Cillian Murphy has revealed he’s always ‘careful’ when talking about the ‘unbelievably sad’ death of his Peaky Blinders co-star Helen McCrory.
In April 2021, the actress, who played matriarch Polly Gray on the BBC drama, died at the age of 52 after suffering from cancer.
Her tragic death was confirmed by her husband of 14 years, Damian Lewis, with tributes pouring in across social media from fans and friends of the late star.
Although Murphy, who plays Tommy Shelby in the Birmingham-based period series, expressed how difficult it was to film the final season without her, he hailed McCrory as a ‘remarkable’ talent.
‘Her death was unbelievably sad and difficult,’ the 45-year-old told The Guardian.
‘But I’m always careful when I talk about it, he added. ‘I’m a friend and a colleague, but then you think about Damian [Lewis, McCrory’s husband] and their kids.
‘I don’t own that grief, you know? But she was a remarkable human being and a remarkable actor. It was very hard to make it without her.’
McCrory married Lewis in 2007, with the pair sharing two children together: a daughter, Manon, and a son, Gulliver.
Filming for the final episodes began in January 2021 following delays due to the coronavirus pandemic, but McCrory was absent due to her cancer diagnosis.
However, Murphy assures that creator Steven Knight made sure ‘her presence and her character’s presence are very much still felt in the series, and it is very much part of Tommy’s journey in the season.’