Jason Isaacs and Tom Felton remember Helen McCrory
The actors and cast behind the Harry Potter franchise remembered their late co-stars during an in memoriam section of the Harry Potter Return To Hogwarts reunion, which aired on Saturday.
Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint led the tributes to the many stars they have lost over the past two decades, since the franchise launched with Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone – including Richard Harris, Alan Rickman and most recently Helen McCrory.
Speaking about appearing on the reunion without their late stars, Emma said: ‘It’s obviously amazing to be back, but so many people we thought would be here for much longer like Helen and Alan and Richard’, while Rupert sadly echoed: ‘They’re like family, just gone too soon’.
Speaking about working with such icons, Daniel said: ‘I feel really lucky to have some little bit of touch with the people who have passed… I’ll be very old one day and say I knew that absolute legend.’
HELEN MCCRORY
PLAYED: Narcissa Malfoy
DIED: April 2021, aged 52
Helen played Draco Malfoy’s mother and Lucius’ wife in 2009’s Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince and 2010 and 2011’s Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2.
She passed away in April this year after a secret ‘heroic battle’ with cancer, her husband Damian Lewis confirmed at the time. The ‘beautiful and mighty’ actress died ‘peacefully’ at home surrounded by friends and family.
Speaking about Helen during the reunion, her on-screen husband and son, played by Jason Isaacs and Tom Felton, lauded the incredibly talented star following their stints with her on-screen.
Jason said: ‘Helen McCrory played my wife. I said I think I’ve just seen the best actress I’ve ever seen in my life. I feel lucky to have worked with her and shared so much frankly adolescent laughter on the set.
There are many tributes to Harry Potter stars who died over the years in HBO Max’s Return to Hogwarts reunion special, but none packs more of an emotional wallop than Tom Felton talking about his on-screen mother, Helen McCrory.
McCrory, who played Draco Malfoy’s mom Narcissa, died in April at the age of 52 after a battle with cancer. Felton, being interviewed solo for this moment in the special, manages to say one thing before tearing up at the thought of her passing.
“She taught me a lot. See? I can’t even say it,” Felton, now 34 years old, begins. Taking a moment, he continues, “She had this ability, yeah, just to sort of show such empathy in her eyes. It was a real treat to work with her.”
You can watch Jason Isaacs’ Tom Felton’s tribute to Helen here.
Jason Isaacs and Tom Felton paying their respects to Helen McCrory (Narcissa Malfoy) who passed away on 16th April 2021. #ReturnToHogwarts pic.twitter.com/CpHdYgRCDh
— Jason Isaacs News (@JasonIsaacsNews) January 1, 2022