Carey Mulligan dedicates her Spirit Award win to late 'Harry Potter' star Helen McCrory

According to People Magazine, while accepting the award virtually, the 35-year-old star honoured the late actor McCrory, who died last week at the age of 52 due to cancer.

"I just want to dedicate this award to a true independent spirit and actress that I have looked up to and will continue to look up to for the rest of my career: Helen McCrory. Thank you to her for everything she gave us," Mulligan said. Mulligan also paid tribute to her fellow nominees, saying, "I'm shocked and in awe and honored to be in this group of extraordinary women and I'm so floored by each and every one of their performances."

She continued, "I need to just thank first and foremost Emerald Fennell for her complete genius in writing and directing and producing this work." Mulligan was nominated alongside Viola Davis for 'Black Bottom', Frances McDormand for 'Nomadland', Nicole Beharie for 'Miss Juneteenth', Sidney Flanigan for 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always' and Julia Garner for 'The Assistant'.

People reported that during her speech, Mulligan also thanked the cast, and credited the whole film crew who worked on the movie. She also acknowledged them for being "painstakingly thoughtful and careful and beautifully sensitive." 'Promising Young Woman' is a 2020 American comedy-thriller film written and directed by Emerald Fennell in her feature directorial debut. It stars Carey Mulligan as a woman who seeks to avenge the death of her best friend, who was a victim of rape. The film is also nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture.

Actor Helen McCrory, who was widely known for playing the role of Narcissa Malfoy in the popular 'Harry Potter' franchise, had passed away, on Friday (local time) after a long battle against cancer. She was 52 when she breathed her last. McCrory's husband, Damian Lewis announced the news on his Twitter handle and wrote, "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."

The late star was also famous for playing the role of Polly Gray in the hit Netflix show 'Peaky Blinders'. Besides that, she also appeared in the James Bond film 'Skyfall', Martin Scorsese's 'Hugo' and played Cherie Booth, wife of U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, in 'The Queen' and 'The Special Relationship'.

In addition to her film and TV roles, McCrory began her career on stage and appeared in more than 25 productions during the 1990s through the mid-2010s. Her stage credits included 'Macbeth', 'Pride and Prejudice', 'As You Like It', 'Medea', and many more.