Helen Mirren Page 7

Even the comedies she does have an element of class, like Trumbo and Calendar Girls. No wonder everyone was surprised to learn that she has been cast in the next Fast and Furious movie.

But it's not that surprising, really. Mirren also has a history in the thriller genre. She became a star playing Detective Jane Tennison in five series of Prime Suspect, and has also seen action in political thrillers like State of Play, The Debt and most recently Eye in the Sky, plus Excalibur and two RED movies. Retired and Extremely Dangerous, indeed.

Continue reading: Helen Mirren Is Ready To Go Furiously Fast

Helen Mirren is the latest actress to join the cast of 'Fast 8' in an as yet undisclosed role. She confirmed the news in a new interview, adding that she hopes she'll be allowed to do some of the driving but so far there are no further details about her involvement.

Helen Mirren to star in 'Fast 8'

The 70-year-old actress will join Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and Charlize Theron in the eighth movie of the 'Fast & Furious' franchise, directed by 'Straight Outta Compton' director F. Gary Gray. The new movie will also bring on board 'Fury' star Scott Eastwood and Kristofer Hivju from 'Game Of Thrones'.

Continue reading: Helen Mirren Fulfils Her Ambition Of Joining 'Fast 8'

Helen Mirren has given testimony to the US Senate before a sub-committee about the slow pace of the process of recovering stolen Jewish art taken by the Nazis during the Holocaust.

The 70 year old actress was in Washington on Tuesday (June 7th) to give evidence before a sub-committee working on a prospective piece of legislation to speed up the process, called the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act.

Mirren’s evidence was based on the research she did for a recent role in the 2015 film Woman in Gold, in which she played a Jewish woman, Maria Altmann, who fought the Austrian government to reclaim her family’s art, which was looted by the Nazis in the years before World War II.

Continue reading: Helen Mirren Gives Evidence To Senate Sub-Committee On Jewish Art Stolen By Nazis

Kim Kardashian has found an unlikely champion in Dame Helen Mirren, who has praised the reality star for helping to redefine what it is to be beautiful. The 70-year-old says she loves the new generation of women who are ‘shameless and proud’ and have claimed back their own bodies.

Dame Helen Mirren has praised Kim Kardashian.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Mirren said: ‘When I was growing up, it was thought to be unbelievably sluttish to even have a bra strap showing. Everything was about women conforming. I love shameless women. Shameless and proud!’

Continue reading: Helen Mirren Loves Modern, 'Shameless' Women Like Kim Kardashian

Today (April 21st 2016) is the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II; one of England's most remarkable queens. She's been celebrated in numerous ways over the years, not least with several depictions of her in film both as a young princess and as a monarch.

Happy birthday Queen Elizabeth II

So what better way to celebrate the 'celebrity' of this extraordinary woman than by reflecting back on some of the best queens we've ever seen on screen? Some are fictitious and some are her ancestors, but all have been portrayed by absolute dramatic royalty.

Continue reading: Our Favourite Screen Queens! In Celebration Of Elizabeth II's Birthday

Sir Patrick Stewart caused us to do a double take yesterday, when he transformed into a glamorous woman to promote his new US show ‘Blunt Talk’. The 75-year-old actor appeared in full drag at an event in Hollywood on Monday evening (April 18th), causing many fans to liken him to British actress Dame Helen Mirren.

Continue reading: Patrick Stewart Dresses In Drag To Promote New Series (And He Looks A Lot Like Helen Mirren)

Helen Mirren is among the many actresses of this day and age who are trying to push for more dynamic roles for women, and one of the ways she believes they can do that is by chasing parts initially written for men. It's worked for her and Sandra Bullock, so why not?

Helen Mirren stars in Eye In The Sky

Until gender equality is truly accepted in Hollywood, powerful 'strong' roles will be given to men and the more demure roles to women. Helen Mirren is working to change that by starring in the military thriller 'Eye in the Sky' in which she plays an army intelligence colonel conducting a drone operation in Kenya from a base in London. 

Continue reading: 'Eye In The Sky' Star Helen Mirren Urges Women To Pursue Male Roles

Helen Mirren paid tribute to her late colleague and co-star Alan Rickman at the red carpet premiere of new thriller Eye In the Sky last night, saying the movie represents an “incredibly sad” goodbye.

At the European premiere outside the Curzon Mayfair on Monday night (April 11th), where she dazzled onlookers with a black lace ensemble, she spoke to reporters about what it was like to realise that the war thriller would be Rickman’s final work, after his death in January from pancreatic cancer at the age of 69.

Helen Mirren at the 'Eye In the Sky' premiere in London

Continue reading: Helen Mirren Pays Tribute To 'Eye In The Sky' Co-Star Alan Rickman At Premiere

She’s had a dazzling career as one of the most prestigious names in the British film industry, and as one of the country’s most famous movie exports following her role in The Queen, but Dame Helen Mirren has now spoken about an experience she never had: motherhood.

The 70 year old stage and film actress spoke to the Sunday Times Culture magazine and said that, although she adores other people’s children, she’s never wanted her own. However, that didn’t stop her from fleetingly mourning the sense of “loss” about not becoming a mother after she watched the 1989 Steve Martin movie Parenthood, she admitted.

Dame Helen Mirren spoke about her decision not have children

Continue reading: Helen Mirren On Never Experiencing Parenthood

But she clearly has a more mischievous, adventurous side, as evidenced in her sassy turn in Trumbo or her action-comedy series RED. Now she's adding war movies to her repertoire with the drone-strike thriller Eye in the Sky.

In the film, she plays Colonel Katherine Powell, a British officer in command of a top-secret mission using drones to capture terrorists in East Africa. The character was written for a man, but director Gavin Hood (Ender's Game) immediately saw Mirren in the role.

Continue reading: Eye In The Sky Offered Helen Mirren A New Challenge

Former Oscar winner Dame Helen Mirren has mounted a defence of the Academy over its much publicised lack of diversity in its nominations, saying that it’s “unfair” to attack them when the real problem lies elsewhere in the industry.

The English screen icon, who stars in the Oscar-nominated movie Trumbo, was speaking to Jon Snow of Channel 4 News when she was asked whether the Academy and the industry were “behind the times” for not nominating a single black actor for the second year in a row.

Mirren said she felt it was “unfair to attack the Academy” and that “it just so happened it went that way” this year.

Continue reading: Dame Helen Mirren Says It's "Unfair" To Attack The Oscars Over Diversity Row

It's a sad day for the world of film as we lose yet another giant of the entertainment industry, but at least we get to see Alan Rickman in one last live action role with the Spring release of modern war thriller 'Eye In The Sky'.

Helen Mirren co-stars with Alan Rickman in Eye In The Sky

It follows a UK-based military intelligence official, Colonel Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren), in her mission to capture a group of wanted terrorists in Kenya. With their own advanced drone technology, she and Lieutenant General Frank Benson (Rickman)- led by American drone pilot Steve Watts ('Breaking Bad' star Aaron Paul), are able to spy on their base only to discover that their mission has taken an unfortunate turn of events.

Continue reading: See Alan Rickman In His Final Live Action Role 'Eye In The Sky' - Trailer + Pictures

Helen Mirren is not a woman to turn down difficult roles. She has, after all, played three different Queens of the United Kingdom and, in a voice part, the Queen of Egypt. Yet there is nothing 69-year-old Mirren would like more than to star in a Fast and Furious film and do her own driving stunts.

Helen Mirren would love to be in a Fast and Furious movie.

Read More: Helen Mirren Brings The Queen To Broadway In Speculative Drama The Audience [Photos].

Continue reading: Dame Helen Mirren Wants To Star In A 'Fast & Furious' Film - And Yes, You Did Read That Correctly!

This week has been a rough time to live on Earth in general, but the raw wound is still the horrific attack that took place in Paris. Even the stars walking the Golden Globes red carpet had to acknowledge the tragedy and show support.

Amal Alamuddin showed her support with a badge, adorning her Dior ensemble.

Many of them did so by wearing the Je Suis Charlie slogan on their arrival at the show. Amal Clooney said that she was wearing Dior, "customized in solidarity with the French people who've gone through a terrible week," according to Elle magazine. A "Je suis Charlie" badge was displayed on her purse, while her husband, George Clooney, also wore a similar button, according to ABC News.

Continue reading: Stars Show Support For Charlie Hebdo On Golden Globes Red Carpet

So here’s some news: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles just breezed past Guardians of the Galaxy to the top of the box office. Yes, you can go back and read that again. The new addition to the TMNT franchise has taken a Turtle-worthy beating in reviews over the past week, but that didn’t stop it from beating the critically and fan-acclaimed Guardians, after the Marvel flick has spent just one week on top.

Why though?

The new and improved (well, new anyway) Turtles raked in $65 million on its first weekend, while Guardians checked in at just $41,5. Unfortunately, this doesn’t even top the market analysts’ predictions for TMNT, which largely underestimated the potential of grown-up Ninja Turtles fans, predicting a slow start with around $45 million. According to USA Today says that 55% of moviegoers were 25 or older, a surprisingly mature demographic. Not so surprisingly, 61% of the audience was male, Paramount says. 'The film obviously had greater-than-expected appeal to nostalgic parents," says Rentrak's Paul Dergarabedian. At this point, we won’t add the obligatory “No ----, Sherlock” comment, but feel free to do it in your mind.

Continue reading: "Guardians" May Have Saved The Galaxy, But They Can't Hold On To The Box Office

Helen Mirren will reprise her critically-acclaimed role as Queen Elizabeth II on New York City's Broadway, it has been announced. Mirren won an Oscar for Stephen Frears'2006 movie and performed the same role in Peter Morgan's stage adaptation, The Audience - which is now moving across the Atlantic.

Helen Mirren [L] will play The Queen [R] on Broadway [Getty/WPA Pool]

The play won critical acclaim and sold out for its six-month stint in London last year. It is a composition of Morgan's imagined conversations between The Queen and her various advisors and ministers. Morgan had previously penned the hugely successful movie Frost/Nixon, outlining the aftermath of the Watergate Scandal.

Continue reading: Helen Mirren Will Play The Queen On Broadway, Daldry Directing

The biggest night in the film award circuit is still seven months away. But everyone knows the Oscars never stay silent for long and the films that look likely to be in contention for one of those coveted gold statues are starting to make their mark. Britain has a good few contenders in amongst the Best Actress pack including Emily Blunt, Kate Winslet and Helen Mirren.

Could Emily Blunt's talents be recognised in the Oscar 2015 nomination list?

Emily Blunt stars in Into the Woods, a musical fantasy adapted from the highly-acclaimed Tony-award winning Broadway musical by Steven Sondheim and James Lapine. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures, it marks Disney’s first theatrical adaptation of a Broadway musical.

Continue reading: Blunt, Mirren Or Winslet? Who Will Win Best Actress Oscar 2015?

Katie Holmes, Ryan Reynolds and Helen Mirren have been hard at work filming The Woman in Gold - an upcoming American-British drama film directed by Simon Curtis and written by Alexi Kaye Campbell. 

The film also stars Tatiana Maslany, Daniel Brühl, Charles Dance and Max Irons and tells the true story of a women attepting to reclaim her heritage and identity, while seeking justice for what happened to her family during The Second World War. 

Helen Mirren plays Jewish refugee Maria Altmann who went up against the Austrian government in order to take back a series of Gustav Klimt paintings that had been stolen from her family by the Nazis. Reynolds has taken on the role of Maria's lawyer, Randy Schoenberg, who fights the case for her although he knows little about art.

Continue reading: Katie Holmes, Ryan Reynolds And Helen Mirren Filming 'Woman In Gold' [Pictures]

The daughter of the late actor Bob Hoskins has posted a touching blog article, revealing the 11 life lessons that the famous actor gave her before dying in hospital on Wednesday (May 30, 2014). Hoskins died of pneumonia aged 71, with his family by his side. He had retired from acting two years ago after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. 

Rosa Hoskins [L] with her father Bob Hoskins

His youngest daughter Rosa released a moving tribute to her father, who will be best remembered for his classic performance in The Long Good Friday, as well as in Mona Lisa and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Continue reading: "Never Give Up" Bob Hoskins Leaves 11 Life Lessons For Daughter

Cate Blanchett really wanted to commemorate her Oscar win on Sunday, and what better more permanent way is there then getting yourself a tattoo? The actress was seen leaving a tattoo parlour with a bandage on her wrist opening speculation as to what special ink the ‘Blue Jasmine’ star might have had done. While we were a little surprised at the image of Cate getting tattooed she’s not the only celeb sporting some unlikely ink.

Cate Blanchett went from the red carpet to a tattoo palour after her Oscar win

Firstly none other thank Dame Helen Mirren has gone under the tattoo needle. The actress sports some ink on her left thumb of all places. The Dame said she got it when she was very drunk, a long time ago before tattoos were cool and mainstream, which is why she hates it now. She told ‘Good Morning America’ back in 2010 "I was very, very drunk. It was a very, very long time ago, when only sailors and Hell's Angels were tattooed, honestly, and prisoners. And I decided to get a tattoo because it was the most shocking thing I could think of doing." Seems Helen was always ahead of her time.

Continue reading: Cate Blanchett's Oscar Tattoo, And Other Surprising Celebrity Ink

Captain Phillips, Gravity, Iron Man 3, Karama Has No Walls, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Philomena, Prisoners, Room on the Broom, The Act of Killing; The Invisible Woman, The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life, and The Voorman Problem. These films all have a British spine in common, and will be celebrated at tomorrow night’s Oscars ceremony.

Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender star in 12 Years a Slave

But the revelry won’t begin on the red carpet; last night saw an all-out anglo-centric bash in dedication to the British influence on this year’s Academy Awards. The Great British Film event was held at the home of the British Consul General Chris O'Connor, who said: "The UK consistently features as the country with the most nominations outside of the US, and this year is no exception, with our world-class nominees in everything from acting and directing to music, animation and visual effects."

Continue reading: Brits In America: UK Oscars Contingent In Patriotic Celebrations Before Tomorrow's Big Night

Lynda La Plante has confirmed she is writing a sequel to Prime Suspect which will be adapted for TV in 2016. The prequel, called Tennison, will flesh out the back story of La Plante's famous detective, played by Helen Mirren in the classic ITV series.

Helen Mirren Was Already A Star When She Joined 'Prime Suspect'

"I am extremely excited to have begun work on the Tennison project. Jane Tennison is a character who millions of people know and admire from my books and TV series, Prime Suspect, portrayed brilliantly by Helen Mirren," La Plante told This Morning on Tuesday.

Continue reading: Lynda La Plante Writing 'Prime Suspect' Prequel, Confirms TV Show

Kate Middleton and Queen Elizabeth II were on hand to greet a very privileged group of actors at Buckingham Palace on Monday evening (Feb 17th).

The star-studded event, which included Dame Helen Mirren, was to celebrate the Queen's sixtieth year as patron of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and the contribution of the dramatic arts to national life.

The Duchess of Cambridge sported a recycled red Alexander McQueen dress, which she last wore during the Diamond Jubilee, as she welcomed the film and stage stars.

Continue reading: Dame Helen Mirren Leads Hollywood Stars Into Buckingham Palace To Meet Queen Elizabeth II And Kate Middleton

Dame Helen Mirren is basically royalty now, or at least as close as possible. Having played two queens in her career, the 68-year-old actress will be awarded a fellowship from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts from none other than Prince William at the BAFTA Awards on Feb. 16. That must mean she’s done something right, Mirren reckons.

Despite her long and storied career, Helen Mirren continues to get starstruck by her favorite actors.

"I think it feels pretty amazing, actually, because I don't think he'd do it if the royal family felt I had messed up," Mirren, who played Elizabeth II in a 2006 film by Stephen Frears, told The Hollywood Reporter. "So I hope it's a sign they don't think I messed up. But I don't know, and I will never know for sure."

Continue reading: Dame Helen Mirren Strives To Keep Learning From Fellow Actors

Helen Mirren is in the rare position of knowing she’s to make a speech when the Baftas roll around this Sunday. Dame, Helen Mirren – we should say - will be awarded with the Fellowship at the British Academy Film Awards ceremony at the Royal Opera House in London. The legendary actress said Helen felt "absolutely thrilled, proud, excited," to be the recipient of the accolade.

Helen Mirren is to recieve the fellowship on Sunday

"It's really nice to go to this sort of ceremony knowing you've won. None of those kind of nerves. Knowing that you've got to make a speech, so and I never imagined that I would,” she said. “I always thought of myself as a bit of an outsider really, sort of the naughty girl. So I feel like the naughty girl suddenly made prefect. Got my prefect badge for good behavior," she said, according to The Telegraph. 

Continue reading: Helen Mirren Enjoys 'Knowing She's Won' Ahead Of Bafta Fellowship

Dame Helen Mirren won again for her portrayal of the Queen at the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards on Sunday evening (Sunday 17, 2013). The actress, who won an Oscar for Stephen Frears' The Queen in 2007, was named best actress for her performance as the monarch in the West End stage play The Audience.

Helen Mirren Won Best Actress At The Evening Standard Awards

The best actor prize was shared between Adrian Lester and Rory Kinnear for their performances in Shakespeare's Othello and Iago at the National Theatre.

Continue reading: Stars Out In Force For Evening Standard Theatre Awards, Helen Mirren Wins Big [Pictures]

Myleene Klass, Twiggy and Louise Redknapp and dancing around as the latter's husband Jamie acted as DJ. We all remember the Marks & Spencer advert. We don't really want to, but we do.

A Host of Stars Including Tracey Emin [Back Left] and Kate Piper [Far Left] In Marks & Spencer's New Campaign

However, there appears to be a sea change at the British retailer - especially in the marketing department. This year's autumn womens-wear campaign will feature the likes of artist Tracey Emin, veteran actress Helen Mirren, Katie Piper - the victim of a heinous acid attack turned campaigner and television personality, female boxer Nicola Adams, author Monica Ali and US Vogue's Creative Director, Grace Coddington.

Continue reading: Myleene, Twiggy Out, Helen Mirren, Tracey Emin In For Marks & Spencer [Pictures]

The stars were out to premiere their movies over this past week. First to face the paparazzi in New York were the voice cast of the animated comedy Turbo, including Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Michelle Rodriguez and Ken Jeong. The film opens this week in the US, but British audiences will have to wait until October. We have lots of footage from the event including Blake Lively and her brother, Michelle Rodriguez and Ken Jeong, The Indycar Superstars as well as the animated movie's star Ryan Reynolds.

On Tuesday in New York, Helen Mirren, Bruce Willis, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Mary Louise Parker signed autographs and posed for photos before the premiere of their new action-comedy sequel RED 2. The film also opens this week in the US, and in two weeks in the UK. Watch the Red 2 premiere footage here.

Continue reading: A Week In Movies: Big Premieres In New York And London, Plus Oscar-bait Movie Trailers

The Primetime Emmy Award nominations were announced yesterday (Thursday 18th July). The nomination ceremony was presented by Kate Mara and Aaron Paul via a live video stream on the Emmy's website. 

Kate Mara at the Vanity Fair and Juicy Couture's Celebration of 2013 in L.A.

Netflix has managed to triumph with nominations for their shows: House of Cards; Hemlock Grove and Arrested Development. The company are developing this aspect of their business, which is proving hugely popular and profitable. The future does seem bright for the company which announced it was expanding into its 64th country. It also seems likely their awards over the next few years will increase especially with recent praise of Orange is the New Black. 

Continue reading: Primetime Emmy Awards 2013: How Accurate Were Nomination Predictions?

The stars were out to shine last night in L.A as new movie Red 2 rolled out the red carpet for a premiere party. Catherine Zeta Jones looked particularly glamorous as she strutted her stuff on the carpet on her own, flaunting her exquisite black lace dress.

Catherine Zeta Jones Stunned In Her Lace Gown.

According to The Sun, Helen Mirren and her husband Taylor Hackford engaged in some adorable public displays of affection, looking every inch the loved-up couple with 67 year-old Mirren styled in a particularly trendy fashion in giant Perspex heels under her sleek, green floor-length gown. Bruce Willis and his partner Emma Heming were also feeling the love last night as they snuggled up to one another.

Continue reading: 'Red 2' Premieres As Catherine Zeta-Jones Turn Up The Heat [Photos]

Pixar's Monsters University sits atop of the North American film charts with takings of over $80 million in its first weekend of opening, beating rival Paramount Pictures' World War Z, which took $66 million (£42.74m). Man of Steel came third in the weekend's rankings at half of the Monsters University takings at $41.2 million (£27m).

Monsters University, the Dan Scanlon sequel to 2001's Monsters Inc., takes a step back in time to the days where lead monsters Mike and Sully weren't the all-star scare-powering duo they are at Monsters Incorporated. Here they're at university and there's a distinct rivalry between the little one-eyed Mike and the big fuzzy Scully as the film charts their progress as young adults.

Watch The Monsters University Trailer:

Continue reading: A New Scare Record! Monsters University Defeats World War Z At Box Office

As a national treasure, we’re used to the idea that Helen Mirren can do pretty much everything. Not just within the world of acting, either; we reckon she could comfortably run the country or throw grapes in her mouth seamlessly.

So we were shocked to find out that there’s something she can’t do: voiceovers. Although, she’s the one who said she’s “hopeless” so we’ll bet she’s probablu better than most. “It’s a learning process and they do it so brilliantly,” she said of John Goodman and Billy Crystal as she watched them act out their parts for Monsters University, which she is set to star in, vocally, that is. Mirren plays a scary headmaster, something she has some experience in, as she remembers being terrified of hers. “She gave me the best advice – the worst thing about fear is fear itself. She was scary but ultimately wise,” she explains. “It’s very annoying to go though life watching people who never seem to be challenged, and who just get everything they want without having to work for it,” she adds, saying that the film’s premise is based on that idea.

Continue reading: Super Helen Mirren Can’t Do Voice Overs!

The BBC, as a publically funded broadcaster, has to represent the changing attitudes of a nation. And this nation wants a female Dr. Who, so who could fill those time-travelling boots?

Well Helen Mirren would love to do it, and as a genuine British icon, she certainly would be a popular choice. “I would like to play the new female Doctor Who. I don’t want to just be his sidekick,” she explained to The Daily Star a while back, in 2011. Sue Perkins – host of The Great British Bake Off and half of Mel and Sue – would be another popular choice. The news that Matt Smith – a great Dr. Who – was to leave the franchise was followed by a Twitter Campaign to get her the part. We think she’d be a good choice, too, but perhaps not as good as Tilda Swinton, who would bring a wealth of acting at the very top to the role. Considering she learnt to speak Italian in a Russian accent for her character in I Am Love, we’re pretty confident she to step to any challenges the role of The Dr would bring.

Perkins [L] and Swinton [R] would both make excellent Whos

Continue reading: Time For A Female Dr. Who? We Think So! But Who Could It Be?

Dame Helen Mirren well and truly went against character during a recent performance as Queen Elizabeth II in the stage show The Audience, when she stormed from the stage to yell at a group of street drummers outside the Gielgud Theatre in London's West End for making too much noise. A somewhat mortified Dame Helen has since apologised for the incident and shown support for the cause the drummers were making such a racket about, but admitted that she would gladly do the same again if needed to.

The actress gave out a statement, wearing a t-shirt promoting the One in the Park festival; a LGBT festival held in east London that the drummers were attempting to promote, in which she said; "I was very upset, I was very cross. I had just spent 10 minutes on stage trying to allow the audience to hear what I was saying, which was sort of impossible. I was steaming."

Dame Helen Mirren addresses the 'situation'

Continue reading: Dame Helen Mirren Says She Would 'Do The Same Again' After Drummer Outburst

It’s rare that Dame Helen Mirren is left in the shadows, but that’s exactly what happened at the annual Olivier Awards as – despite taking the best actress award – she had to take a seat while The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time took a whopping seven out of the eight awards it was nominated for.

The play was an adaptation of the best-selling novel written by Simon Stephens which is running until 2014; director Marianne Elliott commented "It was an experimental journey, and like War Horse, we could not have done it anywhere else other than a properly subsidized theatre, because it was a risk." Elliott was also named best director and she added  "Everyone, including the creative team, were working outside their comfort zones. You have to be allowed to take risks and that means being allowed to fail and that means being allowed to try new things."

Mirren was the highest profile star there, and was awarded for her portrayal of The Queen – again. Others honoured included Michael Frayn, who was given a special Olivier Award and said "Producers on the whole expect writers to cut their teeth in the subsidised theatre. When I began, I was nursed along by Michael Codron - one of the greatest West End producers - who took a chance on that first show. It was private producers who brought playwrights on - that happens much less now."

Continue reading: Dame Helen Mirren Eclipsed By 'Curious Incident' At Olivier Awards

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time became the second consecutive play to bring home a massive haul of seven trophies at the Olivier Awards, with the stage adaption of Mark Haddon’s bestselling novel recreating the feat achieved by Matilda last year. It's success provided little opertunity for other successes on the night, except in the case of stage queen Helen Mirren, who came home with a Best Actress win as Queen Elizabeth II in The Audience.

 Dame Helen Mirren and Luke Treadaway show off their acting awards

Top Hat - the stage re-imagining of the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musical from 1935 - managed to take home Best New Musical, but it was TCIotDitN-T that finished as the main talking point of the night, winning all the top awards (bar Best Actress) including Best New Play, Best Director for Marianne Elliott and Best Actor for Luke Treadaway, 28, for his depiction of the 15-year-old, Asperger's suffering protagonist. The serious nature of the show meant that it was unable to score a win in the musical category, with A Chorus Line (Best Supporting Role - Leigh Zimmerman), Top Hat (Best New Play, Choreography) and Sweeney Todd (Best Actor - Michael Ball, Actress - Imelda Staunton, Revival) sharing the spoils. In the opera category, Einstein on the Beach took home Best New Opera and Bryan Hymel took home the Outstanding Achievement Award for his roles in Les Troyens, Robert Le Diable and Rusalka.

Continue reading: The Curious Incident OF The Dog In The Night-Time And Dame Helen Mirren Sweep Up At The Oliviers Awards

Dame Helen Mirren doesn’t indulge herself in any sort of beef too often, so when she does you tend to listen, as it’s normally based on some pretty solid foundations. So what, then, of her Empire Awards acceptance speech, where she lambasted Sam Mendes, suggesting slightly cryptically that he might be sexist?

According to The Guardian, Mirren’s issue with the Skyfall director after he’d listed an exclusively male set of influences upon picking up his best director award on stage, neglecting any female film makers. When it came to Mirren to pick her Legend award, she took to the stage and said in her acceptance speech "I don't want to unduly pick on Sam Mendes, but when he spoke about his inspirations earlier this evening, I'm afraid not a single one of the people he mentioned was a woman.” Receiving cheers from the audience. "Hopefully in five or 10 years, when Sam's successor is collecting their Inspiration award, the list will be slightly more balanced in terms of its sexual make-up. In the meantime, this one is for the girls."

It was a surprisingly direct attack from the much-celebrated actress, though maybe Mendes wasn’t thinking about the gender of these film makers when it came to listing his influences, and was simply listing those he admired? That said, maybe Mirren wasn't attacking him per se, more that his choices reflected the difference in equality that has been and still arguably is an issue in Hollywood even in 2013. Elsewhere at the fan-voted for awards, Martin Freeman took the best actor award for his role in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, while Jennifer Lawrence took best actress for The Hunger Games.

Continue reading: Dame Helen Mirren Hints At Sam Mendes Sexism At Empire Awards

Dame Helen Mirren picked up a well deserved 'Legend Award' from the good people of Empire Magazine at the well-known movie magazine's annual awards show last night, with the mag honouring a career that has spanned some 50 decades (and she still looks damn good too!). Some of the other winners on the night were Sam Mendes, Danny Boyle, Daniel Radcliffe and (of course) Jennifer Lawrence, but it was Dame Helen who took all the thunder from the night.

Dame Helen Mirren was rightly recognised for her enduring acting career

Whilst she was no longer sporting that pink hair she took to the BAFTAs with her, the 67-year-old stage and screen icon still managed to keep all eyes on her when she took to the stage to accept her award and duly began to accuse Sam Mendes (who had just picked up the Best Director gong for Skyfall) of being sexist. Well, kind of anyway. What really happened was this: Sam had just picked up his award and thanked some of his director-contemporaries who helped him get to where he is today, including Paul Thomas Anderson, François Truffaut, Martin Scorsese and Ingmar Bergman. Helen responded to his appraisals in her own speech, saying: “I don’t want to unduly pick on Sam Mendes, but when he spoke about his inspirations earlier this evening, I’m afraid not a single one of the people he mentioned was a woman."

Continue reading: Dame Helen Mirren Picks Up Legend Award "For The Girls" At Empire Movie Awards

Chuffing Helen Mirren, is there any point when she isn’t playing the Queen? Ok, ok so admittedly she’s only played Queen Lizzie, like, twice. That’s still twice more than anyone at Contactmusic has though.

This time Mirren has been playing Queen Elizabeth II in the play The Audience. You’ll all of course remember that her previous outing as the royal came in The Queen, which saw her take the Oscar for best actress in the 2006 awards. So she’s got pedigree in this role, and so it’s perhaps no surprise that she’s received a stonking review of her appearance on the West End in London by the Daily Telegraph.

"What’s remarkable is that Mirren is unobtrusively changed on stage into different costumes and wigs to suggest different periods of her reign and is almost eerily persuasive whatever age she is playing” writes the Telegraph’s theatre critics Charles Spencer of her performance, while he also went on to praise the play as a whole, writing as well "Stephen Daldry directs a pitch-perfect production, with a truly palatial design by Bob Crowley. And yes, there are real Corgis on stage, too."

Continue reading: Helen Mirren The Queen Of Acting Once More On First Night Of The Audience

Helen Mirren’s Oscar-winning performance as Queen Elizabeth in the 2006 movie The Queen made her an obvious choice to tackle the same role in the West End play The Audience. The play opened last night (March 5, 2013) at London’s Gielgud Theatre, where it will run until June 15.

The debut performance was attended by such luminaries as Sir David Frost, David Milliband, Tom Hooper, Sheila Hancock and Gemma Arterton, the BBC reports.

The Audience, directed by Stephen Daldry and written by Peter Morgan (who also wrote the screenplay for The Queen), imagines a number of private meetings between Queen Elizabeth II and the various prime ministers that have been in office during her 60 year reign.

Continue reading: You Can Be Queen, Again: Helen Mirren Impresses Critics With 'The Audience'

If Looks Could Kill! Gemma Arterton Eyes Up Young Actress Juno Temple

The Hollywood glitterati must have wondered why they’d bothered to turn up for the BAFTAs at the Royal Opera House in London on Sunday night (February 10, 2013). On a frankly dismal evening in the nation’s capital, umbrellas were commonplace on the red-carpet with publicists, media types and event organisers running around like headless chickens, hastily attempting to give the press pack their photographs without drowning the likes of Jennifer Lawrence, Jennifer Chastain and Helen Mirren in the cold British rain and sleet. Best pals George Clooney and Ben Affleck were seen taking shelter under the same umbrella, while actress Gemma Arterton looked absolutely freezing as she waited for up-and-coming star Juno Temple to finish working it for the cameras.

In terms of awards, it was a relatively straight-forward evening, hosted with typical panache by everyone’s favourite Briton, Stephen Fry. Ang Lee’s Life of Pi performed strongly in the technical categories – as it is expected to do at the Oscars later this month – while Skyfall won Best British Film. However, it was Ben Affleck’s Argo that took the evening’s key prize – that of Best Picture – leaving Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln to settle for Best Actor, for the peerless Daniel Day-Lewis. Best Actress went to the 85-year-old Emmanuelle Riva, which left Jennifer Lawrence and Silver Linings Playbook director David O’Russell looking quite frankly bemused.

Continue reading: BAFTA’s Best Dressed: Who Shined Brightest On A Wet Night In London? (Pictures)

We look at Oscar-nominated animated romp Wreck-it Ralph and Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren in Hitchcock

Awards season continues to crank up with Argo taking the lead in the homestretch. Ben Affleck's true 1970s thriller has won the top prizes at the actors, producers and directors guilds, which makes it the favourite to win Best Picture on Oscar night February 24th, even though Affleck isn't nominated as Best Director. On the other hand, he is up for director, as well as film and actor, in this Sunday's British Academy Film Awards, better known as the Baftas.

This weekend also sees the release of the season's final awards-contending titles in the UK, including Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren in Hitchcock and the Oscar-nominated animated romp Wreck-it Ralph. There are also two acclaimed foreign films: Pablo Larrain's inventive Oscar-nominated political black comedy No, and the gorgeous Japanese drama I Wish.

Continue reading: A Week In Movies: Wreck-It Ralph, No And Hitchcock Hit Cinemas While A Good Day To Die Hard, Fast & Furious 6 And Iron Man 3 Trailers Hit The Web

Dame Helen Mirren was among a star-studded guest list at the Palm Springs International Film Festival over the weekend (January 5-6, 2013)

It might not be mentioned in the same breath as the Oscars or the Golden Globes, but one look at the red carpet of the Palm Springs International Film Festival would be enough to dupe you into thinking that you were at either. That's because a huge raft of stars made an early appearance in this season's awards ceremony run, including Dame Helen Mirren, Ben Affleck, Bradley Cooper, Naomi Watts and Helen Hunt.

Continue reading: PICTURES: Are You Sure It's Not The Oscars? Ben Affleck, Bradley Cooper And Dame Helen Mirren Light Up Palm Springs Film Festival

Yesterday (January 6) saw Palm Springs as the setting of a lavish gala, marking the city’s own festival.

It’s something of a dress rehearsal for award season, and the Hollywood big-names in attendance took it as such. Attendees included actor-turned-director Ben Affleck, Naomi Watts, Helen Hunt, Bradley Cooper and many more. While some stars dazzled with their outfits, others rehearsed their award speeches for the biggies – the Golden Globes and Academy Awards. One such heavy-weight was Helen Mirren, who gave thanks in more than half a dozen different languages.

Another highlight of the night was Sally Field’s Lifetime Achievement Award, which she was presented with by Martin Sheen onstage at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The Hollywood veteran is being pegged for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln earlier this season. On the red carpet, Field shared with reporters some of the stories from her childhood in Palm Springs. “Palm Springs will always make me smile,” she said. And while for Field the night might have been a walk down memory lane, for most others it offers a glimpse into the future – namely who and what will be the likeliest contenders for award success later this season.

Don't be so shocked, Helen Mirren's apparent lack of sentiment isn't one sided. Since she's admitted to marrying for financial reasons, it comes as little surprise that her marriage isn't littered with romantic gestures. 

'Taylor and I aren't remotely romantic with each other. And actually we appreciate the lack of romance in the other person," she explained to The Daily Mail about her relationship with Taylor Hackford. "I'd be completely horrified if Taylor gave me a Valentine's card! That's not our sort of relationship at all - we would pour cold water on that sort of thing." The pair were wed on New Year's Eve, 1997, but not in the throws of an all-encompassing love. "We even forget to get each other birthday presents - I'm always thinking the day before, "Oh, I must get Taylor something for his birthday." Without being corny, we try simply to be considerate to each other every day rather than lavishing each other with gifts," she says. 

Several years ago, Miss Mirren admitted she only married for 'economic' reasons. She said: "In the end, with our two families becoming very close, there was no longer any reason for us not to be married. And anyway, the estate laws of both our countries preferred us to be married. It was never my intention to marry anybody. Economics are basically the only reason to get married, but I'm very glad I did it."

Continue reading: Helen Mirren On Her Marriage: I'd Be Completely Horrified If Taylor Gave Me A Valentine's Card!

Regardless of being dead for over thirty years, Alfred Hitchcock is still one of Hollywood's biggest names and with a host of biopics set to be released about the late director's life on both the silver and the small screen, then it is more than likely that his fame will only increase in the coming months.

Helen Mirren, who stars as Hitchcock's wife Alma Reville in the upcoming biopic Hitchcock, has spoken of her brief encounter with the Hollywood legend, and it sounds as though the meeting could have gone a little better.

One of the stars of the new movie, which follows the making of Hitchcock's most controversial film Psycho, Mirren detailed her experience in a recent interview with The Huffington Post. According to the Oscar-winner, who detailed her experience of auditioning for Hitchcock's film Frenzy in the early 1970s in the interview, revealed, "I don't think he would have auditioned me; I think he either thought you looked right or you didn't."

Continue reading: Helen Mirren Reveals Her Forgettable Meeting With Alfred Hitchcock

It was always going to be a tough order to pull off an homage to the great Alfred Hitchcock, but Sacha Gervasi has largely gained kudos from the reviewers for having a going at it, though his biopic Hitchcock has by no means found unanimous approval from the grizzled hacks of the critical world.

Director Gervasi certainly can’t be faulted for the cast he assembled for the film; Sir Anthony Hopkins plays Hitchcock himself, with other characters played by the likes of Scarlett Johansson, Dame Helen Mirren, Jessica Biel and Toni Collette. Certainly the reviewers found the cast to be their usual excellent selves. “Hopkins catches the essence of Hitchcock as artist and con man. And Mirren is stellar as his wife and secret weapon. The pleasure of their company adds sparkle to this unexpectedly poignant look at a career and a marriage” wrote Rolling Stone. The Chicago Sun Times was a little more guarded but wrote “Anthony Hopkins, superb actor although he is, would not seem to be an obvious choice to play Hitchcock, but I accepted him. His makeup job is transformative.”

However, as to the film itself – which is far more of an interpretation than a factual account of the film director’s life – it found a mixed response, with Variety frustrated by its deviation: “Hitchcock offers almost zero insight into the peculiar workings of creative genius, or into the rich, taboo-shattering legacy of the film whose making it documents” it wrote. That said, if we’re to believe the New York Observer it’s “one of the best movies of 2012”, suggesting that the jury still remains somewhat out on this one.

HBO’s The Girl tells the tale of Alfred Hitchcock’s relationship with the screen star Tippi Hedren - played by Sienna Miller. The story itself seems to be the real winner here; the TV movie explores the theory that Hitchcock (played by Toby Jones) “behaved like a psychotic lout” towards Tippi Hedren during the two films that they made together (The Birds and Marnie).

When Hedren spurns Hitchcock’s sexual advances, he uses his directorial power to torture her. When filming The Birds, he insists that she films take after take of the scenes in which she is attacked by birds. He does his best to break her spirit but ultimately, she remains strong and ultimately retains the upper hand.

New York Daily News have praised the feature, saying that Miller and Jones’ performances “keep the story alive and moving,” though Jones’ Hitchcock has but one dimension: “an arrogant egomaniac who was unpleasant to everyone around him.” Imelda Staunton is landed with the role of his unenviable wife, portrayed here as an “enabler” of his torrid behavior. The power of this disturbing story, according to chron.com is so fierce that you will be left feeling like you need to take a shower afterwards. According to their report though, Toby Jones’ performance is caricatured and lacking in authenticity.

Continue reading: Alfred Hitchock And Tippi Hedren's Torturous Relationship Unveiled In HBO's 'The Girl'

According to Dame Helen Mirren, Parris Hilton is the modern-day equivalent of Princess Diana. The Oscar-winning actress, who recently portrayed Queen Elizabeth 2nd in 'The Queen', insists that both Hilton and Diana have gained their popularity by making a name for themselves as more than just a 'dumb blond'. 

Related: Blunt, Mirren or Winslet? Who Will Win Best Actress Oscar 2015?

Mirren explains: "I don't applaud Paris Hilton... but I think she's pretty cool. She's developed, like Princess Diana, that deliberate foolishness, which is disarming." You'd be wrong to think that Mirren is the only person to hold this view, as Hilton herself sees herself as the most recent member of an elite group of "iconic blondes" from history and popular culture.

Continue reading: Helen Mirren: Paris Hilton Is The New Princess Diana