Best movies of 2023 🍿 How he writes From 'Beef' to 'The Bear' Our free games
Helen McCrory

'Peaky Blinders,' 'Harry Potter' actress Helen McCrory dies at 52: Tom Felton, more pay tribute

Jenna Ryu
USA TODAY

Helen McCrory, famed for her roles in the "Harry Potter" franchise and the BBC series "Peaky Blinders," died at age 52, her husband Damian Lewis announced Friday.

"I'm heartbroken to announce that after a heroic battle with cancer, the beauty and mighty woman that is Helen McCrory has died peacefully at home, surrounded by a wave of love from friends and family," the fellow actor wrote on Twitter.

"She died as she lived. Fearlessly. 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."

Lewis' rep Annett Wolf confirmed the news to USA TODAY. She and Lewis have been married since 2007 and share two children together, a daughter Manon, 14, and son Gulliver, 13.

Actress Actor Helen McCrory, 52, has died after battling with cancer. Here, she poses in the Press Room at the Virgin TV BAFTA Television Award at The Royal Festival Hall on May 12, 2019 in London, England.

Others took to Twitter to share tributes for the late actress, including her "Harry Potter" onscreen son Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy.

"So sad to say farewell so suddenly - I never took the chance to tell her , but she helped shape me as a person so much - on & off screen," he wrote Sunday. "She was always relentlessly herself- razor sharp wit - silver tongued - kind & warm hearted - she suffered no fools yet had time for everyone - thank you for lighting the way forward & holding my hand when I needed."

J.K. Rowling called the news "heartbreaking."

"I’m devastated to learn of the death of Helen McCrory, an extraordinary actress and a wonderful woman who’s left us far too soon. My deepest condolences to her family, especially her husband and children," the author tweeted.

"Downton Abbey"'s Elizabeth McGovern remembered McCrory as "fearless and brilliant."

"Her talent astounded me. She was a shining light and is so still," she wrote.

Matt Lucas, who starred in "Doctor Who," wrote: "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."

The official account for “Peaky Blinders” shared condolences to her family, writing that “all our love and thoughts are with Helen’s family.”

The British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) also paid tribute to McCrory, who starred in BAFTA-winning “Peaky Blinders” and “The Queen.”

“We're sad to hear of the death of actor Helen McCrory. As well as fearless Polly Gray in BAFTA-winning Peaky Blinders, she was in 2007 Best Film BAFTA winner The Queen, amongst many other films and TV shows.”

More:Rusty Young, a founding member of the country rock band Poco, dies at 75

More:Rap legend DMX, a pinnacle of the '90s and 2000s hip-hop scene, dies at 50 after heart attack

Helen McCrory died at 52, her husband Damian Lewis confirmed.

McCrory made her film debut in 1994's "Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles" and later became well-known for her role as Narcissa Malfoy, the mother of Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton), in the "Harry Potter" film series. The British actress also appeared in the 2012 James Bond film "Skyfall," Martin Scorsese's "Hugo" and played Cherie Blair in 2006's "The Queen" and 2010's "The Special Relationship."

Her TV roles included Polly Gray in BBC's "Peaky Blinders" and Madame Kali in the British-American horror series "Penny Dreadful."

Onstage, her roles included the vengeful Greek heroine “Medea” at the National Theatre in 2014. At the same theater, she excelled as a woman caught between a dull husband and a feckless lover in Terence Rattigan’s “The Deep Blue Sea” in 2016.

Contributing: Rasha Ali and The Associated Press

Featured Weekly Ad