Screencaptures from one of Helen’s almost forgotten recent productions have been added to the photo gallery. “The Duke” fell victim to the Corona pandemic, finishing filming just as the world closed down for the first time. Despite a premiere at the 2021 Venice Film Festival, which Helen didn’t attend, the film’s theatrical release was rescheduled time and again. Unfortunately, director Roger Michell wouldn’t live to see the film’s final release in February 2022 to very welcoming reviews – he passed away in September 2021. If you haven’t seen it by now, make sure to browse for it on-demand, it’s a wonderful little gem with the always great Jim Broadbent. Many thanks to David for sending them in.

As earlier reported, Helen Mirren is visiting Israel to attend the 40th Jerusalem Film Festival. “Golda” has been chosen as the fest’s opening film and Helen will also receive a Life Achievement Award while being there. You can read a comprehensive summary of the rather entertaining press conference at The Jerusalem Post – I’ll leave you with this bit: Asked about the coincidence of the fact that she is participating in another festival movie – she is the voice of the narrator in Barbie, which is having its sneak preview there – she said, “I think that we need a Golda Meir Barbie,” a remark which brought down the house and concluded the event. A couple of pictures from the press conference and the screening have been added to the photo gallery. In this excerpt of her acceptance speech, Mirren acknowleged the just announced actor’s strike in Hollywood.

Members of my tribe can be found in Germany, Belgium, the United States. Palestinians, Israelis, Africans. They are the tribe to whom I really want to dedicate this award and say thank you. I had the greatest time on “Golda” because immediately I felt that I belonged. Thank you to my wonderful tribe of actors, all over the world in every language there is. (Helen Mirren, Jerusalem Film Festival)

For the third year in a row, Helen Mirren was among the many celebrity guests of Dolce & Gabbana’s lavish Italian weekend festivities Alta Moda. She joined the likes of Kim Kardashian, Kerry Washington, Angela Bassett, Christian Bale, and hundreds of other guests for a swirl that featured back-to-back glamorous events over five days including a concert by Diana Ross. On the first night’s welcome event, Mirren took the stage and pointed out that some of the region’s olive trees are as old as – or even older – than Rome’s Colosseum. The famous Roman structure has a couple of millennia on Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana’s business, but at 40 this year, their brand is its own kind of Italian institution: colorful, proud, and rooted in family and tradition, but also quite alive in the popular imagination. Pictures from the festivities – alongside another recent Italian appearance – have been added to the photo gallery.

We have established that Italy loves Helen Mirren – apparently, they adore her husband, too. On Saturday, Taylor Hackford received a Life Achievement Award at the 50th Premi Internazionali Ennio Flaiano in Pescara, and Helen was on hand to support her hubby, famed for “An Officer and a Gentleman”, “White Nights”, “Dolores Claiborne”, “The Devil’s Advocate” and “Ray”. A couple of pictures from the ceremony have been added to the photo gallery. According to their website, the Flaiano International Awards, founded in 1973 by Edoardo Tiboni to honor Ennio Flaiano, consist of a series of events, exhibitions, conferences, shows in which concrete cultural motives converge – literary, theatrical, cinematic and television. Many thanks to Joan for the heads-up. Edit: Lots of additional photos and a couple of videos from the event have been added. Check the list below for updates.

We’re really blessed right now with all the press coverage for “1923”‘s FYC campaign and the upcoming press cycle for August’s theatrical release of “Golda”. Helen Mirren graces the cover of the British Saga Magazine’s July issue as well as another cover on The Los Angeles Times’ The Envelope supplement. Both can be found in the photo gallery. Enjoy reading.

A fantastic batch of new production stills from the upcoming “Golda” have been added to the photo gallery. We’re a good two months away from the film’s theatrical release, so it’s great to see promotion slowly starting. Hopefully we’ll get to see a first trailer soon.

A big batch of recent articles have been added to the photo gallery, most of them concerning renewed promotion for “1923”, thanks to the recently opened Emmy voting timespan. While it’s difficult to tell how popular the series will be with voters after “Yellowstone” has been snubbed for a good number of years, a Best Actress nomination for Helen would be the most likely one out of the categories. For a complete list of added magazines, have a look at the list below.

For their roundtable to discuss their roles for the upcoming Emmys season, The Los Angeles Times paired old RSC colleagues Patrick Stewart and Helen Mirren, alongside Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us), Jeremy Strong (Succession), Christina Ricci (Yellowjackets) and Diego Luna (Andor). Definately a must-read: So there they sat, Helen Mirren and Patrick Stewart, speaking across a table one late April day with four other actors talking about the old days. They reminisced about being in the same late-1960s British theater scene, laboring to become top-flight classical thespians. “We both were saying earlier how strange it is to find ourselves here in Los Angeles and being screen actors,” Mirren says. “Because both of our ambitions when we started was to be theater actors and, very specifically, to be classical theater actors. There was a snotty attitude – wasn’t there?” “Somewhat,” Stewart agrees. “Of British actors towards American film acting, which I personally never subscribed to, that it wasn’t real acting. Real acting was doing ‘Lear’ in front of 2,000 people without a microphone,” Mirren continues with a laugh. “I always loved American actors. British acting at the time was like looking at a beautifully constructed piece of furniture. Beautifully carved. You know, perfect reproduction of something. And American acting was like the same piece of furniture, a bit more funky, but real. My ambition was to meld the two together. This sense of control and technique, for want of a better word, with the beauty of the improvisational, instinctive, wonderful thing that is American acting.” The complete article can be read here.

Helen Mirren is having an Italian Summer for all of us – and a very busy, extended weekend. After attending Saturday’s ORA! Film Fest (see previous update and find new pictures in the gallery), Mirren was seen on Sunday’s Lecce-Bologna Match at the Via del Mare stadion. And today, she was a special guest at the Università del Salento, where a new promotional spot for the university with her participation was released. Pictures and videos have been added to the photo gallery.

As previously reported, Helen Mirren attended Saturday’s opening night of Puglia’s new ORA! Film Fest, attending a Q&A with colleagues Matthew Modine, Marisa Tomei and John Turturro, who will be all honored during the festival’s run this week. Chances are good we will be seeing more of Helen during the festival. For now, pictures from the opening night have been added to the photo gallery.