Helen McCrory(1968-2021)
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Award-winning actress Helen Elizabeth McCrory was born in London, England, to Welsh-born Anne (Morgans) and Scottish-born Iain McCrory, a diplomat from Glasgow. After training at the Drama Centre London, Helen began her career on stage in the UK and won the Manchester Evening News' Best Actress Award for her performance in the National Theatre's "Blood Wedding" and the Ian Charleson award for classical acting for playing "Rose Trelawney" in "Trelawney of the Wells." Helen's theatre work continued to win her critical praise and a large fan base through such work as the Royal Shakespeare Company's "Les Enfant du Paradis" oppositeJoseph Fiennes,Rupert GravesandJames Purefoy.At the Almeida Theatre, her productions included "The Triumph of Love" oppositeChiwetel Ejioforand the radical verse production, "Five Gold Rings," oppositeDamian Lewis.
Helen also worked extensively at the Donmar Warehouse playing lead roles in "How I Learnt to Drive," "Old Times" directed byRoger Michel,and inSam Mendes' farewell double bill of "Twelfth Night" and "Uncle Vanya" (a triumph in both London and New York). For her performance in "Twelfth Night," Helen was nominated for the Evening Standard Best Actress Award, and the New York Drama Desk Awards. She also founded the production company "The Public" withMichael Sheen,producing new work at the Liverpool Everyman, The Ambassadors and the Donmar (in which she also starred).
With over twenty productions under her belt,Mike Coveneyrecently wrote "We celebrate the careers of great actors Olivier, Ashcroft, Richardson, Gielgud, Dench, the Redgraves, Gambon, Walter, Sher, Russell Beale and McCrory."
On the small screen, Helen's first television film,Karl Francis'Streetlife (1995)withRhys Ifans,won her the Welsh BAFTA, Monte Carlo Best Actress Award and the Royal Television Society's Best Actress Award, for her extraordinary performance as "Jo." The Edinburgh Film Festival wrote "simply the best performance this year." She went on to win Critics Circle Best Actress Award for her role as the barrister "Rose Fitzgerald" in the Channel 4 seriesNorth Square (2000),having been previously nominated for her performance inThe Fragile Heart (1996).Helen showed diversity as an actress, appearing in comedies such asLucky Jim (2003)withStephen TompkinsonorDead Gorgeous (2002)withFay Ripley,as well as dramas such asJoe Wright'sCharles II: The Power & the Passion (2003)(for which she was nominated for the LA Television Awards) andAnna Karenina (2000).
Helen McCrory died on 16 April, 2021, in London, of cancer. She was 52, and was survived by her husbandDamian Lewisand their two children.
Helen also worked extensively at the Donmar Warehouse playing lead roles in "How I Learnt to Drive," "Old Times" directed byRoger Michel,and inSam Mendes' farewell double bill of "Twelfth Night" and "Uncle Vanya" (a triumph in both London and New York). For her performance in "Twelfth Night," Helen was nominated for the Evening Standard Best Actress Award, and the New York Drama Desk Awards. She also founded the production company "The Public" withMichael Sheen,producing new work at the Liverpool Everyman, The Ambassadors and the Donmar (in which she also starred).
With over twenty productions under her belt,Mike Coveneyrecently wrote "We celebrate the careers of great actors Olivier, Ashcroft, Richardson, Gielgud, Dench, the Redgraves, Gambon, Walter, Sher, Russell Beale and McCrory."
On the small screen, Helen's first television film,Karl Francis'Streetlife (1995)withRhys Ifans,won her the Welsh BAFTA, Monte Carlo Best Actress Award and the Royal Television Society's Best Actress Award, for her extraordinary performance as "Jo." The Edinburgh Film Festival wrote "simply the best performance this year." She went on to win Critics Circle Best Actress Award for her role as the barrister "Rose Fitzgerald" in the Channel 4 seriesNorth Square (2000),having been previously nominated for her performance inThe Fragile Heart (1996).Helen showed diversity as an actress, appearing in comedies such asLucky Jim (2003)withStephen TompkinsonorDead Gorgeous (2002)withFay Ripley,as well as dramas such asJoe Wright'sCharles II: The Power & the Passion (2003)(for which she was nominated for the LA Television Awards) andAnna Karenina (2000).
Helen McCrory died on 16 April, 2021, in London, of cancer. She was 52, and was survived by her husbandDamian Lewisand their two children.
