Peaky Blinders: What Happened To Helen McCrory’s Polly Gray? – Looper

In June 2022, Tommy Shelby himself, Cillian Murphy, and “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight discussed Helen McCrory’s death and how it impacted the story of Polly Gray and Season 6 at large. According to the former, had it not been for the actor’s death, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic halting production on the batch of episodes, McCrory’s Polly would’ve appeared frequently throughout. “Helen would’ve been in the series if we had shot in 2020, so she’s very much part of the series. Her influence is still in there, particularly for Tommy,” he explained to Entertainment Weekly.

Once the call was made to write Polly off, then came the conversation of how to pull it off effectively and respectfully. “The idea that Polly’s alive, but she’s gone to America, or something wasn’t right. We wanted to pay tribute to the character and hopefully the actor at the same time, so we wanted that to be part of the show,” Knight explained to the publication. Seeing as the demise of McCrory’s Polly goes on to completely change the complexion of Season 6, it’s safe to say Knight and his crew did just that.

Despite her unexpected absence from Season 6, there’s no denying the impact Helen McCrory and her performances as Polly Gray had on “Peaky Blinders.” Without her, the series simply wouldn’t be the same.