Helen McRory, the British actress best known for starring in the James Bond movie Skyfall and as Narcissa Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies, died on Friday after a battle with cancer. She was 52 years-old.
McRory’s death was confirmed by her husband, Hollywood star Damian Lewis, who said that she died peacefully at home.
“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 loss from friends and family,” Lewis said in a statement. “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.
— Damian Lewis (@lewis_damian) April 16, 2021
McRory and Lewis had been married since 2007, and are the parents of two children, daughter Manon, 14, and 13-year-old son Gulliver. Fans of McRory are in shock, given the fact that she had not revealed her cancer diagnosis publicly.
Daily Mail reported that McRory recently talked. about the difficulties she’s been feeling during the COVID-19 pandemic while appearing on the BBC Coronavirus Newscast podcast with her husband.
“We’re all doing our bit and not going out. But you feel responsible, you know you’re watching the news, we’re all reading it, we’re all finding out what’s happening over the world, and it’s so overwhelming,” McRory said. “It sort of seems, as Damian says, it’s fantastical. You think you’re absolutely fine, you’re pottering along, you’re coping with it. Cleaning, cooking, cleaning, cooking, cleaning, cooking. And you suddenly burst into tears.”
“And it’s this fear, and it’s the vulnerability coming out, and then you pick yourself up and you go along again as if nothing happened,” she added. “And it’s very surreal.”
McRory and Lewis were known for being very active in charity work. Last year, the couple held a fundraiser in which they hoped to raise £1million to give hot meals to NHS staffers who have been working overtime during the coronavirus pandemic.
“So we decided that we wanted to try and get food to these people who were working such long hours and weren’t able to,” she said at the time. “So we phoned a man called John Vincent, who’s at Leon, and he was already interested, and already trying to help the NHS.”
“And together we started a campaign to try and raise £1 million to feed NHS, which the front line was London initially, and as we’re getting closer to that million, we’re taking that out nationwide,” McRory continued.
McRory’s final public appearance came on March 12, when she went on “Good Morning Britain” with her husband. It was clear at the time to viewers that she did not seem well, and the host asked her why it appeared that she had a sore throat.
“I have children!” the feisty McRory quipped in response.
‘Now more than ever young people whose life feels like it’s on hold with coronavirus need to know people are still there to help.’ @PrincesTrust ambassadors Helen McCrory and @lewis_damian talk about the work they’re doing with their charity. pic.twitter.com/rPNqDszCop
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) March 12, 2021
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