Godspeed Helen McCrory

Helen McCrory, who played Narcissa Malfoy in the "Harry Potter" movie series and Aunt Polly on the TV show Peaky Blinders, died today, April 16, 2021, at the age of 52. The cause was cancer.

Helen McCrory was born on August 17 1968 in Paddington, London. She studied at Queenswood School near Hatfield, Hertfordshire. She studied acting at the Drama Centre in London. She began her career in 1990, acting on stage. Miss McCrory made her television debut in 1993 in an episode of Full Stretch. She was a regular on the TV shows The Fragile Heart and North Sqaure. She played the title character in the mini-series Anna Karenina. She appeared on the TV shows Performance and Trial & Retribution, as well as several television movies. Helen McCrory film debut in Uncovered in 1994. In the Nineties she appeared in the movies Interview with the Vampire (1994), The James Gang (1997), Dad Savage (1998), and Hotel Splendide (2000).

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010). She appeared in the movies Charlotte Gray (2001), The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), Enduring Love (2004), Casanova (2005), The Queen (2006), Becoming Jane (2007), Flashbacks of a Fool (2008), and 4,2,3,1 (2010). She was the voice of Mrs. Bean in The Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009). She had regular roles on the TV Shows The Jury, Dickens, and Life. She appeared in the mini-series In a Land of Plenty, Charles II: The Power and the Passion, and Messiah: The Harrowing. She guest starred on Doctor Who.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Part 2(2011). She appeared in the movies Hugo (2011), Flying Bind (2012), Skyfall (2012), The Last of the Haussmans (2012), Mational Theatre Live: Medea (2014), A Little Chaos (2014), The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death (2014), Bill (2015), National Theatre Live: The Deep Blue Sea (2016), and Their Finest (2016). She provided the voice of Louise Cheavalier in Losing Vincent (2017). She played regular roles on the TV shows Penny Dreadful, Peaky Blinders, and His Dark Materials. She appeared in the mini-series Leaving, To Appomattax, Fearless, MotherFatherSon, Quiz, and Raodkill. She guest starred on the TV show Inside No. 9.

Hugo she played an altogether nicer character, actress Jehanne D'Alcy, the wife of film pioneer Georges Méliès. Miss McCrory was incredible as Polly Gray, the matriarch of the Shelby family and treasurer of the title gang in Peaky Blinders. Polly was exceptionally strong willed and exceptionally intelligent, not to mention extremely loyal to her family. Throughout her career she played a number of historical and literary figures, including Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland (in Charles II: The Power and the Passion); Cherie Blair (in The Queen); Anna Karenina in the mini-series of the same name, and so on. Regardless of the role, she always did them well.