Helen McCrory Dies at 52: ‘Peaky Blinders’ Star’s Husband Damian Lewis Shares News

Peaky Blinders actress Helen McCrory has died. The actress was 52. News of her death was shared by her husband of 14 years, Billions star Damian Lewis.

Lewis took to Twitter to announce his wife’s passing, revealing that McCrory died following a battle with cancer. “I’m heartbroken to announce that after an 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 family and friends,” he wrote.

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— Damian Lewis (@lewis_damian) April 16, 2021

“She died as she lived. Fearlessly,” he continued. “God we love her and know how lucky we are to have had her in our lives. She blazed so brightly.”

McCrory’s best known for her roles as Aunt Polly in Peaky Blinders, Narcissa Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, and Tony Blair’s wife Cherie in the acclaimed movie The Queen. With an additional season and reported movie on the horizon for Peaky Blinders, it’s unclear how the show will account for McCrory’s absence as she appeared in the most recently aired season in 2019.

McCrory in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (Credit: Warner Bros. Ent. All rights reserved./Courtesy Everett Collection)

McCrory has also starred in the series Quiz, Roadkill, MotherFatherSon, and His Dark Materials. She featured in Seasons 1 and 2 of the Showtime drama Penny Dreadful from 2014 to 2015 as Madam Kali.

Viewers may also recognize her from such films as Loving Vincent, Skyfall, Hugo, Becoming Jane, and Fantastic Mr. Fox. Along with Lewis, McCrory leaves behind the couple’s two children, daughter Manon and son Gulliver.