“A meteor in our life” Damian Lewis pays tribute to wife Helen McCrory

"She made each person she met feel special."

Actor Damian Lewis wrote a loving tribute to his wife Helen McCrory, who passed away on Friday. The Peaky Blinders actress died at home, after living with cancer. She was 52 years old. Writing in The Sunday Times, Lewis described his late wife as a "meteor in our life" and wrote about her sunny outlook, sense of humour and the gratitude she felt for others. Lewis wrote: "Even when dying in her last few days, even when talking to our wonderful carers, she repeatedly said, 'thank you so much,' in her half delirious state. "She always asked people how they were, always took an interest, made each person she met feel special, as though they were the only person in the room. Gave them her full attention. Made them laugh, always. "There were few funnier people - she was funny as hell." Lewis wrote about how Helen urged him to pursue relationships after her death: "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 anyone." He continued: "Helen believed you choose happiness. I've never known anyone able to enjoy life as much. "Her ability to be in the present and enjoy the moment was inspiration. "Nor was she interested in navel-gazing. No real interest in self-reflection. She believed in looking out, not in. Which was why she was able to turn her light so brightly on others." Lewis and McCrory got married in 2007. They have two children together - a daughter Manon and a son Gulliver. Throughout her life, McCrory enjoyed a prolific acting career with roles in Peaky Blinders, Harry Potter and James Bond. In 2017, she received an OBE for her services to drama.