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
24
2019


Lots of additional pictures and video clips from yesterday’s promotion for “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Show” has been added to the archives, including almost 100 new pictures from the premiere. There’s a red carpet interview with the cast, being asked about the same-day election of Boris Johnson as the UK’s new Prime Minister, a live stream appeance with the cast on “Good Morning America” as well as a press junket interview with Helen on the film, in which she confirms, unconfirms and then maybe-confirms her appearance on “Fast & Furious 9”. On the reporter’s question that up next is “Fast 8”, Helen replied, “Yes, yes, yes… I hope, let’s see, definately” 🙂 So, let’s see how official the appearance will be. For a complete list of today’s additions, please have a look at the list below the preview pictures. Enjoy all the new updates!


Related Media

Video Archive – News Segments- Entertainment Tonight (July 24, 2019)
Video Archive – News Segments – Entertainment Tonight Canada (July 24, 2019)
Video Archive – News Segments – Access Hollywood (July 24, 2019)
Video Archive – Talkshows – Good Morning America (July 23, 2019)
Video Archive – Public Appearances – “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw” London premiere
Video Archive – Career – Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw – Press Junket Interview

Related Media

Photo Gallery – Television Specials & Appearances – 2019 – Entertainment Tonight (July 24, 2019)
Photo Gallery – Television Specials & Appearances – 2019 – Entertainment Tonight Canada (July 24, 2019)
Photo Gallery – Television Specials & Appearances – 2019 – Access Hollywood (July 24, 2019)
Photo Gallery – Public Appearances – 2019 – “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw” Premiere
Photo Gallery – Public Appearances – 2019 – “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw” Press Junket
Photo Gallery – Career – Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw – Press Junket Interview
Photo Gallery – Television Specials & Appearances – 2019 – Good Morning America (July 23, 2019)

Jul
22
2019

HBO has released a teaser trailer for the historical drama miniseries “Catherine the Great” which stars Helen Mirren in the title role as the 18th century monarch. The first glimpse of the upcoming limited series shows us Mirren as the legendary monarch, who was Empress of Russia from 1762 until 1796, making her the country’s longest-ruling female leader. The series will show us Catherine toward the end of her rule in the 18th century, when she begins a steamy relationship with Grigory Potemkin (Jason Clarke), a military leader. “When I was young I dreamed of freedom, I dreamed of breaking chains,” Catherine can be heard saying in the trailer. “But as you get older, your choices narrow. So instead I gave us an empire, but I knew exactly what I was doing… I will not share my throne with anyone.” The series arrives on HBO and Sky Atlantic this Fall.

Related Media

Video Archive – Career – Catherine the Great – Teaser trailer (HBO)
Photo Gallery – Career – Catherine the Great – Teaser trailer screencaptures (HBO)

Jul
16
2019

After a very muted US-release in June, Luc Besson’s “Anna” has been rolled out to international theaters beginning last week – it can be seen in the United Kingdom since July 5, in France in July 10 and will be released in Germany on July 18. Reviews have been mixed in pretty much every country – my favorite review is still courtesy The Toronto Sun’s Peter Howell: Mirren sheathes her character’s intentions behind a granite visage that suggests what Fran Lebowitz would look like as a Bond villain. At least we get a glimpse of a little bit more promotional material with the international releases. There has been a b-roll, a couple of making of featurettes and on-set interviews, all featuring Helen Mirren. You can find all new clips below. The photo gallery has been updated as well with new on-set pictures.

Related Media

Video Archive – Career – ANNA – On-Set interview
Video Archive – Career – ANNA – Making Of
Video Archive – Career – ANNA – B-Roll

Jul
15
2019

Helen’s second installment in the Fast & Furious franchise – the Rock/Statham spin-off “Hobbs & Shaw” – will release theaters August 2. Her character’s name has received an add-on, the Shaw family matriarch is now known as Magdalene “Queeny” Shaw. There you go. Univeral Pictures is starting the film’s promotion this weekend with its Los Angeles premiere (which Helen didn’t attend) and a first batch of video clips, including an on-set interview with Helen and the b-roll, in which she is seen thanking director David Leitch after wrapping her scenes and demanding “more stunts” for the next time. As much as we know there will be a next time next year, when Helen will reprise her role in the ninth “Fast & Furious”. You can find both the b-roll and on-set interview below and in the video archive, as well as screencaptures in the photo gallery.

Related Media

Photo Gallery – Career – Hobbs & Shaw – B-roll screencaptures
Photo Gallery – Career – Hobbs & Shaw – On-Set interview screencaptures

Jun
27
2019

Warner Bros. UK has launched the first theatrical trailer for Bill Condon’s “The Good Liar”. The New Line Cinema drama pairs Oscar winner Helen Mirren and two-time Oscar nominee Ian McKellen on the big screen for the first time. Bill Condon, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of “Gods and Monsters,” directed and produced the film from a screenplay by Jeffrey Hatcher (“Mr. Holmes”), based on the widely acclaimed novel by Nicholas Searle. Career con artist Roy Courtnay (McKellen) can hardly believe his luck when he meets well-to-do widow Betty McLeish (Mirren) online. As Betty opens her home and life to him, Roy is surprised to find himself caring about her, turning what should be a cut-and-dry swindle into the most treacherous tightrope walk of his life. “The Good Liar” also stars Russell Tovey and Jim Carter. Greg Yolen also served as producer, alongside Condon. The executive producers were Richard Brener, Andrea Johnston, Aaron L. Gilbert, Jason Cloth, Anjay Nagpal, Jack Morrissey, and Nick O’Hagan. The creative filmmaking team included director of photography Tobias Schliessler, production designer John Stevenson, editor Virginia Katz, and costume designer Keith Madden. The music is composed by two-time Oscar nominee Carter Burwell. “The Good Liar” was filmed on location in London and Berlin. It opens in theatres on Friday, November 15, 2019. The film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.


Related Media

Photo Gallery – Career – The Good Liar – Trailer screencaptures

Jun
21
2019

“Anna”, Luc Besson’s action thriller starring Sasha Luss, Helen Mirren, Cillian Murphy and Luke Evans, releases select theaters today to almost no promotion, premiere or any kind of buzz, except some disappointing reviews. Most articles on the film touch the matter of the recent accusations against Besson and how it hurts the markability and mainstream effect of the film. A collection of reviews can be found below. The photo updates above are accompanied by more clips from the film – international trailers, television spots, a clip and an on-set interview with Helen.

The New York Times, Bilge Ebiri (June 21, 2019)
“Anna” is entertainingly put together, but it might be hard to be entertained by it. Last year, the director was accused by a number of women of sexual assault, which he has denied. It’s hard not to be reminded of such matters when watching a film that often turns on seduction and shifting power dynamics in male-female relations. “Anna” can’t live in a vacuum.

Variety, Peter Debruge (June 21, 2019)
Will anything in “Anna” take audiences by surprise? Nothing so much as the fact that such a broadly appealing mainstream thrill ride should be released so unceremoniously as this, almost as if it were being done to fulfill contractual obligations. It’s nowhere near the embarrassment of Brian De Palma’s “Domino,” or any number of recent studio tentpoles. Nor is it fresh enough to pretend that audiences had missed out on something special if it had been buried altogether — except perhaps for Luss, who’s bound to get another shot.

RogerEbert.com, Peter Sobczynski (June 21, 2019)
Helen Mirren, evidently using this film as an audition reel for the role of Edna in the inevitable live-action remake of “The Incredibles.” “Anna” is so aimless and listless that you can hardly believe that he was even on the set for the majority of its production. All he has to offer here is the aforementioned two decent action scenes, some interesting underwear and a Helen Mirren performance that is mildly amusing, though it will not take up too much time in any future Lifetime Achievement highlight reels.

The Hollywood Reporter, John DeFore (June 20, 2019)
Helen Mirren, the film’s first spark of life. Cillian Murphy is as jarring in his role as Mirren — they’re too lively and intelligent to play the film’s color-by-numbers game, and look like they might be working an angle: What if they just keep being the only people worth watching until Besson decides to pivot, making this a Tinker, Tailor-style game of string-pulling spymasters? No such luck.

The Los Angeles Times, Noel Murray (June 20, 2019)
“Anna”’s underlying themes just don’t resonate as they’re meant to. The film falters when it tries to be an aspirational tale, about a woman tired of being shuffled from one “grey box” to another (from a pauper’s apartment to a military academy to a cramped models’ condo), and who’s exhausted by the piggish fashion photographers and demanding spy-masters who dominate her days.

The Toronto Star, Peter Howell (June 20, 2019)
Olga, played by Helen Mirren, is one sharp shot of vodka. She lights her cigarettes with a grenade-shaped lighter and tells a story of having once walked for three days in the woods with a wolf trap attached to her leg. “Trouble never sends a warning,” she advises Anna. Olga functions as both a serious figure of menace and comic relief. Mirren sheathes her character’s intentions behind a granite visage that suggests what Fran Lebowitz would look like as a Bond villain. Dark humour ripples through Besson’s jigsaw screenplay. Spy fans will be amused at one discussion about how best to cut off a hapless victim’s finger, to avoid casting suspicion of CIA involvement.

Jun
15
2019

Last week, Helen Mirren attended the Apoxiomeno International Award in Sorrentino, Italy, to honor actress and director Betty Thomas with the award for Television Acting. Thomas was one of the very first, and to this date most-beloved, female police officers on the hit-show “Hill Street Blues”. There’s a full video of Helen’s introduction as well as pictures from the press conference and awards ceremony and dinner. Enjoy the new additions.


Related Media

Photo Gallery – Public Appearances – 2019 – Apoxiomeno International Award – Ceremony & Dinner
Photo Gallery – Public Appearances – 2019 – Apoxiomeno International Award – Press Conference

May
10
2019

“There are unscrupulous people in Russia – fortunately, I am one of them,” declares a formidable Helen Mirren in full regalia as Catherine the Great in the first trailer of the Sky series based on the Russian empress, which will be on HBO in the U.S. Mirren is joined by Jason Clarke, Gina McKee and Rory Kinnear in the series, which bows on the Sky Atlantic channel in the U.K. this fall. HBO has “Catherine the Great” for the U.S. The series is the latest out of its drama partnership with Comcast-owned Sky. The trailer shows scenes in palaces, battlefields and the bedroom, with glimpses of the life and loves of one of the most powerful female monarchs in history, including her passionate affair with general Grigory Potemkin. “I have survived for half a century in a world that does not want me,” she says in a more reflective moment. “Catherine the Great” is produced by Origin Pictures and New Pictures. Nigel Williams (“Elizabeth I”) penned the show. It is directed by BAFTA- and Emmy Award-winning Philip Martin (“The Crown”).

Related Media

Photo Gallery – Career – Catherine the Great – Trailer screencaptures (Sky)

Apr
18
2019

Let’s hope Helen Mirren has seen her performance in The Fast & Furious 8 in the meantime, because she has another one coming up. In the latest trailer for Universal’s Fast & Furious spin-off Hobbs & Shaw, Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham come out swinging. The trailer then pivots to a widescreen introduction of Idris Elba’s Brixton Lore, a cyber-genetically-enhanced criminal mastermind, who announces he’s coming for the duo and Shaw’s sister, Hattie Shaw (Vanessa Kirby). The latter stole from Lore a catastrophically deadly virus, and Lore wants it back. In line with previous Fast & Furious films, the world-saving mission becomes part family business, with Helen Mirren’s red-lipsticked Magdalene Shaw even making a brief appearance in a red jumpsuit behind a glass partition. “Look after your sister,” she says before Hobbs and Shaw buckle up to take down a slew of international baddies. A barrage of punches, car chases, explosions and airplane ejections follow, as Lore re-appears, announcing himself as “black Superman” before going head-to-head with the leading duo. However with Hobbs and Shaw seemingly unable to slow the genetically altered villain and his army of mercenaries, the two go off the grid to Hobbs’ home turf. Written by Chris Morgan, a regular scribe for the Universal franchise, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw hits theaters on Aug. 2.

Apr
10
2019

Lionsgate’s Summit label has decided to give Luc Besson’s Anna a high-profile summer release. The crime-thriller, starring Russian supermodel and actress Sasha Luss opposite Helen Mirren, will open in theaters on June 21. Anna’s opening was put on hold last year when Belgian-Dutch actress Sand Van Roy filed a complaint in May 2018 accusing the director of drugging and raping her at a Paris Hotel. In November, five more women came forward in a report in French investigative magazine Mediapart, alleging sexual misconduct. In total, at least nine separate women have accused the director of sexual assault and harassment. In late February of this year, the Paris prosecutor’s office dismissed the rape charges after an investigation failed to turn up evidence to support Roy’s allegation. Nevertheless, promoting Anna could prove problematic in terms of putting Besson in front of the press. Lionsgate and Summit acquired domestic rights to the movie before the rape charge and other allegations. The movie is his first directorial effort since Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets — which featured Van Roy — hit theaters in 2017, grossing $225 million globally. Anna also stars Luke Evans, Cillian Murphy, Eric Godon and Anna Krippa. The story follows former model who turns government assassin (Luss). Mirren plays her boss. Toy Story 4 and Child’s Play also open nationwide over the June 21-23 weekend. Edit: An international teaser trailer, which features completely different scenes, has been added as well.