Early life

McCrory was born in Paddington, London. Her mother, Anne (née Morgans), is Welsh, and her father, Iain McCrory, is a diplomat from Glasgow, Scotland. She is the eldest of three children. She was educated at Queenswood, a Hertfordshire boarding school, after which she spent a year living in Italy. Upon her return to Britain, she began studying acting at the Drama Centre in London.

Career

McCrory won Third Prize at the Ian Charleson Awards for her 1993 performance as Rose Trelawny in Trelawny of the 'Wells' at the National Theatre. In 2002 she was nominated for a London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress (for playing Elena in Chekhov's Uncle Vanya at the Donmar Warehouse). She was later nominated for a 2006 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for her role as Rosalind in As You Like It in London's West End. In April 2008, she made a "compelling" Rebecca West in a production of Ibsen's Rosmersholm at the Almeida Theatre, London.

She appeared in Charles II: The Power and The Passion (2003), as Barbara Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine, and in supporting roles in such films as Interview with the Vampire (1994), Charlotte Gray (2001), The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), and Casanova (2005). In The Queen (2006) she played Cherie Blair, a role she reprised in Peter Morgan's follow-up The Special Relationship.

She appeared in a modernised TV adaptation of Frankenstein's Monster, simply called Frankenstein. Her first pregnancy forced her to pull out of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), in which she had been cast as Bellatrix Lestrange (she was replaced by Helena Bonham Carter). McCrory was later cast as Bellatrix's sister Narcissa Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, released in July 2009. McCrory reprised her role in the final films, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2; McCrory's performance was well received by fans of the books. She also played the principal villain role of Rosanna Calvierri in the episode "The Vampires of Venice" of the BBC television series Doctor Who.

McCrory starred in The Last of the Haussmans at the Royal National Theatre, which began 12 June 2012. The production was broadcast to cinemas around the world on 11 October 2012 through the National Theatre Live programme.

In 2013, McCrory narrated poetry for The Love Book App, an interactive anthology of love literature developed by Allie Byrne Esiri. Again, in 2013 McCrory played 'Lady Macbeth' at the Little Angel Theatre. She plays Polly Gray in 'Peaky Blinders'

In 2014, McCrory played the title role in the National Theatre's production of Medea, directed by Carrie Cracknell. Also in 2014, McCrory made a guest appearance on the TV series Penny Dreadful. She returned as a regular for the show's second season, playing the main antagonist.

Personal life

On 4 July 2007, McCrory married actor Damian Lewis. They have a daughter, Manon (b. 8 September 2006), and a son, Gulliver (b. 2 November 2007). They live in London. She is an Honorary Patron of the London children's charity Scene & Heard.

Roles

Film and television

Year	Title	Role	Other notes
1993	Full Stretch	Vicki Goodall	Television series Episode: "Risky Business"
	Performance	Jean Rice	Television film
1994	Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles	2nd Whore	Film
	Uncovered	Lola	Film
1995	Streetlife	Jo	Television film BAFTA Cymru Award for Best Actress 1995 Monte-Carlo Television Festival Silver Nymph - Best Actress (winner) 1995 Royal Television Society - Best Actress (winner)
	Rik Mayall Presents Dirty Old Town	Claire	Television film
1996	Fragile Heart, TheThe Fragile Heart	Nicola Pascoe	Mini-series 1997 Critics' Circle Awards - Best Actress (nominee)
	Witness Against Hitler	Freya von Moltke	Television film
	Scene		Television series Episode: "Environment" "The People Are the Forest"
1997	James Gang, TheThe James Gang	Bernadette James	Film
	Trial & Retribution	Anita Harris	Mini-series
1998	Spoonface Steinberg	Mother	Television film
	Stand and Deliver	Christina	Television film
	Dad Savage	Chris	Film
1999	Split Second	Angie Anderson	Television film
2000	Anna Karenina	Anna Karenina	Mini-series
	Hotel Splendide	Lorna Bull	Film
	North Square	Rose Fitzgerald	Television series 2001 Broadcasting Press Guild - Best Actress (winner) 2001 London Critics' Circle Awards - Best Actress (winner)
2001	In a Land of Plenty	Mary Freeman	Mini-series
	Charlotte Gray	Francoise	Film
2002	Count of Monte Cristo, TheThe Count of Monte Cristo	Valentina Villefort	Film
	Jury, TheThe Jury	Rose Davies	Mini-series
	Dickens	Kate Dickens	Mini-series
	Deep Down	Dana	Short film
	Dead Gorgeous	Antonia Ashton	Television film
2003	Does God Play Football	Sarah Ward	Short film
	Lucky Jim	Margaret Peel	Television film
	Carla	Carla French	Television film
	Charles II: The Power and The Passion	Barbara Villiers	Mini-series Satellite Award - Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television (nominee) 2004/5 L.A. Television Awards - Best Actress (nominee)
2004	Enduring Love	Mrs. Logan	Film
	Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking	Jenny Vandeleur	Television film
2005	Messiah 4 : The Harrowing	Dr. Rachel Price	Mini-series
	Casanova	Casanova's Mother	Film
2006	Normal for Norfolk	Clare	Short film
	Queen, TheThe Queen	Cherie Blair	Film 2007 London Film Critics' Circle - Best British Actress in a Supporting Role (nominee) Nominated: ALFS Award
2007	Becoming Jane	Mrs. Radcliffe	Film
	Frankenstein	Dr. Victoria Frankenstein	Television film
2008	Flashbacks of a Fool	Peggy Tickell	Film
2009	Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince	Narcissa Malfoy	Film
	Fantastic Mr. Fox	Mrs. Bean	Film Voice role
	Life	Amanda Puryer, Mickey Rayborn's security specialist	Television series
2010	Doctor Who	Rosanna Calvierri	Television series Episode: "The Vampires of Venice"
	4.3.2.1	Mrs. Jones	Film
	Special Relationship, TheThe Special Relationship	Cherie Blair	Television film
	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1	Narcissa Malfoy	Film
2011	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2		Film
	Hugo	Mama Jeanne	Film
	Phineas and Ferb	Lucy Fletcher	Television series Episode "My Fair Goalie"
2012	We'll Take Manhattan	Lady Clare Rendlesham	Television film
	Flying Blind	Frankie	Film
	Skyfall	Clair Dowar	Film
	Leaving	Julie Ranmore	Mini-series
	The Cable Club (Soho)	Stella	Short film
2013-	Peaky Blinders	Aunt Polly (Elizabeth) Gray, née Shelby	Television series 2014 Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels - Best Actress in a Television Series (winner)
2014	Inside No. 9	Tabitha	Television series Episode: "The Harrowing"
	A Little Chaos	Madame Françoise Le Nôtre	Film
	Tommy Cooper: Not Like That, Like This	Mary Kay	Television film
2014-15	Penny Dreadful	Evelyn Poole	Television series Satellite Award - Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television (pending) Critics' Choice Television Awards-Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series(Pending)
2015	The Woman in Black: Angel of Death	Jean Hogg	Film
	Bill	Queen Elizabeth I	Film
	To Appomattox	Julia Grant	Mini-series
2016	Their Finest Hour and a Half		Filming
2016	Once Upon a Time	Series		TBA

Stage production

Year	Title	Role	Other notes
1990	The Importance of Being Earnest	Gwendoline
	Teechers	Gail
1990	Macbeth	Witch
1991	Pride and Prejudice	Lydia Bennet
	Blood Wedding	Bride	1992 Manchester Evening News - Best Actress (winner)
1992	Fuente Ovejuna	Jacinta
	Don't Fool With Love	Camille
1993	Trelawny of the 'Wells'	Rose Trelawny	Ian Charleson Award Third Prize
1994	Venice Preserved	Belvidera
	The Seagull	Nina Mikhailovna Zarechnaya
	The Devil's Disciple	Judith Anderson
1995	Keely And Du	Keely
	Macbeth	Lady Macbeth	1995 Shakespeare Globe Awards - Richard Burton Award For Most Promising Newcomer (winner)
1996	Les Enfants Du Paradis	Garance
1998	In a Little World of Our Own
	How I Learned to Drive	Li'I Bit
1999	The Triumph of Love	Princess Leonide (alias Phocion)
2001	Platonov	Anna Petrovna
2002	Uncle Vanya	Yelena	2002 Evening Standard Theatre - Best Actress (nominee) 2003 What's On Stage Theatregoers' Choice Awards - Best Actress in a Play (nominee) 2003 Drama Desk Awards - Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play (nominee) (Uncle Vanya)
	Twelfth Night	Olivia
2003	Five Gold Rings	Miranda
2004	Old Times	Anna
2006	As You Like It	Rosalind	2006 What's On Stage Theatregoers' Choice Awards - Best Actress in a Play (nominee) 2006 Olivier Awards - Best Actress (nominee)
	Orson's Shadow	Vivien Leigh
	A Tribute to Look Back in Anger	Helena Charles
2008	Rosmersholm	Rebecca West
2010-12	The Late Middle Classes	Celia Smithers	2011 What's On Stage Theatregoers' Choice Awards - Best Actress in a Play (nominee) 2012 Royal Television Society - Best Actress (nominee)
2010	Energy Source	Imagination
2011	Cries from the Heart: The Iron Rice Bowl
2012	The Last of the Haussmans	Libby	2013 Glamour Awards - Theatre Actress of the Year (winner) 2013 What's On Stage Theatregoers' Choice Awards - Best Supporting Actress in a Play (nominee) 2013 Olivier Awards - Best Actress in a Supporting Role (nominee)
2013	Macbeth	Lady Macbeth
2014	Medea	Medea	2015 Critics' Circle Theatre Award - Actress (win) 2014 London Evening Standard Theatre awards - Actress (nominee)
2016	The Deep Blue Sea	Hester Collyer

[ Source: Wikipedia ]