His Dark Materials finds new Stelmaria actress to succeed the late Helen McCrory
The team behind His Dark Materials has found an actress to step into the role of Stelmaria, a character previously voiced by the late Helen McCrory.
Victoria Hamilton, who can currently be seen on Sky original series Cobra, will serve as the voice of Stelmaria, the snow leopard daemon of Lord Asriel (James McAvoy), in the HBO fantasy series for its third and final season, EW has learned exclusively.
Hamilton is known for roles on Fox's Deep State, Netflix's The Crown, and BBC One's Life.
HBO Victoria Hamilton steps in for the late Helen McCrory as the voice of Stelmaria, Asriel's daemon, in 'His Dark Materials' season 3.
McCrory, the Harry Potter and Peaky Blinders actress, voiced Stelmaria on His Dark Materials in season 1. McAvoy's Asriel and his daemon were barely present in season 2, and even then didn't have any dialogue. McCrory died at the age of 52 after a long battle with cancer in April 2021, just before principal photography began on the third season in June of that year.
The His Dark Materials production released a statement following McCrory's passing. "We are heartbroken to report that the uniquely talented, #HelenMcCrory, who voiced Lord Asriel's daemon Stelmaria, has passed to another world after battling cancer," the statement read. "We have lost one of the finest actors of our generation. Our thoughts are with her family and friends."
We are heartbroken to report that the uniquely talented, #HelenMcCrory, who voiced Lord Asriel's daemon Stelmaria, has passed to another world after battling cancer. We have lost one of the finest actors of our generation. Our thoughts are with her family and friends. pic.twitter.com/XGRykOFjc2
— His Dark Materials (@darkmaterials) April 16, 2021
Peaky Blinders paid tribute to McCrory when it arrived on Netflix in June 2022 by incorporating old footage of her character and including a title card tribute in her memory. "I think Helen would've wanted us to continue with the influence of Polly," creator Steven Knight told EW at the time. "She is still a very strong influence on Tommy, and therefore the whole thing. Her death is a catalyst for a lot of stuff that happens, all the way up to the end of episode 6."
Asriel, and therefore Stelmaria, will take more active roles in His Dark Materials season 3, which adapts the events of author Philip Pullman's book The Amber Spyglass. In a new interview with EW, McAvoy remarked that he hadn't yet seen the CG or heard the voice-acting work that went into Stelmaria this season, but he was "desperate" to.
Dave Benett/Getty Images Helen McCrory (L) poses with Victoria Hamilton at the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards in 2017.
"He's such a dick and he's such a bad father," the actor said of Asriel in season 3. "He's doing it for the right reasons, but he's doing it all the wrong way. The destination is more important than the journey for him. The ends totally justify the means for him. He's a leader and a world-changer and a thinker and a doer before he is a father."
His Dark Materials will premiere on HBO and stream on HBO Max this December.
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