History of Helen McCrory in Timeline

"Helen Elizabeth McCrory was an accomplished English actress known for her impactful stage performances. Trained at the Drama Centre London, she launched her career in 1990 with "The Importance of Being Earnest." Her repertoire includes iconic Shakespearean roles such as Lady Macbeth (Shakespeare's Globe), Olivia ("Twelfth Night"), and Rosalind ("As You Like It" - West End), along with portraying Medea at the Royal National Theatre."

March 1940: Birth of Iain McCrory

Helen McCrory's father, Iain McCrory, was born in March 1940.

August 1968: Birth of Helen McCrory

Helen Elizabeth McCrory was born in August 1968 in Paddington, London.

1990: Stage Debut in "The Importance of Being Earnest"

Helen McCrory made her stage debut in 1990 in Oscar Wilde's play "The Importance of Being Earnest".

1993: Ian Charleson Awards Recognition

Helen McCrory won third prize at the Ian Charleson Awards for her performance in "Trelawny of the 'Wells'" in 1993.

1994: Role in "Interview with the Vampire"

Helen McCrory had a supporting role in "Interview with the Vampire" in 1994.

2001: Film Roles in "Charlotte Gray"

Helen McCrory appeared in the film "Charlotte Gray" in 2001.

2002: Nomination for "Uncle Vanya" Performance

McCrory was nominated for a London Evening Standard Theatre Award for her role in "Uncle Vanya" in 2002.

2003: Appearance in "Charles II: The Power and The Passion"

McCrory appeared as Barbara Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine, in "Charles II: The Power and The Passion" in 2003.

2005: Supporting Role in "Casanova"

She had a supporting role in the film "Casanova" in 2005.

2006: Birth of Daughter, Manon

Helen McCrory and Damian Lewis welcomed their daughter, Manon, in 2006.

2006: Portrayal of Cherie Blair in "The Queen"

Helen McCrory played Cherie Blair in the film "The Queen" in 2006.

2006: First Pregnancy and Withdrawal from "Harry Potter"

Helen McCrory's first pregnancy in 2006 led to her withdrawal from "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix".

2006: Laurence Olivier Award Nomination

She received a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award nomination for her role in "As You Like It" in 2006.

July 2007: Marriage to Damian Lewis

Helen McCrory married actor Damian Lewis in July 2007.

2007: Television Adaptation of "Frankenstein" and Withdrawal from "Harry Potter"

McCrory appeared in a "Frankenstein" adaptation and withdrew from "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" due to pregnancy in 2007.

April 2008: Performance in "Rosmersholm"

McCrory played Rebecca West in a production of Ibsen's "Rosmersholm" at the Almeida Theatre in April 2008.

July 2009: Release of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", featuring McCrory as Narcissa Malfoy, was released in July 2009.

2009: Joining the "Harry Potter" Franchise

Helen McCrory joined the cast of the Harry Potter films as Narcissa Malfoy in 2009.

2010: Reprising the Role of Cherie Blair

McCrory reprised her role as Cherie Blair in "The Special Relationship" in 2010.

2010: Role in "Doctor Who" and "Harry Potter"

She played Rosanna Calvierri in "Doctor Who" and reprised her role as Narcissa Malfoy in "Harry Potter" in 2010.

2011: Final "Harry Potter" Film

McCrory appeared in the final "Harry Potter" film, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2", in 2011.

2011: Continuing "Harry Potter" and "Hugo"

McCrory appeared in the final two "Harry Potter" films and "Hugo" in 2011.

June 2012: Performance in "The Last of the Haussmans"

McCrory starred in the play "The Last of the Haussmans" at the Royal National Theatre, starting in June 2012.

October 2012: Broadcast of "The Last of the Haussmans"

The production of "The Last of the Haussmans" was broadcast to cinemas worldwide in October 2012.

2012: Appearance in "Skyfall"

Helen McCrory played Clair Dowar MP in the James Bond film "Skyfall" in 2012.

2013: Starring in "Peaky Blinders"

McCrory began her role as Polly Gray in "Peaky Blinders" in 2013.

2014: Joining "Penny Dreadful"

McCrory joined the cast of "Penny Dreadful" in 2014.

2014: Critically Acclaimed Performance in "Medea", Role in "Penny Dreadful", and Film with Alan Rickman

McCrory received acclaim for her role in "Medea", appeared in "Penny Dreadful", and starred in "A Little Chaos" alongside Alan Rickman in 2014.

September 2016: Performance in "The Deep Blue Sea"

Helen McCrory starred as Hester in "The Deep Blue Sea", which was filmed and shown in cinemas in September 2016.

2016: Honorary Doctorate from the University of York

Helen McCrory received an honorary doctorate from the University of York in 2016.

2016: Performance in "The Deep Blue Sea"

In 2016, Helen McCrory appeared in the stage production of "The Deep Blue Sea" at the National Theatre.

June 2017: Airing of "Fearless"

The ITV drama series "Fearless", starring McCrory, began airing in June 2017.

2017: Lead Role in "Fearless"

Helen McCrory played the lead role in the ITV series "Fearless" in 2017.

2017: Appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire

McCrory was appointed an OBE for her services to drama in 2017.

2019: Appearance on "Have I Got News For You"

Helen McCrory made a guest appearance on an episode of the show "Have I Got News For You" in 2019.

2019: Starring in "MotherFatherSon"

McCrory starred as Kathryn Villiers in the mini-series "MotherFatherSon" in 2019.

2019: Conclusion of Role in "Peaky Blinders"

McCrory's time on "Peaky Blinders" concluded in 2019 after five series.

April 2020: Fundraising for Feed NHS

By April 2020, McCrory and Lewis had helped raise £1 million for the Feed NHS program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

June 2020: Appearance on "Desert Island Discs"

McCrory was featured on BBC Radio 4's "Desert Island Discs" in June 2020.

October 2020: Airing of "Roadkill"

The BBC drama "Roadkill", featuring McCrory as Prime Minister Dawn Ellison, aired in October 2020.

2020: Roles in "His Dark Materials", "Quiz", "Roadkill", and "Charlotte"

In 2020, McCrory appeared in two seasons of the drama series "His Dark Materials", the ITV drama "Quiz", the BBC drama "Roadkill", and lent her voice to the animated film "Charlotte".

2020: Impact of COVID-19 on "Peaky Blinders" Filming

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the production of "Peaky Blinders" in 2020, impacting McCrory's involvement.

January 2021: Inability to Film "Peaky Blinders" Due to Illness

Due to her battle with breast cancer, McCrory was unable to return to film "Peaky Blinders" when production resumed in January 2021.

March 2021: Final Public Appearance

Helen McCrory made her final public appearance in March 2021, speaking about The Prince's Trust on "Good Morning Britain".

April 2021: Death of Helen McCrory

Helen McCrory passed away in April 2021 from breast cancer at her London residence at the age of 52. Her husband, Damian Lewis, shared the news on Twitter, stating she died peacefully surrounded by loved ones. McCrory chose to keep her diagnosis private while undergoing treatment and continuing her work.