Entertainment
Damian Lewis attends performance dedicated to late wife Helen McCrory
Damian Lewis was the guest of honour at a performance by the foundation his late wife Helen McCrory was patron of (Picture: Getty)
Damian Lewis visited a performance in London that was dedicated to his late wife Helen McCrory.
The Sir Hubert Von Herkomer Arts Foundation, of which McCrory was a patron, performed A Brave New World in tribute to her four months after she died of cancer aged 52.
Damian, 50, stopped for pictures at the event, wearing a navy blazer over a white T-shirt with grey jeans and trainers. Former model Sadie Frost also attended.
The Billions actor took photos with the HVH Arts founder and CEO Debbi Clark as well as some of the young cast members, including Kalise Gatamba and Breana and Rihanna Caldeira, and directors Selina Giles and Lily Alice Clark.
In a tribute to McCrory on the HVH Arts website, Clark praised her friend as a ‘hero’ and announced a new award she would be creating in her memory.
‘Helen McCrory was a force of nature, passionate, dedicated to the arts and culture. Not only was she one of the world’s most brilliant actors, mesmerising on screen – off screen she was fearless, she was funny, she was selfless, she was a philanthropist and gave so much to so many,’ she said on the site.
‘Helen dedicated so much time off screen to her work with me at HVH ARTS – She was our Patron since we started our charity in 2013, which provides a gateway to the arts supporting disadvantaged children and young people by providing them with the inspiration and tools to develop life-long artistic passions, giving them access to free workshops in the arts.
Damian attended the performance in tribute to his late wife Helen McCrory (Picture: Getty)
The actor and HVH Arts founder and CEO Debbi Clark chat to cast members Riley De-Gragg and Joshua Bamgbose (Picture: Getty)
Damian and Debbi posed with cast members Joshua Bamgbose, Riley De-Gragg, Breanna Caldeira, Rihanna Caldeira, Kalise Gatamba and Sienna Rackal (Picture: Getty)
The performance was put together by Debbi Clark (Picture: Getty)
Sadie Frost with Debbi and Damian (Picture: Getty)
‘Today we have set up the ‘McCrory Award’ in which all donations in the honour of Helen McCrory OBE will be put into this fund.
‘The Award will be given each year to support under privileged young people with their journey in the arts. To enable them to reach their full potential whether it be support in college fees, support for the resources needed to develop their skills in the discipline of their chosen medium, or support with one-on-one tuition in their art.’
She added that the award will be ‘dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people who are gifted in their art, yet many do not have access to the resources, the training, the income to support them fulfil their dream.’
McCrory died in April after a private battle with cancer (Picture: Getty Images)
Debbi concluded: ‘Helen was the most inspiring women I have had the honour to call my friend, my patron, my beautiful one.’
Announcing on social media on April 16 that the Peaky Blinders actress had died, Damian said: ‘I’m heartbroken to announce that after a heroic battle with cancer, the beautiful and mighty woman that is Helen McCrory has died peacefully at home, surrounded by a wave of love from friends and family.
‘She died as she lived. Fearlessly. God we love her and know how lucky we are to have had her in our lives.
More: Damian Lewis
‘She blazed so brightly. Go now, Little One, into the air, and thank you.’
The Homeland star was previously seen in London back on the set of his drama Billions as production on the sixth season got underway.
He plays hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod opposite Paul Giamatti as United States Attorney Chuck Rhoades.
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