Inside Helen McCroy's will and eye-watering 'fortune' she left husband Damian Lewis

Helen McCrory: Cillian Murphy on 'desperately sad' loss

Helen McCrory tragically passed away in 2021 from breast cancer. The Peaky Blinders and Harry Potter star left her entire six-figure estate to her nearest and dearest,as she urged her family to move on. 

The news of her death came as a shock to many, as fans has absolutely no idea that she was battling the illness, which she had been diagnosed with just months earlier. Her husband, fellow actor Damian Lewis, announced the news in a “heartbroken” statement, with tributes pouring in from fans, colleagues and celebrities. 

Helen was much loved for her role in Peaky Blinders, where she portrayed the character of Polly Gray. The drama also paid tribute to the late actress in its final season. 

In mid-2022 McCrory’s will was made public, revealing where the star’s lifetime of earnings and estate had gone.  In her death, she left behind Lewis, to whom she had been married since 2007, and her two sons Manon and Gulliver. 

Her will detailed that the entire value of her estate, £857,257.12, went into a trust for Lewis, their sons and any potential grandchildren that may have in the future. 

Helen left Damian a fortune when she died (Image: Getty)

Damian also later shared that the beloved actress urged him to do one thing as she lay on her deathbed. He explained that she had asked him to live his life to his fullest.

He shared: "She said to us from her bed, 'I want daddy to have girlfriends, lots of them, you must all love again, love isn't possessive, but you know, Damian, try at least to get through the funeral without snogging someone’."

It was reported that at the time of her death, McCrory and her husband had a combined net worth of $25million (£20million) according to Celebrity Net Worth. 

The London-born actress had started her entertainment career at the National Theatre in the early Nineties. She quickly racked up acting award nominations throughout the early Noughties for her stage work and eventually found herself performing on the West End. 

Originally the final season of Peaky Blinders was set to begin filming in March 2020 and McCrory was reportedly excited to be a part of it. 

Helen died from cancer (Image: Getty)

However, due to the pandemic, filming was delayed until the start of 2021 when McCrory could no longer take part due to her deteriorating health. 

In the very first episode of the season a tribute was made to the late actress through her character. 

Her absence was described as “a hole in the heart of Peaky Blinders”, with an emotional cast saying their tearful goodbyes both on and off camera. 

Star of Peaky Blinders, Cillian Murphy, explained the heartache of this loss in an interview with Empire Magazine, detailing his sadness at the delayed filming schedule. 

He said: “What I always feel sad about is that we were about to shoot and then the pandemic happened and we had to stop. If we had shot then, Helen would've been in the show, and that makes me feel sad."