The Paper's reporter Cheng Xiaojun
On April 16, British time, Damian Lewis, a British actor who had starred in well-known American dramas such as "Homeland Security" and "Billions", posted a bad news on his personal social media: his wife, Helen McCrory, who was also an actor, had died at his home in London on the same day, at the age of 52.
Lewis said his wife "went through a heroic struggle with cancer and eventually passed away peacefully in the company of family and friends." Helen McCloller was active on the London stage for a long time during her lifetime, and was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2017 for her many years of contribution to the theatre arts; but for audiences around the world, it is undoubtedly her brilliant appearance in several Harry Potter films.
Helen McLaughley with husband Damian Lewis
Born on 17 August 1968 in Paddington, London, to a family of diplomats, Helen McCrory grew up living with her parents in Tanzania, Norway, Paris and other places, and was accustomed to performing at various family banquets. In secondary school, she was sent back to England to study, and then graduated from the Central School of Drama in London, and soon began to officially perform on stage, playing the female number one Gwendall in Wilde's comedy "No Child".
In 1995, at the age of 23, she was awarded the Shakespeare Circle Theatre Award for Best Newcomer Actress of the Year for her role as Mrs. Macbeth. At the same time, Helen McLaughley's film and television career outside the stage also slowly started. Initially, she could only play the role of a prostitute B, who was not even a supporting role, in blockbuster movies such as "Night Interview with the Vampire". In the 2002 film The Count of Monte Cristo, she played Valentina, the daughter of the villain prosecutor Villefort, and the role was still not much. The 2006 film "The Queen" finally began to make more critics and audiences notice Helen McCloller's acting skills, in which she played the wife of British Prime Minister Blair, Cherie Blair, whose eloquent interpretation earned her nomination for Best Supporting Actress of the Year at the 2007 London Film Critics Awards.
Next, in 2007's Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, director David Yates had chosen her to play the role of bellatrix Lestrange the witch, but because Helen McCloller was pregnant, he was hired by Helena Bonham Carter. Two years later, in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", director Yates, who always favored her acting skills, arranged for her to play the role of Bellatrix Lestrange's sister.
The Malfoy family
Narcissa Malfoy, played by Helen McLaugh, is the wife of Lucius Malfoy, the head of the Malfoy family, and the mother of Harry Potter's nemesis Draco Malfoy. In the next two "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", she also continued to appear, although the role was not much, but from the appearance to the charm, it was quite suitable for Nasisa Malfoy in Ms. Rowling's original book, and was also highly recognized by Harry Potter fans around the world.
After this, she continued the villain line in the British drama "Blood Gangster". For five seasons, she played Polly, the aunt of the protagonist of the story, Tommy (Cirjan Murphy), an indispensable figure in the Razor Gangster family, and also earned her several nominations for British television actor awards.
Stills from Blood Gang
In 2003, while acting on a stage play in London, she fell in love with fellow actor Damien Lewis, who was three years younger than her. The two entered the marriage hall in July 2007 and have a son and a daughter.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Helen McLaughley and her husband Damien Lewis launched an online donation campaign to cheer up British medical staff, which eventually raised nearly £1 million. On March 12 of this year, she and her husband went on the MORNING NEWS program of the BRITISH ITV channel, connecting with the host to introduce their good deed.
Editor-in-charge: Cheng Yu
Proofreader: Zhang Liangliang