Sam Neill, who also starred in Peaky Blinders, tweeted: “Goodbye. Devastated my friend #HelenMcCrory died today. That brilliant woman – the greatest of actors.
“I so loved our time on #PeakyBlinders. She was witty, kind, skilled. Riotously funny.. and so damn cool. So young. Heartbroken for Damien + her family.”
The official Twitter account for Peaky Blinders also shared a tribute to the actress.
Alongside a picture of McCrory as Aunt Polly, a message said: “All our love and thoughts are with Helen’s family. Rest in peace.”
Actor Michael Sheen, who worked with McCrory on ITV drama Quiz, also praised her in a post on social media.