Remembering Helen McCrory
Since her 1990 debut in The Importance of Being Earnest, Helen McCrory has been a magnificent and unmatched force to be reckoned with. When I had the absolute privilege of seeing her perform as the title character in Ben Powers’ and Carrie Cracknell’s Medea at the National Theatre, it is no exaggeration to say it made me fall in love with theatre. Never had I felt such anger, such passion, such fear and yet such vulnerability radiate off a stage. The guardian described it as ‘clenched and forceful’, McCrory was at ‘the peak of her power’, and I’m fairly sure the audience didn’t breathe until the curtain came down again. It was an utter gift to be in the auditorium when she performed; there is no-one else who makes you feel so viscerally, so aggressively connected to her characters. Yet, you never quite knew who “the real” McCrory was: so brilliantly could she embody countless personalities and characters as she moved from hit to hit.
She had something of a talent for playing misunderstood, yet indelibly powerful women. From her turn as Medea, to her 6 years playing Polly Gray in Peaky Blinders, to her turn as Lady Macbeth, her characters were as brave, stoic and fierce as she was, choosing to battle her terminal cancer without disclosing it. The sheer range of the roles she tackled is relentless: she played Olivia in Twelfth Night, Rosalind in As You Like It, to name a few, alongside stunning turns in films such as The Queen and Skyfall. Her gothy turn as Draco Malfoy’s mother in Harry Potter was nothing short of iconic: these were the characters she played best. Difficult, dark-haired women with nothing to lose, and yet everything to play for. Narcissa and Bellatrix were the dangerous duo you weren’t supposed to route for, but couldn’t help falling in love with. McCrory played the sort of characters you think you’d like to have a drink with, but then you’d chicken when you got to the bar.
McCrory picked up as many awards as you’d expect throughout her career. She was nominated in 2002 for the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress for her role as Elena in Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. In 2006, she was nominated for an Olivier for playing Rosalind in As You Like It. She received an OBE in 2017 for her services to drama. Her performances were worthy of even more accolades than she received, always receiving positive reviews that all pointed out the sheer power and force of her performances. She was a real presence, and stole every scene in which she featured.
Outside of her acting, McCrory and husband Damian Lewis also took part in Feed NHS during the pandemic, and she was the patron for the children’s charity Scene and Heard.
It is hard to sum up the impact she had on the theatre world, and the power of her performances in words. So, instead, go and watch Medea, watch or rewatch Peaky Blinders, be reminded of the dynamic, powerful presence of her characters and the visceral emotions they make you feel. Truly, no-one did it like her. The gap she leaves in the theatre and film world might never be filled.
Written by Sophie Cundall
I’m a queer writer in Oxford currently studying a masters with as much focus on queer history as possible. I split my time between volunteering for an LGBT charity, managing social media for a feminist podcast, and freezing in the library reading for my masters. When I’m not figuring out how to incorporate historical queer fashion into my everyday wardrobe, I’m watering my plants or sipping coffee and knitting myself another scarf.