HELEN MIRREN

Birth Name: Ilyena Lydia Mironoff

Date of Birth: July 26, 1945

Born and raised in London, England, Mirren is a descendant of a Russian noble family—her father was a Russian aristocrat who was stranded in London after the 1917 Russian Revolution. Knowing she wanted to become an actress as early as age six, Mirren tried to please her parents with a stint at a teacher's college, but ultimately joined the National Youth Theatre, starting her acting career on stage.

As early as age 18 she was landing starring roles such as Cleopatra in Shakespeare's Anthony and Cleopatra at London's Old Vic Theatre. In 1967 she landed a position among the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company where she performed many of greatest heroines including Lady Macbeth, Ophelia, and Julia from Two Gentlemen of Verona.

She started her career on screen in 1967 with Herostratus (1967). A largely forgettable film, she followed it up with far stronger showings in such films as The Age of Consent (1969), The Long Goodbye (1973), O Lucky Man! (1973), Caligula (1977), Excalibur (1981), Cal (1984) (earning her the Best Actress award at Cannes) and The Madness of King George (1994). Her portrayal of Queen Charlotte in the latter film earned her her first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

In 1990 she earned considerable notice from television viewers for her role as DCI Jane Tennison, a hard-boiled detective, in the miniseries, Prime Suspect. The popular series went on to produce two other miniseries and three telefilms. It also garnered her three BAFTA awards and an Emmy for Best Actress.

Her feature film performances continued to thrive into this millennium with strong showings in Greenfingers (2000), The Pledge (2001), Gosford Park (2001) (which earned her a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress), and Calendar Girls (2003). She won a second and third Golden Globe in 2007, for her performance as Queen Elizabeth I in the TV miniseries Elizabeth I (2005) and as Queen Elizabeth II in the feature film The Queen (2006). She also won an Academy Award as Best Actress for her role in The Queen (2006).

Although she has a successful career on screen, Mirren never fully abandoned her love of stage and always makes time to perform on it.

In 1997 she married director Taylor Hackford, and they make their home in the Los Angeles area. Mirren was made a D.B.E. (Dame of the British Empire) in June 2003.

Filmography:

The Tempest (2009)
The Last Station (2009)
Love Ranch (2009)
State of Play (2009)
Inkheart (2009)
National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)
The Queen (2006)
Shadowboxer (2005)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
Raising Helen (2004)
The Clearing (2004)
Calendar Girls (2003)
Gosford Park (2001)
Last Orders (2002)
Gosford Park (2001)
The Pledge (2001)
Happy Birthday (2000)
Greenfingers (2000)
Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999)
The Passion of Ayn Rand (1999)
Sidoglio Smithee (1998)
The Prince of Egypt (1998) (voice)
Critical Care (1997)
Losing Chase (1996)
Some Mother's Son (1996)
The Madness of King George (1994)
Prince of Jutland (1994)
The Hawk (1993)
Where Angels Fear to Tread (1991)
Bethune: The Making of a Hero (1990)
The Comfort of Strangers (1990)
The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover (1989)
When the Whales Came (1989)
Pascali's Island (1988)
Invocation: Maya Deren (1987) (voice)
The Mosquito Coast (1986)
Coming Through (1985)
The Gospel According to Vic (1985)
White Nights (1985)
2010 (1984)
2010: The Odyssey Continues (1984) (uncredited)
Cal (1984)
Priest of Love (1981)
Excalibur (1981)
Hussy (1980)
The Long Good Friday (1980)
The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu (1980)
The Quiz Kid (1979)
Caligula (1979)
Hamlet (1976)
O Lucky Man! (1973)
Miss Julie (1972)
Savage Messiah (1972)
Colpo rovente (1969)
Age of Consent (1969)
Herostratus (1967)