Helen McCrory has joined the cast of \'His Dark Materials\'.
It was announced today (19.07.19) at San Diego Comic-Con that the 50-year-old actress - who is best known for her roles in the \'Harry Potter\' saga and BBC\'s hit drama \'Peaky Blinders\' - will star in the Beeb and HBO\'s upcoming fantasy adventure based on the novel series of the same name by Philip Pullman.
The show - which is set in an alternate world where all humans have animal companions called dæmons, which are the manifestation of the human soul - already has a stellar cast which includes Dafne Keen, James McAvoy, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ruth Wilson.
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Helen will voice Lord Azrael\'s (McAvoy) snow leopard daemon and the \'Split\' star explained at the event that its "different" to see himself reflected through an animal.
He said:"It\'s a very different kind of relationship with yourself... because you\'ve got a reflection of yourself right in front of you... and everybody else can see your soul as well."
The show centres on young Lyra (Keen), an orphan living with the teachers at Jordan College, who discovers a dangerous secret that involves Lord Asriel and Mrs. Marisa Coulter (Wilson) and James feels the whole series s about "freedom".
He explained: "She\'s [Lyra] trying to understand herself through them. We\'re so, so difficult to get a hold of and this girl just needs to get a hold of something.
"It\'s just heartbreaking. My daemon\'s a snow leopard... he\'s got a very important mission.
"The story won\'t work unless she comes of age and the whole thing is about freedom and Lord Azrael is about gaining that freedom for everyone."
Meanwhile, Ruth is excited to be taking on Mrs. Coulter as an opportunity to portray a character who is "frightening" but "fun".
She added:: "It\'s fun to play a bad character, but she\'s unknowable and frightening for that reason. You\'ll see that she becomes a bit of a monkey when she\'s at her worst. I do something quite nasty to a child. It was quite fun, though!"
30 April 2026 - 9:43 PM
