For this week’s “The Many Faces of…” I decided to pick Helen Mirren, who has done a lot of roles, so it took me a while to create this one. She started her career in theatre, did a lot of TV shows and through the years has done many movies as well. Although she really wasn’t on my radar before (have only seen her more recent work), the last couple of years she has shown a lot of great performances.
When it comes to picking my favorite role I really don’t have to think about it. It has to be her depiction of Queen Elizabeth in The Queen (which I gave an 8/10), which also earned her an Oscar. She is just amazing in that, showing both class and vulnerability.
What is your favorite Helen Mirren role?
Helen Mirren is pure British class, thoroughly deserved the Oscar for the Queen. Also recently quite enjoyed her appearance in RED.
Yeah, she kicked ass in that one 😉
I still have to explore Helen Mirren’s filmography, especially her early years. From movies that I’ve seen I agree with you that her most outstanding work is in The Queen. However, she’s generally awesome and I loved her badass part in RED. Most of all, I would love to see The Last Station and The Debt.
Seems that a lot of people didn’t see a lot of her earlier work. Looking forward to The Debt as well!
Hooray! Friday Faces!!!
Did you ever see her in The Tempest? I still have yet to see that one. One of the more stranger roles I saw her in was The Shadow Boxer with Cuba Gooding, Jr. (not a fan).
Loved her in Red, and The Queen, and The Debt. Also in National Treasure 2! and I will admit to enjoying her in Arthur! There! I said it!
Speaking of Helen Mirren, Have you seen this? http://geektyrant.com/news/2011/9/11/watch-a-beautiful-1967-helen-mirren-in-a-strange-scene-from.html -a clip of her in a 1967 film called Herostratus.
That sounds catchy, should have used that 😉
No, I skipped Tempest basically because the reviews were not that positive. I did think that the pictures I”ve seen of the movie look awesome.
She was very enjoyable in Arthur, she fit the role.
Haven’t seen that clip!
Oh yeah, make sure to check it out next Friday as I’m working on your request!
Awesome choice!! LOVE dame Helen, she is one of a kind and truly a class act. Plus she still looks smashing in her mid 60s. It’s amazing that she’s great in all kinds of genre, I love her in The Queen, RED, State of Play, etc. and most recently The Debt. I mean talk about versatility!
Yeah, she showed a lot of versatility and I must say that I’m quite looking forward to seeing The Debt…read good things about it.
Helen Mirren is FANTASTIC! One of my favourites actresses. Like Ruth said, she is a class act. She was very, very good as Queen Elizabeth in The Queen. However, I enjoyed her performance in RED just as much! 😀
Completely agree with your choices 🙂 Any actors or actresses who you would also like to see in the many faces of?
I would like to put in a vote for Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn…unless if you already did them
Added to my list (which is getting very long now)
Hi, Nostra and company:
I kind of wandered over here from Flix Chatter and was intrigued by your topic.
Dame Helen Mirren is one of my favorite actresses from either side of the pond. Who has proved time and again that she can do no wrong.
First caught my attention as crime boss, Bob Hoskins’ wife in ‘The Long Good Friday’ from 1980. And four years later as Marcella, the wife of a recently slain British soldier. Who falls in love with ‘Cal’. A kid on the fringe of the IRA who did the slaying during the troubles of the 1970s and 80s.
From there, Dame Helen only honed her skills in smaller roles until ‘Prime Suspect’ caught her eye. Thought she was great in ‘The Queen’, ‘RED’ and ‘The Debt’; and would have been my personal first choice to play Cambridge Doyenne and Russia Watcher, Connie Sachs in the upcoming ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy’. Or Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in ‘The Iron Lady’.
Wouldn’t mind seeing Sean Bean in a future ‘Many Faces Of’.
Happy to hear you discovered the site though Flix Chatter (which I also visit regularly) and nice to see you enjoy the topic.
You have watched way more work from her than I have, so it’s nice to read your thoughts on her earlier work!
Sean Bean is written down, so he will appear in the future. first got some others on the list. The “Many Faces of… articles always appear on Fridays.
Sean Bean is a great pick, Jack. How about Naomi Watts perhaps? Maybe Liam Neeson, Harrison Ford or Alan Rickman? Those three have had very long careers and I’m sure there are lots of hidden gems! 😀
Wow, the list of requests keeps getting longer….they are added. Already had Alan Rickman request on there, so that one will probably come soon.