'Peaky Blinders' actress Helen McCrory dies of cancer at 52, husband Damian Lewis informs

British actress Helen McCrory, who starred in the television show Peaky Blinders and the Harry Potter movies, has died, her husband said Friday. She was 52 and had been suffering from cancer.

Her husband, actor Damian Lewis, said McCrory died “peacefully at home” after a "heroic battle with cancer.”

“She died as she lived. Fearlessly,” Lewis wrote on Twitter. "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.”

pic.twitter.com/gSx8ib9PY9

— Damian Lewis (@lewis_damian) April 16, 2021

McCrory played the matriarch of a crime family on Peaky Blinders and the scheming Narcissa Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies. 

Reactions

Helen McCrory as Polly Gray

All our love and thoughts are with Helen’s family.

Rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/HBEg4Hz2Up

— Peaky Blinders (@ThePeakyBlinder) April 16, 2021

Helen McCrory will be remembered not just for her remarkable stage and screen performances, but also for her selflessness and generosity. She and Damian were the motor driving FeedNHS, working tirelessly during the pandemic to raise millions for others. What a tremendous loss.

— Matt Lucas (@RealMattLucas) April 16, 2021

Unbearable and unbelievable that Helen McCrory has gone. A genuine firecracker with an aching vulnerability. A wonderful actor and a wonderful woman. Thoughts with Damian and family. RIP

— Mark Gatiss 💙 (@Markgatiss) April 16, 2021

Saddened to hear the news that Helen McCrory has passed away after her battle with cancer. A wonderful actor whose performances will last forever ❤️ 🥺Rest peacefully x pic.twitter.com/w77dn49id6

— Max Harwood (@MaxHarwood) April 16, 2021

“I love theatre because it's just me and the audience. It's the litmus test in acting, to be able to sustain a performance over one, two or three hours.”
Rest in Peace Helen McCrory (1968 - 2021) pic.twitter.com/8NDn33xyXa

— nummy 🦥 see 📌 (@intrestellar) April 16, 2021

Helen McCrory made everything she was in better. Talent and screen presence beyond measure. What awful news. RIP ❤ pic.twitter.com/bqxfnVuQiQ

— Amy West (@TV_amyy) April 16, 2021

I’m so shocked by this terrible news and I don’t have words. It’s just so sad and unfair. You will be so missed, Helen McCrory.

... in the bleak midwinter 🖤 pic.twitter.com/snWjUmpy91

— best of cillian murphy (@bestcillian) April 16, 2021

my heart hurts today. rest in peace to the legend, helen mccrory 💌 pic.twitter.com/gXqSaKRjMg

— nad 🗡 (@MALF0YED) April 16, 2021

RIP Helen McCrory, the prolific star of stage and screen, unforgettable in PEAKY BLINDERS.

Thanks for all you shared with us, Helen. pic.twitter.com/xxYAYlx592

— The Devil, Probably (@ShelbyProbably) April 16, 2021

(With AP inputs)