The Peaky Blinders cast and crew paid tribute to the late Helen McCrory in a unique way yesterday.
The actress passed away at the age of 52 on Friday after a secret battle with breast cancer.
She played the character of Aunt Polly on the British period crime drama series, one of her most beloved and well-known roles.
The cast and crew of the show honoured her in a special way by decorating a camera board with a drawing of her face along with the words “rest in peace Helen” as they continued filming on Monday.
A picture of the clapperboard was posted to the BBC’s Instagram account with the caption “Helen McCrory, forever part of the Peaky Blinders family.”
(Image: Instagram)
The picture was taken by Peaky Blinders director Anthony Byrne who also shared the post to his own Instagram page.
He penned a sweet tribute that read: “Today was beautiful and strange and sad and surreal. We found ourselves in the most beautiful environment.
“The sun beating down on us and it felt ok. It was incredible but not surprising to read the many tributes and articles dedicated to Helen over the weekend.
(Image: Caryn Mandabach Productions Ltd)
“This is our A camera board and Polly Gray is always in front of our cameras.
“This board was designed by @lo_marie_s a super talented tattoo artist in Manchester. It has meant a huge amount to me and the crew on Peaky to have an image of Helen on set with us everyday.
“Thanks to @francesca.caterina for marking up the clapper board like that.”
The tribute came after her cast-mates released their own statements commemorating the actress.
(Image: ABACA/PA Images)
Cillian Murphy, who plays Helen’s nephew Thomas Shelby in the show, posted a moving statement where he said: “I am broken-hearted to lose such a dear friend. Helen was a beautiful, caring, funny, compassionate human being.
“She was also a gifted actor — fearless and magnificent. She elevated and made humane every scene, every character she played.
“It was a privilege to have worked with this brilliant woman, to have shared so many laughs over the years. I will dearly miss my pal. My love and thoughts are with Damian and her family.”
Finn Cole who played Polly’s son Michael, shared a photo of their characters and called Helen “an all round amazing role model”.
Like what you see? Then fill your boots…
There’s MUCH more where that came from! Want all the jaw-dropping stories from the world of showbiz and up to the minute news from TV and soaps?
Well, we’ve got you covered with our showbiz, TV and soaps newsletters – they’ll drop straight into your inbox and you can unsubscribe whenever you like.
We’ll bring you the inside track from telly expert Ed Gleave and soap specialist Sasha Morris. Oh, and your daily fix of Piers, Katie Price, Demi Rose and all your other Daily Star favs.
You can sign up here – you won’t regret it…
He captioned the post: “’Mother, wife, and an all round amazing role model. A force of nature who’s advise I’ll carry forever.
‘From day 1 on Peaky I felt blessed, and I will always aspire to be as awesome as Helen McCrory. Thank you mum. Rest easy x’
Sophie Rundle, who plays Polly’s niece Ada Shelby, added that the cast would all “miss her so dearly”.
Sharing a picture of Helen in character, Sophie wrote: ‘God she was so f***ing cool though. It is entirely senseless and brutal to lose Helen, she was an extraordinary and remarkable person.
‘Quite shockingly talented. What a privilege to have worked with her these past years, I can’t overstate how much I admired her.
‘My thoughts are with her family and loved ones. Our Pol. What a heavy loss. We will miss her so dearly.’
Helen’s death was announced in a statement by her husband Damian Lewis on April 16.
She was best known for her roles as Polly in Peaky Blinders and Narcissa Malfoy in the Harry Potter films.
She is survived by her husband and two children – daughter Manon, 14, and 13-year-old son Gulliver.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
