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English actor Damian Lewis spoke publicly for the first time about the loss of his wife, actress Helen McCrory.
On January 25, the 50-year-old actor paid an emotional tribute to McCrory during a poetry performance dedicated to the actress, who passed away nine months ago after a long battle with breast cancer.
Damian Lewis dedicates beautiful poem to late wife Helen McCrory
At the National Theatre's poetry night, a recording of McCrory's reading from the event the previous year was screened, and Damian invited friends of his wife of 14 years to take the stage with him.
Poetry advocate Allie Esiri's latest anthology, A Poet For Every Day Of The Year, served as the basis for the show, which included readings from McCrory's friends and colleagues who included Simon Russell Beale, Lesley Sharp, Fay Ripley, and Danny Sapani.
During the ceremony, Lewis was accompanied by his daughter Manon, 15, and son Gulliver, 14, before paying tribute to his 'perfect Helen.' He then turned over the podium to Helen's devoted friends.
"This evening is dedicated to her and it's perfect, because Helen loved the National Theatre. One person whose thunder would absolutely not be stolen was Helen McCrory."
Damian Lewis then concluded his tribute by reading a verse written by Derek Mahon titled Everything Is Going To Be All Right.
As per the Daily Mail, the poetry event concluded with a video of McCrory reading Mary Oliver's verses from Wild Geese.
Other poems performed included Spike Milligan's You Must Never Bath in an Irish Stew and Carol Ann Duffy's Mrs Icarus.
One of the UK's best actresses, McCrory is best known for starring as Narcissa Malfoy in the Harry Potter franchise and Polly Gray in Peaky Blinders. In 2017, she received an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for her services to drama.
Damian Lewis announced McCrory's death online
Lewis announced wife Helen McCrory's death via his Twitter handle, two days after she passed away. Calling her "beautiful and a mighty woman," Lewis said that the actress, who was 52 at the time of passing away, was surrounded by her friends and family during her final moments.
In her personal life, Damian Lewis and McCrory first crossed each other's paths when they were both cast in the play Five Gold Rings at the off-West End Almeida Theater.
The duo dated for three years before getting engaged in 2006. That same year, Damian Lewis and McCrory became parents to daughter Manon McCrory-Lewis.
They married in 2007 amidst friends and family at the Kensington and Chelsea Registry Office in London.
McCrory's last on-screen appearance will be in the upcoming season of the popular English crime-drama series Peaky Blinders.
