Cillian Murphy opens up about filming Peaky Blinders without Helen McCrory

The actor shared that the whole cast and crew are still trying to come to terms with the loss.

Cillian Murphy has spoken about the challenges of shooting Peaky Blinders following the death of his co-star Helen McCrory. Helen, who played Polly in the award-winning series, passed away earlier this year. She had been sick with cancer. Recently, Murphy announced that the final season would be dedicated to the actress' memory. Speaking on the Dermot and Dave Show on Today FM, the Irish actor described how difficult it is to film the series without Helen. "It's desperately sad," Murphy said. "Sad for all of us who knew her, and the people who were close to her and the fans." He continued: "She was like the matriarch of Peaky Blinders, and the person I was closest to. The Polly and Tommy scenes were some of my favourite scenes in the show. It's desperately sad. We're all still trying to come to terms with it." This isn't the first time Cillian Murphy has spoken about the relationship he shared with Helen. In a recent interview with Men's Health, the actor said that the whole cast are "deeply saddened" by the loss. "It's hard to think of the series without her," he said. "She was so much a part of that." Filming for the final season of Peaky Blinders wrapped last month. It is not yet known how the show will explain Polly's absence. Earlier this year, the show's creator Steven Knight hinted that the story may continue in the form of a film. In an interview with Variety, Knight said: "We are in development. It's a fully formed idea and it has a beginning, middle and end." He added that it would be a "fitting conclusion to the story so far."