Despite her many awards , unprocurable imperial image , and vaunted " Dame " status , Helen Mirren persist the 71 - twelvemonth - older thespian you ’d most like to grab a beer with . While the Oscar - winning actress is well known for having played various fairy of England , by now it ’s no closed book that thebudding twerking enthusiastis , as she described herself ina late Super Bowl ad , " a notoriously forthright and uncensored British lady . "
But even though she ’s pretty much an open Bible in interview and talk - show coming into court , there ’s still plenty of lesser - known small beer you might not make out about the Royal Shakespeare old hand and four - time Emmy achiever . Let ’s take a closer look at this delightful badass .
1. Her great-grandfather was a butcher for Queen Victoria
allot toaNew Yorkerprofileof the actress , her mother " was the thirteenth of fourteen tyke , a butcher ’s girl whose grandfather had been the butcher to Queen Victoria . " It ’s unclear whether or not the blunderer ever told the fag that one day his neat - granddaughter would roleplay her great - great - granddaughter , but , like , what else do you speak about with your butcher ? And while Mirren has never play Queen Victoria , she has played two fictitious character named Victoria – in 1980’sThe Long Good Friday , and more recently , in the twoRedmovies .
2. Her father’s family got a shout-out inWar and Peace– and later she played Tolstoy’s wife!
Mirren may be one of Britain ’s most iconic actress , but her father was actually Russian , and his female parent was a countess in a class that was noteworthy enough to be referenced in Tolstoy’sWar and Peace . Years later , Mirren would make an Oscar nominating address for playing the writer ’s married woman inThe Last Station .
3. She used to be called “Popper”
Mirren ’s other acting nickname was " Little female parent Russia " because of her heritage , but her family had a much weirder moniker . fit in to theNew Yorker , they call her Popper , or Pop , “ because she would pour down off into dreams , " which sounds both too specific to be untrue and too flaky to be genuine .
4. She was already a queen at 19
Like any great stage actress , Mirren has played in the same work a few times over the line of her career . In 1965 , at the young years of 19 , she made her debut with the National Youth Theatre as the second statute title lineament inAntony and Cleopatra , and then in the tardy ' 90s she star in a much larger - scale product , with Alan Rickman as Antony . And Egypt was n’t done with her : in 1998 she provided the vocalism of Queen Tuya in the revive filmThe Prince of Egypt . By this point , she should be an honorary Egyptian .
5. She was in an erotic film produced by the founder ofPenthouse
If you ’re reading this , you probably already know Mirren often appears bare onscreen . In 1979 , she appeared in various state of matter of undress throughoutCaligula , an over - the - top erotic historic drama written by the novelist Gore Vidal and make by Bob Guccione , thegold - chain - and - frump - lovingmind behind the fashion plate magPenthouse . " Everyone was naked in that , " Mirrenlater toldPeople . " It was like showing up for a nudist camp every daylight . You felt embarrassed if you had your clothes on in that moving picture . "
6. And after that she was in a movie calledHussy
How does a chief like Helen Mirren fall out upCaligula ? By making a picture show about a prostitute calledHussyand cementing her condition as a risk - taking European sexual urge symbolic representation . Mission accomplished !
7. She got arrested for smuggling because of Peter Sellers
In 1980 , Mirren had a star character in Peter Sellers ' last film , The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu , and as output wind up , thePink Panthercomedian gifted her a spotter with her persona ’s name code on the back . But the watch end up being more problem than it was deserving . " Wearing it on my articulatio radiocarpea while traveling back from Paris , this spotter make me to be arrested for smuggling and call into question for over five hours at the drome , " shewrites in her memoir . " I ’d had no melodic theme that the watch was solid gold . To escape jail fourth dimension I had to compensate about my integral salary in Customs duty . "
8. She loved cocaine but gave it up
Like all cool people in the ' seventy , Helen Mirren dabbled in cocaine . " I screw coke , " shetoldGQ . " I never did a lot , just a little bit at party . " But she stopped doing it after reading an article that said Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie was profiting from it in South America . The power of journalism !
9. She got a tattoo while drunk in Minnesota
If you have n’t figured out by now , Helen Mirren does n’t run by society ’s rules , man . Not only will she get drunk with an American theater troupe at an Amerindic reserve in Minnesota , she ’ll also memorialise the occasion by getting a tattoo on her hand with a safety machine peg . She latertold theDaily Mailthe tattoo think " have it away thy neighbor , " but , on a larger metaphorical level , it just means YOLO .
10. She went on camping dates with Liam Neeson
One of Mirren ’s first boastful Hollywood roles was in the sword - and - sorcery epicExcalibur , where she met and date a tall , comparatively unknown doer advert Liam Neeson . unhappily , the two did not rest together forever – imagine the meme if they did ! – but , according to Mirren , they did go on some reasonably wild bivouacking trips where Neeson would struggle to check in a collapsible shelter . The dude can contend terrorists , kidnapper , and crime lords , but plain he ’s well defeated by a few poles and some synthetic material .
11. She will get her breastplate fromExcaliburwhen the director dies
It ’s fair to say that Mirren’scostumesinExcaliburinspired a lot of , uh , intenseteenage fancy . But the literal breastplate she wear in the picture show is still have by managing director John Boorman , and it will be passed on to Mirren in his will when he exit .
12. Sometimes she sets her alarm early – and not just for sex
Mirren famously once said she place her alarm an hour early so she could have time to have sex with her husband , Taylor Hackford , whom she married in 1997 , but the actual quote is n’t quite as sex - obsessed as the media would have you think . " If I ’ve got a busy day , I ’ll set the alarm an hour or two former than I have to , " she say ina 1996 audience . " It ’s not just for sex , but so Taylor and I can chat , exchange views , discuss the world news and do anything else that takes our fancy . " So , sure , sexual practice sometimes take their illusion and sometimes it does n’t – leave her alone .
13. She called Roy Scheider the C-word
Mirren is known for talk her judgment – and like most multitude , her mind has blaspheme words in it . But as her life history charter off in the ' 80s and she find herself working on Hollywood flick like2010 , the subsequence to Stanley Kubrick’s2001 : A Space Odyssey , she had to make some adjustments . “ I teach how appalling it is to utter [ swear words ] on set one day , " she said . " My co - star Roy Scheider was jest around and said something to make me laugh . I did , and the director anticipate Cut ! As an amused throwaway , I turned to Roy and say , ’ Oh Roy , you cunt ! ' The whole studio froze in horror . ”
14. Her most famous pre-Queenrole got an American remake
Mirren won two Emmy Awards for her persona as Jane Tennison on the BBC’sPrime Suspect , but did you know the show also got ashort - live on American remake ? In 2011 , NBC vent its own version starring Maria Bello , but it only live for 13 episodes , because you obviously ca n’t makePrime Suspectwithout Helen Mirren – seriously , do n’t even bother .
15. She called Dr. Frasier Crane’s radio show
It ’s soft to blank out that in its prime , Frasierwas a democratic show for famous person to make an visual aspect on – like theEntourageof Seattle – typically in the form of a call to the spoil shrink . Mirren dial in back in 2004 , but unfortunately , her call was n’t momentous enough to get her a spin - off of her own .
16. She was in a movie that had to be renamed because of Columbine
17. She played Ayn Rand in a TV movie
When it comes to diachronic physical body , Mirren does n’t only play members of the royal family . In 1999 , she portrayedThe Fountainheadwriter Ayn Rand in a TV biopic , which clear her an Emmy and a particular topographic point in the spirit of that weird teacher at your high school day who pushes objectivism on everyone .
18. She played both Queen Elizabeths
We were n’t kidding about Mirren ’s imperial cred ! Before winning an Oscar for functioning as Elizabeth II inThe Queen , the royal actress play Elizabeth I in manager Tom Hooper ’s UK tv set miniseriesElizabeth I. If that ’s not enough to imprint you , she also play the wife of King George III in 1994’sThe Madness of King George , because , like , why not ?
19. She won a Tony for the same role she won an Oscar for
After win her first Oscar in 2006 , just to stunt on her hater she acquire a Tony Award for the same role , playing Queen Elizabeth II inThe Audience , a looseness written by Peter Morgan who also penned the script forThe Queen . I did n’t even know you were allowed to do that .
20. And she’s one Grammy away from an EGOT!
By winning a Tony in 2015 , Mirren vex one step closer to winning thehighly coveted EGOT , something she ’d be capable to lord over Meryl Streep next sentence they go into each other at an accolade luncheon . " I want a Grammy , " shetold E ! News . " I ’ve got to do an audiobook . I certainly wo n’t win a Grammy singing . "
21. She did the voice of a CGI owl for Zack Snyder
Oh shit , you thought Helen Mirren only did voice work for acerbic sitcoms likeFrasier ? Well , you ’re wrong . She was also the voice of Nyra , one of the owls in director Zack Snyder ’s CGI - owl epicLegend of the Guardians : The Owls of Ga’Hoole . So , next clip you espy an owl in the natural state , just recall to yourself , " Damn , Helen Mirren once provided the representative for these gallant animal . "
22. She likes to talk about public transportation on talk shows
Back in 2007 , Mirren appeared on an episode ofTop Gearand car - loving host Jeremy Clarkson teased her about her love of busbar and trains . In 2015 , aftera swell photoof her on the New York subway exit viral , she appeared onThe Tonight Showandtold Jimmy Fallon a storyabout holding up a train by stick her deal in the room access . So , if you ever see Helen Mirren on a caravan , say hi to her . You might become lecture - show fodder in the hereafter .
23. She’s retired from on-screen nudity
Last yr , Mirren declared that she ’s done with onscreen nudity . Because she ’s Helen Mirren , the nudity retirement announcement come with an amazing inverted comma . " That ’s the skilful thing about getting older ; you do n’t have to do that form of thing anymore , ” shesaid in an interview . “ My delight pillows are strictly for my husband . ”
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Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty Images
The Last Station|Sony Pictures Classic
Caligula|Penthouse Films International
Orion Pictures Corporation/Youtube
Excalibur|Warner Bros.
2010|Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
NBC/YouTube
Showtime/YouTube
The Queen|Pathé Pictures
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole|Warner Bros. Pictures
BBC/YouTube
