Biography
Despite her working-class upbringing and her parents - who scoffed at the very idea - Mirren emerged to become one of the most celebrated, decorated and revered British actress of her time. With a combination of poise, confidence, intelligence and undeniable sex appeal, Mirren became famous for her challenging performances on stage and screen that often included removing her clothes, a public exhibition that sometimes stood in the way of her …
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Helen Mirren SlideShow
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Career Milestones
2011 | Played a former Mossad agent in "The Debt" | |
2011 | Played Hobson, the title character's nanny in the remake of "Arthur," opposite Russell Brand | |
2010 | Starred as Prospera in the Julie Taymor directed adaptation of Shakespeare's "The Tempest" | |
2010 | Co-starred with Bruce Willis in "Red," an adaption of the comic book mini-series of the same name | |
2010 | Starred in "Love Ranch," based on the true story of a married couple who opened the first legal brothel in Nevada; her husband Taylor Hackford directed the film | |
2009 | Portrayed Sofya Tolstoy, opposite Christopher Plummer as Leo Tolstoy, in the German biographical film, "The Last Station"; earned Independent Spirit, Golden Globe, SAG and Oscar nominations for Best Actress | |
2009 | Cast as the ruthless editor of the Washington Globe in the political thriller, "State of Play" | |
2008 | Published her memoir, In the Frame | |
2006 | Portrayed Queen Elizabeth II following the tragic death of Diana, Princess Of Wales in "The Queen" | |
2006 | Offered an award winning performance as the Queen of England in the Channel 4/HBO joint production of "Elizabeth I" | |
2006 | Reprised role of Inspector Jane Tennison in the PBS Masterpiece Theatre miniseries "Prime Suspect: The Final Act"; received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Movie | |
2006 | Starred opposite Cuba Gooding Jr. in Lee Daniels' indie film "Shadowboxer" | |
2004 | Co-starred with Robert Redford and Willem Dafoe in the thriller "The Clearing" | |
2004 | Appeared in the Comedy "Raising Helen" directed by Garry Marshall | |
2003 | Returned as Inspector Jane Tennison to the PBS Masterpiece Theatre miniseries "Prime Suspect 6: The Last Witness''; received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Miniseries or Movie (2004) | |
2003 | Starred in "Calender Girls"as one of the women of the Rylstone Women's Institute in North Yorkshire that posed nude in 1999, to raise money for Leukemia; earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress | |
2003 | Starred in the television feature "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone"; received Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG nominations for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Movie | |
2002 | Co-starred in the Television movie "Door To Door"; earned Golden Globe and SAG nominations for Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie; received an Emmy nomination for Supporting Actress | |
2002 | Cast as a ruthless TV news producer in Hal Hartley's "No Such Thing" | |
2001 | Played the efficient housekeeper Mrs. Wilson in Robert Altman's "Gosford Park"; reteamed on screen with Clive Owen and Michael Gambon; earned second Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination | |
2001 | Returned to Broadway opposite Ian McKellen in "The Dance of Death" | |
2001 | Directed the short, "Happy Birthday" (filmed 2000); aired on Showtime as part of Directed By series in the edition entitled "On the Edge" | |
2000 | Had leading comic role as a gardening expert in the British comedy "Greenfingers"; screened at Cannes; first screen teaming with Clive Owen (released theatrically in the USA in 2001) | |
2000 | Co-starred opposite Stuart Townsend in the Donmar staging of "Orpheus Descending" | |
1999 | Returned to the London stage in "Collected Stories" | |
1999 | Cast as the titular educator in the black comedy "Teaching Mrs. Tingle" | |
1999 | Gave a brilliant star turn in the title role of the Showtime film "The Passion of Ayn Rand"; received second Emmy Award | |
1998 | Voiced the Queen in the animated feature "The Prince of Egypt" | |
1998 | Starred opposite Alan Rickman in the London stage production of "Antony and Cleopatra" | |
1997 | Associate produced and starred as a faded rock singer turned sleuth in the British TV mystery "Painted Lady"; aired on PBS in the USA | |
1996 | First screen credit as associate producer on "Some Mother's Son"; also starred as an Irishwoman whose son is imprisoned for alleged IRA activities | |
1995 | Made Broadway debut in "A Month in the Country"; received a Tony nomination | |
1994 | Received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination playing the loyal queen in "The Madness of King George"; co-starring Nigel Hawthorne and Rupert Everett | |
1994 | Played the queen in "Prince of Jutland/Royal Deceit," a drama that purported to tell the "real" story of Hamlet | |
1990 | Co-starred with Rupert Everett in the thriller "The Comfort of Strangers" | |
1990 | Created signature role of Detective Inspector Jane Tennison in the Granada Television drama "Prime Suspect" (aired in USA on PBS in 1991); reprised the role in several series between 1992 and 2006 | |
1989 | Had title role of the cheating spouse of a gangster in Peter Greenaway's "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover" opposite Michael Gambon | |
1988 | Acted opposite Ben Kingsley in "Pascali's Island" | |
1986 | Starred opposite Harrison Ford in "The Mosquito Coast" | |
1985 | Met future husband Taylor Hackford when he directed her in "White Nights" | |
1984 | Cast as a Russian astronaut in "2010" | |
1984 | Offered a beautifully nuanced turn as the widow of a British soldier who falls in love with the young Irishman responsible for his death in "Cal"; earned the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival | |
1983 | Had second go as the Egyptian queen in "Antony and Cleopatra" opposite Michael Gambon | |
1983 | Played Imogen in the BBC/PBS version of Shakespeare's "Cymbeline" | |
1981 | Cast as the fairy queen Titania in the BBC/PBS adaptation of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" | |
1981 | Was featured as Morgana (aka Morgan Le Fey) in John Boorman's "Excalibur" | |
1979 | Played the love interest to Bob Hoskins' gangster in the acclaimed "The Long Good Friday" | |
1979 | Co-starred in the notorious and controversial feature "Caligula" | |
1978 | Had lead role of Rosalind in the BBC/PBS production of Shakespeare's "As You Like It"; part of a series in which all the Bard's plays were performed | |
1975 | Starred opposite Laurence Olivier, Alan Bates and Malcolm McDowell in British TV adaptation of Harold Pinter's play "The Collection" | |
1975 | Garnered acclaim for her stage performance in "The Sea Gull" | |
| Won raves for playing Lady Macbeth in "Macbeth" | ||
1974 | Starred opposite Michael Jayston in the thriller "Kiss Kiss, Kill Kill" (ABC); film aired in Great Britain as "Coffin for the Bride" | |
1973 | Appeared in Lindsay Anderson's "O Lucky Man!" | |
1972 | Co-starred in Ken Russell's "Savage Messiah" and had title role in film "Miss Julie" | |
1972 | Toured Africa and America with Peter Brook's theater company | |
1971 | Had supporting role in the BBC production of "Cousin Bette"; aired on PBS' "Masterpiece Theater" in 1972 | |
1969 | Offered memorable turn as the unclothed muse for James Mason in "Age of Consent" | |
1968 | Played Hermia in a British TV adaptation of "A Midsummer's Night Dream"; directed by Peter Hall (released theatrically in the USA) | |
1967 | TV debut in BBC production of "Herostradus" | |
1967 | Joined Royal Shakespeare Company | |
1965 | Played Cleopatra at the Old Vic with the National Youth Theater at age 18 | |
| Raised in Ilford and Southend-on-Sea, England | ||
Awards
2010 | Palm Springs International Film Festival for Career Achievenment Award |
2010 | Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead in The Last Station |
2010 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in The Last Station |
2009 | Academy Award for Actress In a Leading Role in The Last Station |
2009 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in The Last Station |
2009 | Rome International Film Festival for Marc'Aurelio Jury Award for Best Actress in The Last Station |
2007 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries in Elizabeth I |
2007 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie in Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act |
2007 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in The Queen |
2006 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television in Elizabeth I |
2006 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie in Elizabeth I |
2006 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television in Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act |
2006 | Academy Award for Actress In a Leading Role in The Queen |
2006 | BAFTA Award for Actress In a Leading Role in The Queen |
2006 | New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in The Queen |
2006 | National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress in The Queen |
2006 | Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress in The Queen |
2006 | Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress in The Queen |
2006 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress in The Queen |
2006 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress in The Queen |
2006 | San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in The Queen |
2006 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in The Queen |
2006 | Venice International Film Festival for Volpi Cup for Best Actress in The Queen |
2004 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie in Prime Suspect 6: The Last Witness |
2004 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries in Tennessee Williams' The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone |
2003 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in Calendar Girls |
2003 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries in Door to Door |
2003 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television in Tennessee Williams' The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone |
2003 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie in Tennessee Williams' The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone |
2002 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television in Door to Door |
2002 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in Gosford Park |
2002 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in Gosford Park |
2001 | BAFTA Award for Actress In a Supporting Role in Gosford Park |
2001 | Academy Award for Actress In a Supporting Role in Gosford Park |
2001 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in Gosford Park |
2001 | National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress in Gosford Park |
2001 | New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress in Gosford Park |
2000 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries in The Passion of Ayn Rand |
1999 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television in The Passion of Ayn Rand |
1999 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie in The Passion of Ayn Rand |
1997 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress In a Miniseries or Special in Prime Suspect 5: Errors of Judgement |
1996 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television in Losing Chase |
1996 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress For a Miniseries or a Special in Prime Suspect: The Scent of Darkness |
1995 | BAFTA Award for Actress In a Leading Role in The Madness of King George |
1995 | Cannes Film Festival for Best Actress in The Madness of King George |
1994 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress In a Miniseries or Special in Prime Suspect 3 |
1994 | Academy Award for Actress In a Supporting Role in The Madness of King George |
1993 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress In a Miniseries or Special in Prime Suspect 2 |
1984 | BAFTA Award for Actress in Cal |
1984 | Cannes Film Festival for Best Actress in Cal |