Damian Lewis recalls touching Soccer Aid gesture from late wife Helen McCrory
She supported him at his first match
Actor Damian Lewis has again paid tribute to his late wife Helen McCrory, following her sad passing in April last year. Damian is due to appear at the annual Soccer Aid on 12th June this year, and ahead of the match, he has recalled a touching gesture Helen did for him at his first game.
Damian has been involved with the charity event since it began in 2006 and speaking on Good Morning Britain, he recalled how Helen surprised him when she came to the event for the first time. He explained how she had decorated his hotel room to surprise him, saying: "It was covered in Union Jack bunting and England flags everywhere which she'd gone out and bought. (She had) decorated the room with."
As well as describing Helen as a "fabulous human being", he added: "She's with us. She's with us again this year."
After the Harry Potter actress died of breast cancer last year, Damian spoke about Helen publicly for the first time at a poetry night dedicated to her in January. He read the poem Everything Is Going To Be Alright by Derek Mahon, and during a speech said: "One person whose thunder would absolutely not be stolen was Helen McCrory."
Tributes were also made in Peaky Blinders, in which Helen had starred as Aunt Polly for the first five series. Filming for the sixth season of Peaky Blinders was delayed due to Covid-19 which meant that Helen did not appear in the series. However, the first episode was dedicated to Helen, and Aunt Polly's voice appeared in the second episode to issue a warning to her family.
Cillian Murphy who plays Tommy Shelby said of her passing: "It's a huge loss; it's hard to comprehend it. Because she was the matriarch of the whole thing. As the character, but just also as her personality. But she's still present in series 6."
Take a look through the amazing cast of Peaky Blinders:
Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby, Season 1-6
Cillian Murphy is best known for his roles in 28 Days Later, Inception, Dunkirk, A Quiet Place Part II and Oppenheimer, but is also a talented musician. He plays the main character of Tommy Shelby in the show - head of the Shelby crime family and, later, Labour MP for Birmingham.
Of his role on the show, Cillian said: "I'm not a tough guy at all so it was by far the toughest character I have ever portrayed, and him being so physical and the amount of respect and fear that this family has in this town means that we all had to look tough. I've been a fan of Steven Knight's work for quite a while and the quality just jumped off the page. It's just very unusual and very compelling and the character Tom Shelby is kind of an enigma."
Will Cillian Murphy be in the Peaky Blinders film as Tommy Shelby? Yes
Helen McCrory as Polly Gray, Season 1-6
Helen McCrory played Aunt Polly Gray in Peaky Blinders, the matriarch of the family. Helen was a prolific actress, having worked for many years in film, TV and on-stage - with roles as Narcissa Malfoy in the last three Harry Potter films, in James Bond film Skyfall, a plethora of theatre roles and plenty of TV credits. Helen heartbreakingly passed away in April 2021 at the age of 52, and although she didn't feature in the final season, they were able to use sound footage of her speaking to round off her storyline.
Of the role, Helen said: "I play Aunt Polly who has run this gang for four years while the boys are away in the trenches. You come to the family when they come back. We know she's had a past life of a man and children and in the series we find out who they are.
"But she really is the brains with Tommy behind the family and you see the difference of how to rule. One from a male point of view, which is much more physical and violent and threatening, and one from a female point of view, which is just as physically violent and threatening, but is also psychological."
Paul Anderson as Arthur Shelby Jr, Season 1-6
Paul Anderson plays Arthur Shelby Jr. on the show, the eldest Shelby son. Having starred in The Revenant and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Paul is no stranger to a gritty drama. He's also had roles in Brimstone, Legend, Robin Hood and In the Heart of the Sea.
He said: "They're the most interesting roles to play: violent, brutal, dark characters. There's so much scope because you can do the obvious brutish kind of stuff, but then you can play the sort of different layers with a violent man. There's a reason for that sort of behaviour and mentality. Men were hard men and if they weren't then they were left behind. It was a pleasure to play Arthur Shelby. Much better than playing the nice guy."
Will Paul Anderson be in the Peaky Blinders film as Arthur Shelby? Unconfirmed
Sophie Rundle as Ada Thorne, Season 1-6
Sophie Rundle portrays the only sister among the Shelby family - Ada, who secretly married Tommy's wartime friend, Freddie Thorne. Although Freddie passed away early on in the series, Ada has grown hugely as a character. Sophie is best known for her roles in The Bletchley Circle, Episodes, Gentleman Jack and Bodyguard, and has also appeared in Happy Valley, Call the Midwife, The Nest, The Diplomat and After the Flood.
She said: "She's the sister of the Peaky Blinder boys and as much as all the boys are these sort of wild, vicious, ruthless characters, she's a real sort of feral wild child but, because she's a girl in that time she sort of channels her energy quite differently.
"Everything that you imagine about the 20s, the flapper girls and the bright young things, Ada kind of embodies a lot of that. She's part of this new generation with all this energy that's looking for a change after the First World War. So she's sort of wild and bright and full of energy."
Will Sophie Rundle be in the Peaky Blinders film as Ada Thorne? Yes
Natasha O'Keeffe as Lizzie Stark, Season 1-6
Natasha O'Keeffe portrays Lizzie Stark on the show, Tommy's on-off lover, mother of his child Ruby and later, his wife. Best known for her roles in Misfits, Lip Service and Jekyll and Hyde, she also had a main role in the 2016 Christmas special of Sherlock as Emelia Ricoletti. She's currently starring in the Amazon adaptation of The Wheel of Time.
She said: "It's always lovely to step on in character, in your full costume and become part of that Peaky world. Particularly for Lizzie, when she's in the office, you can feel her stationery and flick through her personal papers.
"Even those things, when you read the papers, the designers and props team have thought of every detail. The numbers in the books are all relevant to what Lizzie does. I'm blown away by the attention to detail."
Will Natasha O'Keeffe be in the Peaky Blinders film as Lizzie Stark? Unconfirmed
Ned Dennehy as Charlie Strong, Season 1-6
Charlie is the uncle of Tommy and his siblings, working at the dockyard and often helping out in their schemes alongside his assistant Curly - he is thought to be their mother's brother.
Ned had a role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, Irish comedy TV series The Young Offenders, as well as Parade's End, Luther, Banished, Dickensian, Good Omens, Outlander, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon and Shōgun.
Will Ned Dennehy be in the Peaky Blinders film as Charlie Strong? Yes
Ian Peck as Curly, Season 1-6
Curly is Charlie's assistant at the yard. Although he's not a known relation to the Shelby family, he's a very loyal and devoted member of the Peaky Blinders. It's never been discussed by the characters, but Curly is portrayed as having learning difficulties.
Ian recently starred in His Dark Materials as Cardinal Sturrock, and also had a role as the Arch Deacon in Hollywood film Robin Hood. He also had a small role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
Will Ian Peck be in the Peaky Blinders film as Curly? Yes
Harry Kirton as Finn Shelby, Season 2-6
Harry Kirton has played Finn Shelby in the show since series two, taking over the role from Alfie Evans-Meese who played the role in the first season. Other than Peaky Blinders, Harry has starred in We Can Be Heroes as Tyler and also 18, a short film.
Finn Cole as Michael Gray, Season 2-6
The Shelbys' cousin Michael Gray is actually played by former Peaky star Joe Cole's real-life brother, Finn Cole. Finn came into the show in during series two, when Tommy was able to locate Polly's biological son who'd been taken away from her as a young child.
Finn has also starred in 2018 film Slaughterhouse Rulez as well as US TV show Animal Kingdom. He was also in film Dreamland alongside Margot Robbie, and portrayed young Jakob Toretto in F9, the ninth film in the Fast and the Furious franchise. Finn reunited with his on-screen wife Anya Taylor-Joy in Here Are the Young Men, acted in Netflix's Locked In in 2023 and starred alongside Woody Harrelson in 2025's Last Breath.
Tom Hardy as Alfie Solomons, Season 2-6
Tom Hardy joined the cast in series two as Alfie Solomons, the leader of a Jewish gang based in Camden Town, London. Although they have their differences and are often on opposing sides, Alfie and Tommy are close friends. Unfortunately, at the end of series four, Alfie revealed to Tommy that he had cancer and taunted Tommy into killing him so he wouldn't suffer any longer. In a huge twist, Alfie returned in the fifth season, having survived the gunshot AND recovered from the illness.
He returned once more for the final season, having not been originally written into it - but actor Tom Hardy was able to influence Steven Knight to bring Alfie back.
Will Tom Hardy be in the Peaky Blinders film as Alfie Solomons? Unconfirmed
Charlotte Riley as May Carleton, Season 2 & 4
Tom's real-life wife Charlotte Riley plays May Carleton, a professional horse trainer and widow, who takes Tommy as an occasional lover. Best known for her roles in Wuthering Heights, Edge of Tomorrow and Swimming with Men, she also starred in TV series Press, a 2019 BBC adaptation of A Christmas Carol and is filming in Mattel's Masters of the Universe.
Of her character, she told the Independent: "In her Tommy finds a kind of equal – she's financially independent, she doesn't need a partner. It's quite interesting to watch the power struggle. Steve writes really fantastic female characters who are moving forward. They're active, not just supporting."
Aimée-Ffion Edwards as Esme Shelby, Season 1-4 & 6
Skins fans will recognise Esme Shelby's Aimée-Ffion Edwards as Lucy AKA Sketch, who was a character in the first generation and had an obsession with character Maxxie. Other than Skins, she has starred in Being Human, Luther and Wolf Hall, as well as Death In Paradise, Thunderbirds Are Go, Detectorists, Loaded, Slow Horses and War of the Worlds.
Esme is a daughter in the Lee Gypsy family, who is married to John Shelby by way of a truce and to start a deal between the two families. When John was killed by the Changretta family, Esme took her and John's children and left Birmingham, steering clear throughout the remainder of season 4 and the entirety of season 5. However, she returned for two episodes in the final series after Tommy reached out for help following his daughter Ruby's illness.
Will Aimée-Ffion Edwards be in the Peaky Blinders film as Esme Shelby? Unconfirmed
Kate Phillips as Linda Shelby, Season 3-6
Kate Phillips joined the cast of Peaky Blinders in series three as the devout Christian wife of Arthur, who is always trying to influence him to be a better man. Kate is best known for her role in Wolf Hall as Jane Seymour, and also for her roles in War & Peace, The Crown and My Mother and Other Strangers. She also appeared in the Downton Abbey film as Princess Mary, plus TV shows Miss Scarlet and The Duke, Atlanta and Hijack.
Of Linda's new approach to crime in series four, Kate said: "Linda has had to re-evaluate her tactics. No matter how much she tries to reform Arthur, she must realise that she has to adapt if she wants to keep him. As much as she'd like to resist, she needs to follow Tommy's lead in order to stay alive. In the end she comes to realise, 'If you can't beat them, join them' and as a result has to become a bit of a Peaky herself."
Sam Claflin as Oswald Mosley, Season 5-6
Sam Claflin joined the cast for season five as Oswald Mosley, a real-life British politician who became leader of the British Union of Fascists in the 1930s. Having starred in The Nightingale, Adrift, Enola Holmes and Daisy Jones & the Six, he's also well-known for his roles in Me Before You and the Hunger Games film franchise.
Of joining the show, he said: "From Steven Knight's writing to the consistently brilliant production, I couldn't feel more privileged to be invited to join this iconic show."
Will Sam Claflin be in the Peaky Blinders film as Oswald Mosley? Unconfirmed
Anya Taylor-Joy as Gina Gray, Season 5-6
Anya Taylor-Joy, who is best known for her roles in The Queen's Gambit, The Miniaturist, Split and The Witch, also joined the cast for the fifth season as Michael's wife, Gina Gray. She was immediately distrusted by the Shelby family, having married Michael shortly after they met - and Michael's mum Polly was certainly NOT a fan. Constantly encouraging Michael to push Tommy out and take over, she became pregnant with his child, and it's implied that she returned to her home of America after Michael's death.
In an interview with WIRED, Anya called her character a "real piece of work", adding: "I get very weirdly embarrassed when people tell me that they really like me in Peaky Blinders because she's awful! I struggle watching me as Gina, so when people are like, 'Oh, you're great in that show,' I'm like, 'Oh God, you've seen me terrible to people?'" - but added that being in the show was "really, really fun."
Will Anna Taylor-Joy be in the Peaky Blinders film as Gina Gray? Unconfirmed
Stephen Graham as Hayden Stagg - Season 6
With roles in Snatch, Line of Duty and This Is England to name but a few, there never was a more perfect addition to the Peaky Blinders cast than man of the moment Stephen Graham. He was long-rumoured to be on the show, and made his appearance as Hayden Stagg in two episodes of the final series. He's also been confirmed to appear in the Peaky Blinders film.
Aside from the roles previously mentioned, Stephen has also been in Gangs of New York, Public Enemies, Pirates of the Carribean, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Journey's End, Rocketman, The Irishman, Band of Brothers, Boardwalk Empire, Little Boy Blue, The Virtues and White House Farm.
Will Stephen Graham be in the Peaky Blinders film as Hayden Stagg? Yes
Joe Cole as John Shelby, Season 1-4
Joe Cole played the role of John Shelby on the show, before he was tragically killed off in season four in an act of revenge by the Changretta family. Joe is best known for his role in Peaky, but also for an episode of Black Mirror and a recurring role on Pure as well as the lead in Gangs of London. He's also had roles in Against the Ice, The Damned, The Actor and Nightsleeper.
Of leaving the show, he told the Independent: "It was business as usual really, just wrapping what's been a fantastic period of my life. Because the shooting scene didn't require a lot of the main cast and because we have different crews each year it was a pretty low-key exit to be honest.
"I had other projects on and I felt it was the right time to go, really. So it was just a case of feeling like letting some of the other characters grow."
Steven Knight added: "Sometimes it's to do with the character. Sometimes it's to do with... you know, Peaky is getting a huge amount of attention, in the States and here in the UK, so our actors are being picked up for other things.
"When they get picked up for other things, we're not like the American system where you tie the actor in for five series from the beginning and they can't leave. All our people are free to leave whenever they want. We wouldn't have it any other way, but we have to factor that in."
Annabelle Wallis as Grace Shelby, Season 1-3 & 5
Annabelle Wallis portrayed Grace, initially an undercover spy informing on Tommy for Inspector Campbell, but she fell in love with the Peaky leader and couldn't carry on. When Tommy discovered her betrayal, she married an American and moved there, but returned to the UK in series two to seek fertility treatment. She and Tommy spent a night of passion together and when she fell pregnant, she left her husband and the pair finally got together and married. Sadly, Grace was killed by the mafia in season three, but returned to Tommy as a ghost in the fifth season.
Annabelle played Jane Seymour in The Tudors, and also starred in The Mummy alongside Tom Cruise as Jenny Halsey. She had a small role in X-Men: First Class, as well as King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Malignant, Silent Night and Star Trek: Discovery.
Sam Neill as Major Campbell, Season 1-2
Major Campbell was Tommy's major opposition in seasons one and two. He was brought in by Winston Churchill to retrieve some stolen guns, but things got very complicated when both he and Tommy fell for Campbell's mole, Grace... After causing havoc for the family throughout season two, he was finally bumped off when Polly shot him in the gut in one of the most brilliant TV deaths of all time.
Sam is probably best known as Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park film series and as Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in The Tudors. He's also starred in The Hunt For Red October, The Piano, Hunt for the Wilderpeople and many more.
Iddo Goldberg as Freddie Thorne - Season 1
Iddo Goldberg played Freddie Thorne in Peaky Blinders season one, and is best known for his roles in Secret Diary of a Call Girl, US horror series Salem and in the Netflix adaptation of Snowpiercer. He's never spoken out about leaving the show - apart from to say how much he enjoyed being a part of it.
Iddo portrayed Freddie Thorne in the first season, Tommy's former best mate, war comrade and eventual nemesis. His relationship with Ada was a huge issue for the ex-friends, as well as his Communist beliefs. Freddie married Ada in the first season and the couple welcomed a son, Karl. Right at the end, Freddie has Tommy's back once again, helping him defeat Billy Kimber's gang. Unfortunately, although his character is mentioned in the second season, he doesn't appear - having died of pestilence or Spanish flu off-screen, and the first episode sees the family at his funeral.
Adrien Brody as Luca Changretta, Season 4
Hollywood star Adrien Brody was the main antagonist of season four, seeking revenge against the Shelbys for the death of his father and brother, Vicente and Angel. Known for an incredibly lengthy career, Adrien's most well-known films are The Pianist, King Kong, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Succession and The Brutalist among many others.
Of playing the role, Adrien told the BBC: "It's a dream role for me in a lot of ways. I'm really grateful, Steve said he had me in mind to play this role. Interestingly, I've always found it odd that I haven't had an opportunity to quite play this character in my relatively lengthy career. It leaves me wanting a bit more but it's really fun to embrace. That's the beauty of acting and the process that even if you're playing a bad person, there's an ability to have playfulness with a world that is vastly entertaining to watch but also to embody."
He added to GQ in 2021: "I didn't really have a desire to do much television... And they started doing such good television. It wasn't like I had sought out, 'I want to find great television project.' Steven Knight came to me for that role, which I really appreciated, because that's a character I've longed to play - someone with that kind of flavour. They don't make that many movies like that either, right? That show is something, it's got something. And so that was very exciting."
Aidan Gillen as Aberama Gold, Season 4-5
Aidan Gillen joined Peaky Blinders in series four as Aberama Gold, and was described as a 'dangerous' ally for the Shelbys. He became a lover to Polly late in the season - but sadly, Aberama was killed at the end of season five. Aidan is best known for his portrayal of Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish in Game of Thrones, but also for his role in The Wire, Queer as Folk and in the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody as the band's manager, John Reid.
Of joining the cast, Aidan said: "I take things quite literally. The name is quite big and sounds like some kind of a showman, which he is in his way, a larger-than-life figure. In the case of Aberama, I think it's quite important the way the other characters react in such aghast to the idea that they're going to roll this guy in."
Steven Knight later expressed regret at having killed Aberama off, telling Esquire in 2025: "I should have kept him alive; I could have just wounded him."
Charlie Murphy as Jessie Eden, Season 4-5
Charlie Murphy joined Peaky Blinders in series four as Jessie Eden, based on a real-life person of the same name - a support of the Communist cause and a union convenor who Tommy takes as a lover to manipulate her. Charlie has also starred in Love/Hate, Misfits, Ripper Street and Happy Valley.
Of joining the cast, Charlie said: "She's no damsel in distress. They are two people who have been through so much loss, and they found some comfort in each other. Tommy has definitely met his match in regards to education, that wit and quick thinking. She's a great chess player, just like him. She enjoys his company, and being exercised in some way by another great mind."
Charlie revealed to Digital Spy in 2021 that she would not be returning to Peaky Blinders for season 6, and although the reason for her departure was not discussed, she said a spin-off about Jessie Eden would thoroughly interest her: "I just think she was an incredible woman, and she's a bit of a spy. There's so much. I mean, you could make a TV series about her for sure."
Brian Gleeson as Jimmy McCavern, Season 5
Brian Gleeson, who has starred in Phantom Thread, Logan Lucky, Top Boy, The Mandalorian and Bad Sister, is also the son of prolific actor Brendan Gleeson and brother of Domnhall Gleeson. He joined the cast in season five as Jimmy McCavern, the leader of the Billy Boys gang from Glasgow, and committed some pretty heinous acts - including crucifying Bonnie Gold, the son of Aberama Gold. He did not appear in season six, but didn't die either... Meaning he could make an appearance in the upcoming film.
Of joining the show, he said: "Looking forward to kicking around in the mud of Northern England with an exceptional cast and crew. The scripts are wild and pertinent - a classic Peaky brew." After being in the show, he told Yahoo! Entertainment: "It's one of those shows, it's big emotions. Once you realise that, you're away. You just have to enjoy it, then."
Will Brian Gleeson be in the Peaky Blinders film as Jimmy McCavern? Unconfirmed
Emmett J. Scanlan as Billy Grade, Season 5-6
Former Hollyoaks star Emmett J. Scanlan joined the cast of Peaky Blinders in season five as Billy Grade, a footballer turned singer who caught the attention of the Shelby family. Emmett is best known for his role on Hollyoaks as Brendan Brady, but he's also had roles in The Fall, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Deceived and Gangs of London.
Billy started off on the show as an innocent footballer-turned-singer, but ended up being brought down to the depths of Peaky Blinders society. He turns out to be pretty pivotal in the demise of the Shelby family - ratting them out to the IRA, which foils their assassination attempt on Oswald Mosley and ultimately causes the death of Polly. Yikes. Safe to say, he gets his comeuppance at the end.
Conrad Khan as Duke Shelby - Season 6
Conrad Khan joined the show for season six, portraying Tommy's illegitimate son Duke who is introduced by John's widow, Esme, and whose mother, Zelda, had passed away. Conrad has appeared in Black Mirror and played a young version of Chris Hemsworth's character in 2016 film The Huntsman: Winter's War. He also had a role in Paramount+ series The Burning Girls.
Although he's not confirmed as appearing in the upcoming Peaky Blinders film, his character was very much left with potential to return. Even if he doesn't reprise his role in The Immortal Man, he may yet feature in one of the spin-offs - with Conrad himself, telling the Standard in 2022: "The way that the season plays out, it is set up for me to have some kind of future."
Amber Anderson as Lady Diana Mitford - Season 6
Amber Anderson joined the cast in season six as Oswald Mosley's wife and real-life fascist, Lady Diana Mitford. After her casting announcement in February 2021, she said she was "beyond thrilled" to be joining the show. Amber is best known for her roles in the 2020 adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma. as Jane Fairfax alongside fellow Peaky star Anya Taylor-Joy, as well as a role in a 2013 episode of Black Mirror and The Riot Club as Lady Anne.
James Frecheville as 'Uncle' Jack Nelson - Season 6
James Frecheville also joined the show in season six, portraying 'Uncle' Jack Nelson. The Australian actor is best known for his roles in films such as Animal Kingdom, The Stanford Prison Experiment, Creation Stories and Black '47, even appearing in a couple of episodes of the hit TV show New Girl. He was also in series Transparent, Requiem, The Pursuit of Love and Masters of the Air.
Jack was Gina Gray's uncle and a crime boss back in Boston, who supported the fascist movement and immediately got Tommy's guard up. He was also Michael's boss in the US, and was involved in his plot to kill Tommy. He didn't appear in the season finale, leaving his character storyline unresolved - and with his business significantly diminished after the deaths of Billy Grade and Michael at Tommy's hands, it'd be a surprise if he didn't appear in the upcoming film. Time will tell.
You can watch Damian Lewis taking part in Soccer Aid 2022 on 12th June.
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