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Helen Mccrory

Early Life and Education

Helen Elizabeth McCrory was born on August 17, 1968, in Paddington, London, England. Her father, Iain McCrory, was a Scottish diplomat, and her mother, Ann Morgans, is of Welsh heritage. Helen was the eldest of three children. She attended Queenswood School, an all-girls boarding school in Hertfordshire, located approximately twenty miles from London. After completing her secondary education, she spent a year in Italy before returning to the UK to study acting at the Drama Centre London.

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Film Career

Helen McCrory enjoyed a distinguished career in film, gaining recognition for portraying British barrister and writer Cherie Blair in two films: The Queen (2006) and The Special Relationship (2010). She was also widely known for her role as Narcissa Malfoy in the final three installments of the Harry Potter series — Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009), and both parts of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2010, 2011).

Her other significant film credits include the thriller Flying Blind (2012), the James Bond film Skyfall (2012), the historical comedy Bill (2015), and the animated biopic Loving Vincent (2017), in which she lent her voice to one of the characters. Her performances consistently demonstrated her range, subtlety, and strong screen presence.

Television Roles and "Peaky Blinders"

In addition to her film career, McCrory achieved acclaim on television. One of her most notable roles was as the enigmatic antagonist Madame Kali in the gothic horror series Penny Dreadful. However, she is perhaps most widely recognized for her role as Aunt Polly (Polly Gray) in the critically acclaimed British crime drama Peaky Blinders. She portrayed the fiercely loyal and sharp-witted matriarch of the Shelby family from the show's inception in 2013 until shortly before her death.

Personal Life and Recognition

Helen McCrory married fellow actor Damian Lewis in July 2007. The couple had two children: their daughter, Manon, born in 2006, and their son, Gulliver, born in 2007. The family was known for maintaining a relatively private personal life, occasionally attending public events together.

In 2017, McCrory was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in recognition of her services to drama. The honor highlighted her significant contributions to stage and screen over several decades.


Quick Facts
Birth Date: 17 Aug, 1968
Age: 51 yrs
Occupations: Actor
Stage actor
Film actor
Citizenship: United Kingdom
Birth Place: London
Education: Drama Centre London
Gender: Female
Description: British actress
Spouse: Damian Lewis [M. 2007]
Net Worth 2021: 25 million
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Last Modified: Jul 2 2025
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