Helen McCrory's husband wrote a moving tribute to the 'brilliant' person and actress

• "Peaky Blinders" and "Harry Potter" actress Helen McCrory died of cancer at 52 years old.
• Her husband, Damian Lewis, wrote a tribute to her for The Sunday Times.
• "I've lived the life I wanted to," McCrory told her children, according to Lewis.

Damian Lewis wrote a heartfelt tribute to his late wife Helen McCrory for The Sunday Times.

Lewis announced that McCrory, known for her roles in "Peaky Blinders" and the "Harry Potter" films, died of cancer on Friday. She was 52 years old.

"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," Lewis wrote in a tweet.

"She died as she lived. Fearlessly. God we love her and know how lucky we are to have had her in our lives," he went on to say. "She blazed so brightly. Go now, Little One, into the air, and thank you."

McCrory and Lewis got married in 2007, and they had two children: Manon, 14, and Gulliver, 13.

Lewis said McCrory 'consciously spread happiness'

Lewis opened his tribute by celebrating the actress McCrory was, writing that she said "doing theatre is what made my heart sing" before her death.

But he spent much of the tribute writing about McCrory as a person, giving the public an intimate look at her last months.

Lewis wrote that his wife "consciously spread happiness" even as she was dying, making sure to thank her caregivers in her final days. Her graciousness was a theme throughout her illness, according to Lewis.

"One nurse at the Royal Marsden told me once they actually looked forward to Helen coming in because she made their day better," he wrote.

Lewis painted a picture of a woman who was kind, interested in others, and "funny as hell."

"Helen believed you choose happiness," he went on to say. "I've never known anyone able to enjoy life as much."

Lewis also wrote about the loss of McCrory on their teenage children, who he said McCrory "prepared for life."

"Don't be sad, because even though I'm about to snuff it, I've lived the life I wanted to," she told them, according to Lewis.

Celebrities grieved McCrory on social media following her death

Lewis' tribute to his wife was just one of many to flood the internet after her death.

Actors McCrory worked with took to social media to share their sadness at her loss, as did her famous friends and theaters she had worked.

For instance, Chris Rankin, who played Percy Weasley in the "Harry Potter" films, tweeted that McCrory was a "sublime talent."

Likewise, Bonnie Wright, who played Ginny Weasley, wrote on an Instagram Story that McCrory was a "joy to work with" and that the wizarding world would miss her.

McCrory's "Peaky Blinders" castmates celebrated her life as well.

Cillian Murphy, McCrory's "Peaky Blinders" co-star, was a "fearless and magnificent" actor in a statement.

"It was a privilege to have worked with this brilliant woman, to have shared so many laughs over the years," he said. "I will dearly miss my pal."