Facebook Twitter Instagram
    • Services
    • Aircheck for Actors
    • Demo Reels
    • Audition Prep/Self-Tape Reader
    • Mailing Labels
    • Contribute
    • Industry Links
    • Advertise
    Daily Actor
    Daily Actor YouTube Page Daily Actor FacebookDaily Actor Twitter Daily Actor Instagram Daily Actor Pinterest
    • Acting Tips
      • Actors on Acting
      • Advice Columns
      • Acting Quotes
      • Audition Tapes
      • How To Become An Actor
      • How to Memorize Lines
    • Monologues
      • Monologues from Plays
      • Monologues from Movies
      • Monologues from Musicals
      • Comedic Monologues
      • Dramatic Monologues
      • One Minute Monologues
      • Monologues for Women
      • Monologues for Men
      • Monologues for Teens
      • Monologues for Kids
      • All Monologues
    • Acting Resources
      • Acting Resume
        • Acting Resume Templates
      • Acting Classes
        • Los Angeles Acting Classes
        • Las Vegas Acting Classes
        • San Diego Acting Classes
      • Acting Schools and Colleges
        • Los Angeles
        • New York
        • BFA Acting Schools
      • Casting Websites
      • Headshot Photographers
        • Los Angeles
        • New York City
        • Headshot Printing
      • Acting Techniques
        • What is Method Acting?
      • Stage Directions
      • Demo Reels: Everything You Need to Know
    • Interviews
      Featured

      Interview: Donna Benedicto: “Not every character needs to fit into a box”

      Recent

      Interview: Donna Benedicto: “Not every character needs to fit into a box”

      May 1, 2023
      Jesmille-Darbouze-A-Dolls-House-Broadway-Interview

      Interview: Jesmille Darbouze on Her Role in ‘A Doll’s House’ on Broadway, Working Without Props and Why She Almost Stopped Acting

      April 27, 2023

      Interview: Lilah Fitzgerald Talks “Dream Come True” Roles in ‘Monster High’ and ‘Lucky Hank’

      April 13, 2023
    • Actor Blogs
    • Reviews
      • Movies
      • Theater
      • Books
      • Products
    • Actor Services
      • Airchecks
      • Demo Reels
      • Website Design
      • Mailing Labels
    Daily Actor
    Home » Film » Helen Mirren: “I’m not the sort of actress who identifies with every role, but I do bring a part of myself to them”
    Film

    Helen Mirren: “I’m not the sort of actress who identifies with every role, but I do bring a part of myself to them”

    Chris McKittrickBy Chris McKittrickAugust 24, 2011Updated:September 16, 20181 Comment2 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

    According to Helen Mirren, “I was never young and pretty.  Well, never pretty, anyway.”

    Of course, you’ll find many who disagree with her who tell you that not only was Mirren pretty, but that at 66 years old she remains not only beautiful but one of the most respected actresses in the industry.  Still, Mirren argues in an interview with NJ.com that her looks prevented her from achieving early success.  She claims, “That I wasn’t pretty was part of the problem when I started.  People couldn’t quite get a handle on me. … But also, when you’re in your 20s — well, you’re a bit of an undercooked soup, aren’t you? You’re not quite ready. You need to simmer for a few years.”  Because of that, Mirren believes she missed out on some roles that she truly would’ve have liked to play, including one of the theater’s most iconic roles for a young woman, confessing, “I never got to play Juliet.  And that continues to be a source of sadness. But when I was young enough to do it, no one was mounting a production, or if they were, they certainly weren’t casting me … It’s all a terrible crapshoot, especially with the classical roles. If you’re not the right age, at the right time, they can pass you by.”  As Mirren has achieved major success in the last decade — winning an Oscar for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in 2006’s The Queen — Mirren has recently, and surprisingly, has taken on action roles like in Red — something normally out of the box for a 66 year old woman.  She’ll continue that trend by appearing in The Debt as a retired Israeli spy.  Why is Mirren attracted to more action-oriented roles lately?  She explains, “It’s always more fun to play a noisy, extroverted character, and that takes a lot of energy, but this kind of reserved, secretive character is no less demanding.  The energy is hidden in the intensity.”

    So does Mirren has some secret fantasies about herself as a secret agent?  Not particularly, as she says, “I’m not the sort of actress who identifies with every role, but I do bring a part of myself to them.”  So perhaps there is something quite dangerous sizzling beneath the surface.

    Related

    Previous ArticleTrailer: ‘Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance’ starring Nicolas Cage
    Next Article Colin Farrell: “You don’t want to be photographed by the paparazzi? Say ‘no’ to the 120 million dollar film”

    Related Posts

    David Harbour Black Widow

    David Harbour on Building a Character, Finding Contradictions and Mastering an Accent

    September 3, 2021
    Nicolas Cage in Pig

    Nicolas Cage on Using a “More Quiet and Measured Performance Style” in ‘Pig’

    August 17, 2021
    Aubrey Plaza in Black Bear

    Aubrey Plaza on Auditioning and Why UCB Was the “Best Time” of Her Life

    August 12, 2021
    View 1 Comment

    1 Comment

    1. Heather Ferris via Facebook on August 24, 2011 2:32 pm

      If you look up the word “Classy” in the dictionary, you’ll find a picture of Helen Mirren

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Popular Pages
    Become An Actor | Acting Tips | Acting Quotes
    Acting Resume | Resume Template
    Headshot Photographers
    Los Angeles | New York
    Print Your Headshots
    Acting Schools & Colleges
    Los Angeles | New York
    Monologues
    Movies | Plays | Comedic | Dramatic
    Men | Women | Teens | Kids
    • Contact
    • About
    • Advertise
    • Resource Listings
    • Write A Column
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy

    Disclaimer: Daily Actor at times uses affiliate links to sites like Amazon.com, streaming services, and others. Affiliate links provides compensation to Daily Actor which helps us remain online, giving you the resources and information actors like you are looking for.

    © 2023 Daily Actor

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.