Helen McCrory, the British actress best known for her roles in the ‘Harry Potter films and ‘Peaky Blinders,’ has died, her husband, actor Damian Lewis, announced on Friday.
McCrory, who was 52, died “peacefully at home” after “a heroic battle with cancer,” the “Homeland” star said in a tweet.
Her husband, fellow actor Damian Lewis, confirmed that she passed away peacefully after a battle with cancer.
“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,” Lewis, 50, tweeted.
“She died as she lived,” Lewis continued. “Fearlessly. God, we loved 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.
— Damian Lewis (@lewis_damian) April 16, 2021
The London-born actress; who starred as Narcissa Malfoy in the “Harry Potter” franchise, had an arch, mysterious quality that served her well in villainous roles, including the period dramas “Peaky Blinders” and “Penny Dreadful” and the “Vampires of Venice” episode of the long-running “Doctor Who.”
Last year, she appeared in two miniseries; The Masterpiece production “Roadkill,” in which she played the UK’s Prime Minister opposite Hugh Laurie; and “Quiz,” a fact-based drama about the “Who Wants to be a MIllionaire” scandal.
She was no stranger to political roles, playing Cherie Blair — the wife of British prime minister Tony Blair; twice, in “The Queen” and the TV movie “The Special Relationship,” both times with Michael Sheen and “The Crown” writer Peter Morgan.
McCrory was also an accomplished stage actress, playing strong women from Lady Macbeth to Medea in London’s West End.
In 2003; she met Lewis when they both starred in a play called Five Gold Rings at the Almeida Theatre London.
“He makes me laugh, and that was quite apparent quite early on,” she said. “He just never lets me get away with anything, and that would make me laugh even more. So I think we hit it off pretty quickly.
“We had a bumpy courtship… We are completely different as people, but we’re very similar in our values and very rarely disagree about fundamental things.”