."
