Peaky Blinders' Steven Knight on Helen McCrory tribute: "I think we've done it right"
McCrory, who starred in the drama as Polly Gray, passed away last year.
Peaky Blinders season 6 is fast approaching, with the final TV chapter (there's a movie in the works) arriving on Sunday 27th February on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK.
But while Cillian Murphy will be back as Tommy Shelby alongside a number of other fan favourites and some new faces, this will be the first chapter without Polly Gray following the death of Helen McCrory back in April 2021.
When news of McCrory's death was announced by her husband Damian Lewis, there was an outpouring of grief from those in the industry who had worked alongside her and the millions of people who enjoyed her vast and varied career.
McCrory spanned stage and screen, delighting audiences with an array of captivating performances, including that of Polly in the hugely popular BBC crime drama, which will undoubtedly be remembered as some of her very finest work.
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Speaking to RadioTimes.com about how he approached McCrory's absence, Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight said: "The loss of the human being, the loss of Helen is the tragedy. That's the thing. The loss of the character is infinitesimal compared to that. However, it's our job to deal with that.
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"To begin with, Polly was in the series and then incrementally bit by bit, it became apparent that there was less and less she would be able to do. And so in the end, we'd reached a point where we knew that she couldn't be in it at all.
"And then you have to first of all deal with the consequences in terms of the story, taking a moment to deal with the loss of the character, but then knowing that that has a reflection in the real world with the loss of the person. So it was trying to balance all of that, and I think we've done it right."
Speaking about what it was like to film the tribute to McCrory, Sophie Rundle (Ada Thorne) said: "It was really moving. It was really moving, especially actually filming that moment because it's all tied up with the character and with Helen herself.
"It was a devastating thing for all of us. We'd all been in that same boat for 10 years and for her to not be there, it all felt off-kilter and wrong. So in the tribute, that's all real, that emotion. It really was a moment to think about her and what she had been.
"And this show wouldn't have been what it is without her, I really believe that. I really believe that she was fundamental to making Peaky what it is and elevating it to be more than just the script, so it was a huge loss and it was just incredibly sad. I don't know if that sounds oversimplified to say, but it was just incredibly sad and we missed her."
But Rundle went on to say that despite Polly's departure, her presence is still felt throughout season 6: "Whenever Polly left a room, you were always wondering where had she gone, what was she doing, because she's so vibrant. And she really did bring so much more than what you see. I don't know how you do that, but she did just bring something to it.
"She is the heart of it. She's the matriarch of the family, she was the matriarch of the show and so that continues."
Read more:
- Peaky Blinders director shares behind-the-scenes season 6 teaser images
- Peaky Blinders boss on season 6: 'Tommy's biggest enemy is himself'
- Peaky Blinders' Cillian Murphy teases "intense" and "gothic" final season
Peaky Blinders is available to stream on BBC iPlayer and Netflix. Read our guide to the best series on Netflix, check out our Drama hub for more news, interviews and features or find something to watch with our TV guide.
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