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
Jul
26
2019

According to The Telegraph, Dame Helen Mirren is to become the godmother of Scenic Eclipse, an luxury exploration ship, when it is christened in New York on September 10. The Oscar-winning actress was previously a godmother for P&O’s Ventura, back in 2008. Traditionally the figurative presence of a godmother at a ship’s naming ceremony brings good luck for future sailings, and Scenic will be hoping Mirren will do exactly that, after the run-up to Eclipse’s launch was beset by delays. The ship’s maiden voyage was originally due to take place in August 2018 but financial woes at the Uljanik construction yard in Croatia, where the ship was being built, scuppered the line’s plans. Workers went on strike after their salaries were not paid. The delays caused the first voyage to be pushed back to January this year, and then to April. Now Scenic Eclipse is due to sail on August 15, from Reykjavik to Quebec, nearly a year later than first planned. “Scenic Eclipse is a unique ship that requires an equally unique person to act in this role,” said Glen Moroney, founder and chief executive of Scenic. “Dame Helen Mirren’s style, beauty and spirit of adventure are true to those embodied in the design and ethos of Scenic Eclipse. Combined with the international acclaim as one of the world’s finest actresses, Helen Mirren makes the perfect godmother to figuratively preside over the ship and bring good fortune.” Billed as the World’s First Discovery Yacht, Scenic Eclipse will have 114 suites, 10 dining options, a gym, a spa, and a yoga studio, plus two six-person helicopters and one six-person submarine. Butler service will be on offer for all guests, with an almost 1:1 guest-staff ratio. The godmother is responsible for breaking the champagne against the ship’s hull. Dame Helen Mirren said: “I am very honoured to have been chosen as the Godmother to such a beautiful vessel as Scenic Eclipse. She will have many adventures and a wonderful life as she transports her guests in immaculate style and great safety to beautiful places.”

Jul
17
2019

According to The Mirror, Dame Helen Mirren today backs the fight to save free TV licences for the over-75s, as more than 11,000 pensioners aged 100 or over face being stripped of the lifeline. The Oscar-winning actress throws her weight behind the battle to preserve the benefit as campaigners take their crusade to Conservative HQ. Activists will deliver 36,000 letters addressed to Tory leadership hopefuls to Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, demanding the party honour its 2017 election pledge to maintain the concession for the length of this Parliament. And we can reveal how curbs meaning only over-75s receiving Pension Credit will continue to benefit, will clobber the very oldest in society. Analysis by Labour shows 469,622 people aged 90-plus; 109,083 aged 95 and over; and 11,688 people aged 100 and over will lose their free licences next year. Age UK’s charity director Caroline Abrahams said: “So many of those in their 90s and beyond are in fragile or declining health, confined to their home and almost entirely dependent on their TV for entertainment and company. Read More“For this vulnerable group, the inevitable hassle and expense of buying a licence or having to self-validate their entitlement to Pension Credit to get a free licence may prove too much, consigning them to a life without television and stripping them of their connection to the outside world.” Bectu broadcasting union chief Philippa Childs said: “This staggering statistic demonstrates the real human impact on potentially the most vulnerable pensioners of the Government’s cynical decision to pass responsibility for making decisions about future funding of the licence fee for over 75s to the BBC.” The complete article can be read over at The Mirror.

Jul
09
2019

According to Deadline, Vin Diesel has announced on Instagram that Charlize Theron and Helen Mirren are returning for Universal’s Fast & Furious 9. Both actresses’ characters were introduced in 2017’s Fate of the Furious. Theron played cyberterrorist Cipher who forced Diesel’s Dom to turn coats on his street family and operate for her. Mirren played Magdalene Shaw, the mother of Deckard (Jason Statham) and Owen (Luke Evans). Mirren will be seen again as Magdalene in the Fast & Furious spinoff Hobbs & Shaw on August 2. They join new castmember to the franchise, John Cena, whose role is under wraps. Justin Lin (Fast & Furious 6) returns to direct part 9 which is currently shooting in London. Dan Casey wrote the screenplay from a story by Lin and Alfredo Botello. Fast & Furious 9 opens on May 22 release. Diesel produces for his One Race Films alongside Samantha Vincent, and Lin produces for his Perfect Storm Entertainment. Jeffrey Kirschenbaum and Joe Roth also will produce for Roth/Kirschenbaum Films. Diesel has produced the five highest-grossing films in the Fast & Furious franchise: The Fate of the Furious, Furious 7, Fast & Furious 6, Fast Five as well as Fast & Furious. The entire action series has racked up more than $5.1 billion at the WW box office.

Jun
15
2019

On the 90th anniversary of the birth of Anne Frank (1929-2019) the documentary “#AnneFrank – Parallel lives” will be released in Italian cinemas; the film will be scheduled with projections-event only on 11, 12 and 13 November (soon it will be possible to access information on the participating rooms on nexodigital.it). Helen Mirren will be the exceptional guide to the documentary, written and directed by Sabina Fedeli and Anna Migotto.

The documentary film traces the existential pain of Anne through the pages of her diary, a text that has allowed millions of readers around the world to learn about the tragedy of Nazism through the eyes of those who dreamed of becoming a great writer as an adult. The story of Anne Frank is intertwined with the testimony of 5 Holocaust survivors (Arianna Szörenyi, Sarah Lichtsztejn-Montard, Helga Weiss and sisters Andra and Tatiana Bucci) who with faith and determination continue to tell the new generations about pain and absurdity of the evil that took shape in the Holocaust. #AnneFrank – Parallel lives is aimed above all at young people and seeks, through a cinematographic language that refers to the world of social networks, to retrace the past through the media mentality of the current generation. A young actress, played by Martina Gatti, has the role of incarnating this directorial intent, guiding us to the places of Anne and the survivors of the Holocaust. Martina writes a sort of digital diary able to speak to her peers: an immediate way to relate the tragedies passed with the present.

May
13
2019

In honour of Mental Health Awareness week, Mirren and other stars have joined forces with L’Oréal Paris to bring a powerful message about the importance of fostering and maintaining self-esteem. Hear hear, we say. Spurred by the unsettling statistic that 40% of young people in the UK say they don’t believe in themselves, L’Oréal Paris has leant on the star power of some of its famous faces for a rousing and joyful new venture: the “My Self Worth’ Podcast. In partnership with The Prince’s Trust, the podcast tackles issues around body image, and combines the power of positive affirmations with advice from psychotherapist Lucy Beresford. In the podcast, Mirren talks candidly about her own personal journey with her self-esteem, and how it remains something that is crafted, not given. “Those negative thoughts are always lurking there under the surface –everybody feels this way, you aren’t the only one,” said Mirren encouragingly. She went on to reveal, “If I walk onto a movie set and see these humongous movie stars I feel incredibly intimidated. Sometimes I lock myself in the loo to give myself a talking to: ‘You can do it Helen, don’t worry, you can do it!’ What always comes up in my head is that ‘I’m boring, I’m stupid, I’m not exciting enough.’ In my job I meet a lot of extraordinary people, and for me, it’s incredibly intimidating.” Also featured are model Iskra Lawrence, Olympian Tom Daley and activist Katie Piper, among others. Free to download and listen to, the podcast is available on Google Podcasts, Spotify, iTunes and online.

May
08
2019

Social Bite’s sleepout is going global as the Edinburgh charity’s fundraising event will take place in Times Square, New York – with the help of Will Smith. Dame Helen Mirren has also signed up to Social Bite’s biggest charity campaign yet, with 50,000 people around the world sleeping outside to raise money for homelessness. Sleep in the Park, the brainchild of Social Bite founder Josh Littlejohn, has been growing and growing since it began in 2016. In December, 10,000 people took part in sleepouts in all of Scotland’s major cities. On Wednesday, Social Bite announced The World’s Big Sleep Out would take place on December 7 this year. The flagship event will be in Times Square, with Will Smith reading a “bedtime story” to those taking part. Dame Helen will read to those in London. Events will also be taking place in Edinburgh, Chicago, Newcastle, New Delhi, Santiago, Dublin, Newcastle, Dublin, Belfast, Cardiff, Brussels, Barcelona and Madrid. Social Bite said: “The campaign is positioned as the ‘Live Aid’ for the issue of global homelessness – a one-off international event aiming to raise an incredible $50,000,000 and focus global attention on the issue. “Holywood Stars Dame Helen Mirren and Will Smith have agreed to perform the ‘bed time story’ in London and New York respectively, with more big names and musicians yet to be announced throughout the world.” They added: “Partners for the campaign include the Malala Fund, UNICEF USA and the Institute of Global Homelessness, who will be able to support a target of around 1,000,000 homeless and displaced people with the funds raised. Local charities will also significantly benefit where the events take place. “What was born in Scotland is now being adopted worldwide, creating a unity like no other before. “We set out on this mission to be a Scotland for the world to follow, and we hope that this campaign will inspire others around the world to address this local, global and important issue. “We’re extremely proud to be a part of this incredible movement and we hope you are too.” You an find out more on the Big Sleep Out website here.

Feb
19
2019

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the latest round of A-list stars who will be helping hand out Oscars on Hollywood’s biggest night! The third round of presenters were announced on Tuesday and include Michael B. Jordan, Helen Mirren, Paul Rudd, Danai Gurira, Elsie Fisher, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Keaton, John Mulaney, Tyler Perry, Pharrell Williams, Krysten Ritter, Paul Rudd and Michelle Yeoh. “We are excited to welcome these amazing artists and filmmakers to the show,” said show producer Donna Gigliotti and co-producer and director Glenn Weiss. “They bring excitement, momentum, and elements of surprise to this year’s Oscars.” The news follows an announcement earlier this month that Javier Bardem, Angela Bassett, Chadwick Boseman, Emilia Clarke, Laura Dern, Samuel L. Jackson, Stephan James, Keegan-Michael Key, KiKi Layne, James McAvoy, Melissa McCarthy, Jason Momoa and Sarah Paulson would also take the stage to help present awards. Previously, Awkwafina, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Tina Fey, Whoopi Goldberg, Brie Larson, Jennifer Lopez, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Amandla Stenberg, Charlize Theron, Tessa Thompson and Constance Wu were also confirmed to present. This will be Helen’s fifth time at the Academy Awards as a presenter – she presented in 2007 together with Tom Hanks, in 2008, in 2011 with Russell Brand and last year with Jane Fonda.

Jan
15
2019

The biggest drama in Hollywood right now is who the heck’s going to host next month’s Academy Awards ceremony, and the mystery has made it all the way into Helen Mirren’s social circle. “I was talking to one of the (Oscar show’s) writers and he said, ‘Do you want to host?’ ” Mirren tells USA TODAY, followed by the kind of laugh that clearly states “Not it.” The host search has been, shall we say, tumultuous. Comedian Kevin Hart was first picked for the gig, and then quit due to some old homophobic tweets, and then looked like he might say yes again but instead reaffirmed his no. Now it looks like there won’t be an Oscar host for the first time since 1989, which Mirren says would be “interesting.” (Hopefully it won’t be as “interesting” as that infamous 1989 Oscars dance number.) The 2007 best actress Oscar winner (for “The Queen”) doesn’t know if a no-host Academy Awards is a good thing or a bad thing. “It’s a thing,” Mirren says simply. “The reason I kind of like the host is you can send it all up a bit. It means you’re not taking yourself too terribly seriously.” Winning an Oscar is a fantastic and great moment, but one that could use some perspective at the same time, adds Mirren, who stars in the upcoming HBO miniseries “Catherine the Great” (slated for later in 2019) and the big-screen thriller “The Good Liar” (in theaters Nov. 15). “Everyone knows that it’s not like the shutdown of the government – it’s not that important, if you know what I mean. And I think that the existence of the host, it’s always a comedic role, it’s there to make fun of everybody, and that’s not such a bad thing.”

Dec
20
2018

According to Playbill, the 2019 Academy of Music Anniversary Concert and Ball will feature the talents of Oscar and Tony winner Helen Mirren. The stage and screen legend is set to take the stage at the January 26 event at the historic Philadelphia landmark. She will be joined by the Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who also recently took the reins at New York’s Metropolitan Opera. “The Academy of Music is a beacon of historic Philadelphia, and The Philadelphia Orchestra’s annual visit is a treasured moment,” said Nézet-Séguin. “I am thrilled to be returning next month with Helen Mirren, one of the greatest actors of our time and an artist I very much admire, for an evening of words and music to remember.” The white-tie event will begin with a pre-concert reception at the Academy of Music, followed by the concert and subsequent celebrations at the Bellevue Hotel. Concert and Ball tickets are available at TheAcademyBall.org. At the Met, Nézet-Séguin recently conducted the premiere of Michael Mayer’s new staging of La Traviata, marking his first time taking the podium after officially assuming the title of music director. He is also set to lead productions of Pelléas et Mélisande and Dialogues des Carmélites later this season.

Nov
18
2017

In her first-ever online class, Academy Award winning actress Helen Mirren shares the techniques that she has learned through the course of her international career that has spanned stage, screen, and television. Her powerful and versatile performances have earned her numerous awards, including the Academy Award in 2007 for her performance in The Queen, a Tony Award in 2015 for her performance in The Audience, and four Emmy Awards. In her class, Helen Mirren will discuss the dualism that is core to her acting method: the necessity for mastering technique (craft), and then letting go of that technique so that your imagination can take over (art). Lessons include how to break down a script, conduct research for real and fictional characters, approach the more “poetic” aspects of character, make thoughtful decisions on costume, and handle props in a way that is true to your character. While helping you develop your own acting talent, Helen will take you behind the scenes of her greatest roles, including Elizabeth II in The Queen, Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect, and Prospero in The Tempest. In Helen’s online class, learn about: Researching Characters Breaking Down Scripts Creating Characters Through Hair and Makeup Creating Characters Through Costume Characterizing Sets Camera Technique Performing Shakespeare Collaborating With Writers & Directors. Learn more about Helen Mirren Teaches Acting on their official website.