Welcome to The Helen Mirren Archives, your premiere web resource on the British actress. Best known for her performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company, "Prime Suspect" and her Oscar-winning role in "The Queen", Helen Mirren is one of the world's most eminent actors today. This unofficial fansite provides you with all latest news, photos and videos on her past and present projects.  Enjoy your stay.
Celebrating
10 years
on the web
Jun
20
2020

The full video interview with Helen Mirren can be watched here. Helen Mirren loves playing women with power. She won an Oscar for playing Elizabeth II in “The Queen,” and a Tony for playing her again in another Peter Morgan drama, “The Audience.” In the interview above, we Zoomed with the actress, situated in the spare bedroom of the Northern California home she shares with husband Taylor Hackford, to dig into her “Catherine the Great” for HBO. Set in opulent 18th Century Russia, the four-hour limited series, written by Nigel Williams (“Elizabeth I”) and directed by Philip Martin (“The Crown”), is jam-packed with romance, court intrigue and the theater of politics. Of all the queens she’s played, from Shakespeare’s Titania to Cleopatra, “they don’t come any more powerful than Catherine the Great,” said Mirren. “It’s the most extraordinary story of a young woman having the courage and intelligence and tenacity and intellect to be able to say, ‘I can do this, run this complex difficult country.’ Then of course after she died, everything she accomplished, with incredible success, everything she achieved, her son tried to destroy.” Powerful men maligned her, damaging her reputation. “It was mostly the lies spread about her by Frederick the Great,” said Mirren, “who hated her because she was powerful and successful and she stood up to him. He couldn’t stand that she was woman who was successful.”

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Mar
29
2020

Screencaptures from the fourth and final episode of “Catherine the Great” have been added to the photo gallery, with many thanks to Jess.

Following a declaration of war by the Ottomans, Catherine makes a weary Potemkin supreme commander of the armed forces as he’s forced to fight once more for Catherine and Russia. An embittered Alexei and Paul plot to bring down the Empress by exploiting her new lover, the vain and power-hungry Platon Zubov. Catherine and Potemkin’s failure to see eye-to-eye on how to respond to a joint ultimatum by Britain and Germany threatens the heart of their relationship. As her reign draws to an end, Catherine becomes increasingly paranoid and despotic, handing greater power to Zubov and setting out to change the line of succession.


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Photo Gallery – Career Photography – Catherine the Great – Screencaptures – Episode 1
Photo Gallery – Career Photography – Catherine the Great – Screencaptures – Episode 2
Photo Gallery – Career Photography – Catherine the Great – Screencaptures – Episode 3
Photo Gallery – Career Photography – Catherine the Great – Screencaptures – Episode 4

Feb
11
2020

Screencaptures from the third episode of “Catherine the Great” have been added to the photo gallery, with many thanks to Jess.

Eighteen months into their romantic relationship, Catherine and Potemkin experience difficulties as Potemkin longs for adventure and Catherine is drawn to her handsome secretary, Peter Zavadovsky. Potemkin’s attempts to convince Catherine to expand southwards and take Crimea put him in direct opposition to Minister Panin, whose cautious foreign policy favors an alliance with Germany. In the wake of an unexpected tragedy, Catherine reveals the brutal truth about Natalia to her son Paul and takes a special interest in her new grandson, causing Paul to turn decisively against his mother. After coming to an arrangement to preserve their deep political and spiritual connection, Catherine and Potemkin look ahead towards their shared dream of Russia’s future.


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Photo Gallery – Career Photography – Catherine the Great – Screencaptures – Episode 3

Jan
30
2020

Screencaptures from the second episode of “Catherine the Great” have been added to the photo gallery, with many thanks to Jess.

Two years later, Potemkin returns to St. Petersburg following the Russian army’s resounding victory against the Ottoman Empire, but is frustrated to learn Catherine has taken up with a young officer, Alexander Vasilchikov. As Catherine and Potemkin flit around their feelings for another, Catherine’s trusted confidante Countess Bruce puts aside her own desires to convince the Empress to give love a chance, leading to the beginning of what will become Catherine’s greatest partnership. As a Cossack named Pugachev stirs discontent in the countryside, Catherine looks to Potemkin for advice and decisive action. Meanwhile, a newly-married Paul sees a future commanding the military, worrying his mother, who seeks to keep him in his place.


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Photo Gallery – Career Photography – Catherine the Great – Screencaptures – Episode 2

Jan
27
2020

With many thanks to my dear friend Jess, I’ll be adding screencaptures from all four episodes of “Catherine the Great” to the photo gallery over the next few days. In her Golden Globe nominated performance, Helen Mirren dives into Catherine the Great’s extraordinary reign and her passionate love affair that changed the course of Russian history.The four-part miniseries is available on HBO’s demand service until February and can be purchased on DVD and Blu-Ray in the United States, in the United Kingdom and in Germany.

Following a palace coup that overthrew her unpopular husband, the Empress of Russia Catherine the Great faces challenges on all sides. Her unfaithful lover Grigory Orlov is trying to force her into an ill-advised marriage, her resentful son Prince Paul is looking for greater political power as he comes of age and enemies are calling for the restoration of former infant emperor Ivan VI, who has been imprisoned for nearly two decades. Seeking to freshen things up, Catherine invites the charismatic Lieutenant Grigory Potemkin to Court and the two instantly connect, with Catherine drawn to Potemkin’s candor, integrity and vision. Later, Catherine must make a difficult decision regarding a disillusioned soldier who looks to oust her as war with the Turks looms.


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Photo Gallery – Career Photography – Catherine the Great – Screencaptures – Episode 1

Jan
06
2020

Yesterday, Helen Mirren made her first appearance for 2020 at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Unfortunately, she didn’t win for “Catherine the Great” – the Golden Globe went to Olivia Colman for “The Crown”, so at least the awards stays in the “Queen” family. Nevertheless, Helen took the stage with Antonio Banderas to present the award for Best Director to fellow Brit Sam Mendes. Pictures from the arrivals, show and after-party have been added to the photo gallery. Two red carpet interviews from Access Hollywood and Entertainment Tonight have been added to the video archive as well.



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Photo Gallery – Public Appearances – 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards – Arrivals
Photo Gallery – Public Appearances – 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards – Show
Photo Gallery – Public Appearances – 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards – After-Party
Photo Gallery – Television Appearances Access Hollywood (January 05, 2020)
Photo Gallery – Television Appearances Entertainment Tonight (January 05, 2020)

Dec
15
2019

In case you’re still looking for a Christmas present, consider a digital or home video release of “Catherine the Great”, which has been released in the United Kingdom a couple of weeks ago. “Catherine the Great is the epic, romantic and stunning masterpiece series following the power, politics, and passions of the legendary monarch, coming to Blu-ray, DVD and digital platforms. Oscar winner Dame Helen Mirren (The Queen) stars as one of the greatest rulers in history, the legendary mother of the Russian Empire, Catherine the Great. This sweeping, beautifully shot series is one of the must-see shows of the year. Helmed by Emmy® award-winning writer Nigel Williams (Elizabeth I) and director Philip Martin (TV’s The Crown), the series co-stars Jason Clarke (Mudbound, The Man with the Iron Heart), Gina McKee (TV’s Bodyguard, The Borgias) and Rory Kinnear (TV’s Years and Years, Peterloo). Dazzler Media presents Catherine the Great out now on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital: https://amzn.to/2ltnpih.

Dec
09
2019

Congratulations to Helen Mirren for receiving a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for “Catherine the Great”. She shares the category with Kaitlyn Dever and Merritt Wever, both for “Unbelievable”, Joey King for “The Act” and Michelle Williams for “Fosse/Verdon”. Mirren is the sole nominee for “Catherine the Great, which has been “overlooked” in the other television categories. The three-hour telecast hosted by Ricky Gervais will air live on NBC coast to coast Sunday, January 5, 2020, at 8:00 p.m. EST/5:00 p.m. PST.

Best Performance by an Actress in a in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Kaitlyn Dever (Unbelievable)
Joey King (The Act)
Helen Mirren (Catherine the Great)
Merritt Wever (Unbelievable)
Michelle Williams (Fosse/Verdon)

Nov
03
2019

Just when I thought how extensive the press coverage for “Catherine the Great” has been, another big batch of new cover stories and articles has come our way, thanks to next week’s release of “The Good Liar” in the United Kingdom. This will be another exciting project and a great way to end the way, especially since every article so far stay tight-lipped about the plot and the many twists and turns. Among the new magazine additions are cover stories from The Mail on Sunday, the Sydney Morning Herald’s Sunday edition and The Irish Times, while there are additional cover stories for “Catherine the Great” from the Australian Foxtel and the British Sky Watch, with many thanks to Alvaro for sending them in. Also, make sure to visit the press library, where many of these articles can be read in full. Enjoy the new additions!



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Photo Gallery – Articles & Scans – 2019 – The Mail on Sunday (United Kingdom, November 03, 2019)
Photo Gallery – Articles & Scans – 2019 – The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia, November 03, 2019)
Photo Gallery – Articles & Scans – 2019 – The Irish Times (Ireland, November 02, 2019)
Photo Gallery – Articles & Scans – 2019 – Gente (Italy, November 02, 2019)
Photo Gallery – Articles & Scans – 2019 – Woman & Home (United Kingdom, November 2019)
Photo Gallery – Articles & Scans – 2019 – Foxtel Magazine (Australia, November 2019)
Photo Gallery – Articles & Scans – 2019 – Sky Watch (United Kingdom, October 2019)

Oct
29
2019

If you haven’t checked the photo galleries for “Catherine the Great”, make sure to have a look for all recently added production stills and promotional stills that have been added over the last couple of days.


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Photo Gallery – Career Photography – Catherine the Great – Production Stills
Photo Gallery – Career Photography – Catherine the Great – Promotional Stills