Among the smoke from the embers and the mist from the river, the menacing silhouettes of men dressed in finely tailored suits and newspaper delivery hats roam. The Peaky Blinders were little more than Birmingham street thugs in real life, but in Steven Knight’s brilliant series, their story rises to the level of myth.
Peaky Blinders is the story of a gang, more specifically, the family that runs the gang. Even more specifically, it’s about the man who leads that gang, as its members work their way from petty criminals to wealthy political actors on the national stage.
In April 2021, the sad news that actress Helen McCrory had passed away from cancer was publicly announced. Following the news, many of the people McCrory worked with on various projects over the years shared her thoughts on her life and career. For example, Michael Sheen, who played Tony Blair and Cherie Blair in “The Queen,” wrote that McCrory was “one of the best actresses of recent times.”
Among several other artists who paid tribute to Helen McCrory was Cillian Murphy, with whom she appeared regularly on the post-World War I British gangster series Peaky Blinders. On the show, the actress plays a character named Polly Gray, the accountant for the Peaky Blinders gang and aunt to gang leader Thomas Shelby, the character played by Murphy. After learning of her passing, the actor shared that he was “heartbroken to lose such a dear friend.”
In January 2022, Cillian Murphy was interviewed ahead of the upcoming Season 6 of Peaky Blinders. to work alongside Helen McCrory and continue filming a new season in her absence. The actor gave an exciting interview that left more than one speechless.
“She was a dear friend and the beating heart of that show, so it felt very strange to be on set without her,” said the actor, who was described as “in a kind of shock” during this part of the show. interview.
“The hard thing to comprehend is that if it wasn’t for Covid, there would be a completely different version of this show with her on board,” he continued, noting how the Peaky Blinders crew initially planned to film their sixth. season during a time when Helen McCrory could have reprized the role from her.
So, by the looks of it, Cillian Murphy had a close working relationship with Helen McCrory, whose accomplishments in life continue to impact both the actor and Peaky Blinders to this day.
“She cared about everyone. She’s so funny, great, and had real warmth. She really was into all the details. She’s never lost anyone like that, so close. She was an absolutely magnificent person.” the.
