Helen McCrory, ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Peaky Blinders’ Star, Dies at 52
She was not on the list.
Helen McCrory, the English actor who played Narcissa Malfoy in the “Harry Potter” franchise and Polly Gray in “Peaky Blinders,” has died, her husband Damian Lewis announced on Friday. She was 52.
“I’m heartbroken to announce that after a heroic battle with cancer, the beautiful and mighty woman that is Helen McCrory has died peacefully at home, surrounded by a wave of love from friends and family. She died as she lived. Fearlessly. God we love her and know how lucky we are to have had her in our lives. She blazed so brightly. Go now, Little One, into the air, and thank you,” Lewis wrote on Twitter on Friday.
The British star also appeared in the James Bond film “Skyfall,” Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo” and played Cherie Booth, wife of U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, in “The Queen” and “The Special Relationship.”
In addition to her film and TV roles, McCrory began her career on stage and appeared in more than 25 productions during the 1990s through the mid 2010s. Her stage credits included “Macbeth,” “Pride and Prejudice,” “As You Like It,” “Medea” and many more.
She joined the “Harry Potter” family in “The Half-Blood Prince,” playing Narcissa Malfoy, the mother of Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) and wife to Lucius Malfoy (Jason Isaacs). She reprised the role in the two-part finale of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”
“Harry Potter” writer J.K. Rowling paid tribute to McCrory on Twitter, calling her “an extraordinary actress and a wonderful woman who’s left us far too soon.”
In “Peaky Blinders,” she played Polly Gray, aunt of Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) and the treasurer of the Peaky Blinders crime family in all five seasons of the British drama. She also appeared in “Penny Dreadful,” “Doctor Who,” “North Square” and lent her voice as a daemon in “His Dark Materials.”
“Peaky Blinders” star Cillian Murphy described McCrory as a compassionate friend and fearless actor.
“I am broken-hearted to lose such a dear friend,” Murphy said in a statement. “Helen was a beautiful, caring, funny, compassionate human being. She was also a gifted actor — fearless and magnificent. She elevated and made humane every scene, every character she played. It was a privilege to have worked with this brilliant woman, to have shared so many laughs over the years. I will dearly miss my pal. My love and thoughts are with Damian and her family.”
During her theater, television and film career, McCrory picked up several awards, like best actress at the London Film Critics Circle, the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards, the Critics’ Circle Theater Awards and theater actress of the year at the Glamour Awards. She was nominated for a Critics Choice Television Award and a Satellite Award for best supporting actress in a drama for “Penny Dreadful.” For her role in “Macbeth” in 1995, she was named most promising newcomer at the Shakespeare Globe Awards.
Filmography
Film
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1994 Interview with the Vampire 2nd Whore
1994 Uncovered Lola
1997 The James Gang Bernadette James
1998 Dad Savage Chris
2000 Hotel Splendide Lorna Bull
2001 Charlotte Gray Francoise
2002 The Count of Monte Cristo Valentina Villefort
2002 Deep Down Dana Short film
2003 Does God Play Football Sarah Ward Short film
2004 Enduring Love Mrs. Logan
2005 Casanova Casanova's Mother
2006 Normal for Norfolk Clare Short film
2006 The Queen Cherie Blair
2007 Becoming Jane Mrs. Radcliffe
2008 Flashbacks of a Fool Peggy Tickell
2009 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Narcissa Malfoy
2009 Fantastic Mr. Fox Mrs. Bean (voice)
2010 4.3.2.1. Mrs. Jones
2010 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 Narcissa Malfoy
2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
2011 Hugo Mama Jeanne (Jehanne D'Alcy)
2012 Flying Blind Dr. Frankie Lethbridge
2012 Skyfall Clair Dowar MP
2014 A Little Chaos Madame Françoise Le Nôtre
2015 The Woman in Black: Angel of Death Jean Hogg
2015 Bill Queen Elizabeth I
2016 Their Finest Sophie Smith
2017 Loving Vincent Louise Chevalier
Television
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1993 Full Stretch Vicki Goodall Episode: "Risky Business"
1993 Performance Jean Rice Episode: "The Entertainer"
1995 Screen Two Jo Episode: "Streetlife"
1995 Dirty Old Town Claire Television film
1996 The Fragile Heart Nicola Pascoe 3 episodes
1996 Witness Against Hitler Freya von Moltke Television film
1997 Trial & Retribution Anita Harris 2 episodes
1998 Spoonface Steinberg Mother Television film
1998 Stand and Deliver Christina Television special
1999 Split Second Angie Anderson Television film
2000 Anna Karenina Anna Karenina 4 episodes
2000 North Square Rose Fitzgerald 10 episodes
2001 In a Land of Plenty Mary Freeman 3 episodes
2002 The Jury Rose Davies 6 episodes
2002 Dickens Kate Dickens 3 episodes
2002 Dead Gorgeous Antonia Ashton Television film
2003 Lucky Jim Margaret Peel Television film
2003 Carla Carla French Television film
2003 Charles II: The Power and the Passion Lady Castlemaine (Barbara Villiers) 4 episodes
2004 Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking Jenny Vandeleur Television film
2005 Messiah: The Harrowing Dr. Rachel Price 3 episodes
2007 Frankenstein Dr. Victoria Frankenstein Television film
2009 Life Amanda Puryer 5 episodes
2010 Doctor Who Rosanna Calvierri Episode: "The Vampires of Venice"
2010 The Special Relationship Cherie Blair Television film
2011 Phineas and Ferb Lucy Fletcher (voice) Episode: "My Fair Goalie"
2012 We'll Take Manhattan Lady Clare Rendlesham Television film
2012 Leaving Julie Ranmore 3 episodes
2013–2019 Peaky Blinders Polly Gray 30 episodes
2014 Inside No. 9 Tabitha Episode: "The Harrowing"
2014 Tommy Cooper: Not Like That, Like This Mary Kay Television film
2014–2015 Penny Dreadful Evelyn Poole (Madame Kali) 12 episodes
2017 Fearless Emma Banville 6 episodes
2019 MotherFatherSon Kathryn Villiers 8 episodes
2019 Have I Got News for You Herself (host) Episode #58.7
2019–2020 His Dark Materials Stelmaria (voice) 4 episodes
2020 Quiz Sonia Woodley QC 2 episodes
2020 Roadkill Dawn Ellison Main cast
Stage
Year Title Role Venue(s) Ref.
1990 The Importance of Being Earnest Gwendolen Fairfax Harrogate Theatre
1990 Teechers Gail Saunders Harrogate Theatre
1990 Macbeth Witch Riverside Studios
1991 Pride and Prejudice Lydia Bennet
1991 Blood Wedding The Bride
1992 Fuente Ovejuna Jacinta
1992 Don't Fool With Love Camille
1993 Trelawny of the 'Wells' Rose Trelawny
1994 Venice Preserved Belvidera Royal Exchange Theatre
1994 The Seagull Nina Mikhailovna Zarechnaya
1994–1995 The Devil's Disciple Judith Anderson
1995 Keely And Du Keely Olympia Theatre
1995 Macbeth Lady Macbeth Shakespeare's Globe
1995–1996 Les Enfants Du Paradis Claire "Garance" Reine Barbican Theatre
1998 In a Little World of Our Own Deborah Donmar Warehouse
1998 How I Learned to Drive Li'I Bit Donmar Warehouse
1999 The Triumph of Love Princess Leonide (alias Phocion) Almeida Theatre
2000–2001 Platonov Anna Petrovna Almeida Theatre
2002 Uncle Vanya Helena Andreyevna Serebryakova (Yelena) Donmar Warehouse
2002 Twelfth Night Olivia Donmar Warehouse
2003–2004 Five Gold Rings Miranda Almeida Theatre
2004 Old Times Anna Donmar Warehouse
2006 As You Like It Rosalind
2008 Rosmersholm Rebecca West Almeida Theatre
2010–2012 The Late Middle Classes Celia Smithers Donmar Warehouse
2012 The Last of the Haussmans Libby Haussmans Lyttelton Theatre
2014 Medea Medea Olivier Theatre
2016 The Deep Blue Sea Hester Collyer Lyttelton Theatre
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