‘Roadkill’ writer and creator Sir David Hare and ‘Peaky Blinders’ creator Steven Knight have paid tribute to Helen McCrory after her death earlier this month.
Helen McCrory
Helen starred in the 2020 thriller ‘Roadkill’ as Dawn Ellison and as Polly Gray in the period crime drama ‘Peaky Blinders’, and following the news of her death from cancer at the age of 52 on April 16, the show’s respective creators have reached out to pay their respects.
David, 73, shared: “Her performance in ‘Roadkill’ is all the more remarkable when you realise that she was already in some pain from the cancer that would eventually kill her.”
The screenwriter and playwright also revealed Helen was keen for a play to be made about her ‘Roadkill’ character, as he added: “She loved playing a forthright, unapologetic woman of such strength and would relish more time in her company.
“I would have done it, too. Because Helen – vibrant, witty, passionate and shrewd – was as good as they get.”
Steven – who had worked with Helen on ‘Peaky Blinders’ since the show’s inception in 2013 – praised the late actress for her glowing personality.
In a piece written for this week’s Radio Times magazine, he explained: “Helen McCrory was both the sovereign and the maid, regal and rebellious in the same minute.
“I based the character of Aunt Polly on real working-class women I had grown up with: fierce, scary, protective of their own, funny and always aware of the absurdities of life.
“Helen was the perfect person to bring this amalgam of women to the screen in one stunningly vivid portrayal.
“Away from the business, she filled rooms and lit up places with her personality, and I can say now that her work on this planet had only just begun.
“The ‘Peaky Blinders’ audience is very selective, very particular, and to be taken to their hearts is a real achievement. People can spot the real thing, and that is what Helen was. On screen, that is what Helen McCrory is.”
Helen’s husband Damian Lewis – with whom she had two children, 14-year-old Manon and 13-year-old Gulliver – confirmed the news of her passing this month.
He said: “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.
“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.”
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