Helen McCrory

Helen McCrory was a British actress who had a distinguished career on stage and screen. She was born on August 17, 1968 in Paddington, London, to a Welsh mother and a Scottish father who was a diplomat. She grew up in various countries, including Nigeria, Norway, Cameroon, Zanzibar, Madagascar, Tanzania and France. She attended Queenswood School in Hertfordshire and then spent a year in Italy before studying acting at the Drama Centre London. McCrory made her stage debut in The Importance of Being Earnest in 1990 and soon established herself as one of the leading theatre actors of her generation. She won the third prize at the Ian Charleson Awards for her performance as Rose Trelawny in Trelawny of the 'Wells' in 1993 and the Manchester Evening News' Best Actress Award for her role in Blood Wedding in 1991. She also received nominations for the London Evening Standard Theatre Award and the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for her roles in Uncle Vanya and As You Like It respectively. She played a range of classical and contemporary characters, such as Lady Macbeth, Medea, Rosalind, Hester Collyer and Rebecca West. McCrory also had a prolific career on screen, appearing in more than 40 films and television shows. She was best known for her roles as Narcissa Malfoy in the Harry Potter franchise, Polly Gray in Peaky Blinders, Cherie Blair in The Queen and The Special Relationship, Françoise in Charlotte Gray, Mama Jeanne in Hugo and Clair Dowar in Skyfall. She also starred in Interview with the Vampire, The Count of Monte Cristo, Casanova, Frankenstein, Penny Dreadful, Quiz and MotherFatherSon. She received critical acclaim and several awards for her performances, including two Broadcasting Press Guild Awards, a Critics' Choice Television Award and an OBE for services to drama. McCrory was also known for her charity work and activism. She was a patron of the Sir Hubert von Herkomer Arts Foundation, which provides arts education to children from disadvantaged backgrounds. She also co-founded the FeedNHS campaign with her husband Damian Lewis and other celebrities to provide meals for NHS workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. She raised more than £1 million for the cause and was praised for her generosity and selflessness. McCrory married Lewis, a fellow actor, in 2007 and they had two children: Manon and Gulliver. They lived in north London and were regarded as one of the most successful and happy couples in show business. McCrory died of cancer on April 16, 2021 at the age of 52. She kept her illness private and continued working until shortly before her death. She was surrounded by her family and friends at her home. She was widely mourned by her fans, colleagues and admirers who remembered her as a beautiful, brilliant and fearless woman who lived life to the fullest.