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Top 10 Facts about Helen Mirren 

Helen Mirren is one of the most prolific actresses in the world, having over five decades in the film industry, and still making headlines up to date. Her high acclaim as an actress is permanently cemented by the simple fact that she is one of the few performers to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting in both the United States and the United Kingdom. 

Like most actors, Mirren began her acting career in the theatre. She got her big break in 1965 potraying Cleopatra with the National Youth Theater in Antony and Cleopatra. Her first notable performance was as Jane Tennison, a tough detective constantly under pressure to prove her worth in a traditionally male field, in the BBC television series Prime Suspect. 

Mirren has enjoyed a successful and distinguished career, which she continues to enjoy up to this date, and there is so much you can write on her but for now we will focus on the top 10 facts about Helen Mirren;  

1. She is royalty

Mirren at the opening of the Metropolitan Opera in 2008 -Wikipedia

In the film industry, Mirren is a GOAT, Greatest of All Time, making her royalty in the filming industry. She is the only actress to portray both Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Elizabeth II on screen, in the 2005 Elizabeth I and a year later in The Queen. The late Queen Elizabeth was very impressed by Mirren鈥檚 portrayal in The Queen, declaring it one of her favorite films for that year. 

It is not only in her acting that Mirren is royalty, but she is also Russian nobility. Mirren was born lliana Lydia Petrovna Mironova on 26 July 1945 to an English mother and Russian father. Her father, Vasily Petrovich Mironoff, was a member of an exiled family of the Russian nobility.  

Vasily came to England when he was two with his father, Pyotr Vasilievich Mironov, a Russian aristocrat. Father and son found themselves stranded in England when the Russian Revolution took place in 1917. Mirren鈥檚 father changed his last name to the more English sounding 鈥淢irren鈥� when she was nine years old. 

An added bonus, Mirren had queenly connections, since her grandfather on her mother鈥檚 side was the butcher to Queen Victoria.  

2. Mirren is bilingual

The Debt, 2010, poster – Wikipedia

It is easy to assume with Mirren鈥檚 Russian heritage she is fluent in Russia, but plot twist, she is actually fluent in French and English. You wonder why French and not any other language? The answer is quite simple, French is the language of love. 

Mirren has confessed to learning French when she was young in an attempt to woo French men. When she was a student French students would come to her childhood town in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex to learn English and in an attempt to snag one she learnt the language. 

However, Mirren does know a little bit of Russian which she learnt when filming, The debt. In the film, Mirren plays a Mossad spy searching for a Nazi war criminal. During an interview promoting the film, she said, “I haven’t actually learnt much Russian. I had to learn a bit of Russian for the film I just did, The Debt, but I don’t speak Russian which is sad considering my dad was Russian, but I didn’t learn it at home,” 

3. Proud to show what her mama gave her

Helen Mirren, 2010 – Wikipedia

A younger, Mirren had a reputation for being sexy, with her first screen role being in the movie Caligula alongside Malcom McDowell and Peter O鈥橳oole. The movie got an X-rating for its strong violence and sex scenes. Many critics felt that the film was pornography in disguise.

All her sexy roles earned her the nickname 鈥淭he Sex Queen of Stratford.鈥� This was in recognition of her willingness to strip off on stage, with the most recent appearing naked on screen as 2003鈥檚 Calendar Girls. Helen admits to, 鈥渂eing famous for being cool about not being gorgeous.鈥� 

In 2004, she was named Naturist of the Year by British Naturism. She said: “Many thanks to British Naturism for this great honor. I do believe in naturism and am my happiest on a nude beach with people of all ages and races!” 

4. Marriage was and still isn’t her thing 

Taylor Hackford, husband to Helen Mirren – Wikipedia

It is hard to imagine a woman who has been married for more than 20 plus years and gives offs marriage goals vibes views marriage as ‘voluntary imprisonment’. She also at one point in her life had sworn never to get marriage.   

Mirren began dating American director Taylor Hackford in 1986 after meeting on the set of White Nights (1985). They were married on 31 December 1997 at the Ardersier 麻豆APPh Church near Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. It was her first marriage and only marriage up to date, 2022.  

She explains why they married 15 years later; “We got married, ultimately, for legal reasons more than anything else — estate planning and other complicated things like that. And our families, we sensed, wanted us to be married. I always said I have nothing against marriage; it just wasn’t to my taste, like turnips. It took me a very long time to come round to acquiring the taste. I just had to meet the right turnip.鈥� 

5. The movie that made Mirren regret not having children 

Parenthood poster – Wikipedia

It is no secret that Mirren for the longest time always put her career first, while other thing like love and family came after. She explains, 鈥� I was always too engaged in my life as an actress. At that time, I couldn鈥檛 comprehend that you could incorporate a child into that without letting a child down somehow.鈥� 

When she got married, she became a stepmother to Taylor Hackford鈥檚 two children from his previous marriages. She did not have any children of her own, stating she has “no maternal instinct whatsoever”. A decision that she does not regret. 

Well, that was before watching a specific movie. During an interview, she relieved, 鈥淚 have never had a moment of regret about not having children. Well, I lie. When I watched the movie, Parenthood, I sobbed for about 20 minutes. I realized I would never experience that, and for about 20 minutes, I sobbed for the loss of that and the fact that I never experienced it.鈥�  

6. Mirren declined a royal dinner invite

Queen Elizabeth II in March 2015 – Wikipedia

Mirren is not only badass on screen, but also in personal life. Imagine turning down the late Queen Elizabeth II dinner invite. Well, this GOAT did so-and-so much more.

The actress played the British monarch in the 2006 film “The Queen” and won the best actress Oscar for the role. Impressed by Mirren鈥檚 representation of her, the late queen invited Mirren for dinner, but she declined the invite. This caused such a frenzy since it was unheard of, who turns down an invitation from the queen of England? 

A senior Palace official said: “It is unheard of for Her Majesty to extend a personal invitation to dinner to someone who has portrayed her in a film. We did not expect to be told that the date is unacceptable. 

Mirren was unable to attend as she was filming in America, said: “The Palace very kindly extended an invitation to dinner last Tuesday, May 1. But unfortunately, I was filming in South Dakota and unable to change my schedule. I am very sad not to have been able to attend.” 

7. Mirren鈥檚 troubling relationship with the British honor system

Helen Mirren, 2014 – Wikipedia

Twice a year the British honor system rewards individuals with Honors, Decorations and Medals in public recognition of their merit, service or bravery. Mirren first declined a CBE, Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, in 1996. 

However, in the Queen’s 2003 Birthday Honors, Mirren was appointed a Dame (DBE) for services to drama. She initially had reservations on accepting this title because she didn鈥檛 want 鈥渢o be part of the establishment. That鈥檚 not my role as an artist,鈥� 

Mirren explains why she accepted the honor, 鈥淚t was to do with my family, with my mum and dad, and the world I grew up in. And they were both dead by the time 鈥� but I accepted it for my parents.鈥欌�� After accepting her damehood, Mirren commented: “The whole concept of aristocracy I loathe.” 

8. The meaning behind her hand tattoo

Mirren receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 2013 – Wikipedia

To all the young cinema lovers, yes there was a time that Mirren was young and made drunken choices. Today, a tattoo might not be a big deal, but Mirren got her tattoo when only Hell鈥檚 Angels had tattoos. She got the tattoo done after getting drunk on a Native American reservation located in Minnesota. The tattoo is on her left hand of interlocking V鈥檚. 

Mirren explains, 鈥淚t was done with a safety pin, it was so painful. Oh my god. Like a prison tattoo. It represents a very beautiful idea which is basically ‘equal and opposite’, that someone can be as different from you as you could possibly imagine, but have equal value to yourself, that’s something I believe in life.” 

9. An admirer of Shakespeare

William Shakespeare- Artist; John Taylor – Wikimedia Commons

Mirren has a soft spot for Shakespeare. She credits seeing a performance of William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” as one of the most transformative experiences of her entire life.

As a result of this experience, she believes 鈥渒ids shouldn鈥檛 be taught, Shakespeare.  They should experience it first by seeing a grand production.鈥� At age 19 she became been a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company.  

During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, she informed the host that she always wanted to play Juliet in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” but was never once asked. 

10. A treasure-house of awards

Helen Mirren, 2020 – Wikipedia

The best way to conclude this article is by flaunting out Helen Mirren’s accomplishments to just show you how super awesome she is; no doubt she is a GOAT. 

Mirren has an Oscar for Best Actress for 鈥楾he Queen鈥�, four BAFTAs, 4 SAG Awards, 3 Golden Globes four Emmys, as well as 2 Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards. In 2013, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame