Dame Helen Mirren has expressed that she is "incredibly proud" after being appointed a Companion of Honour in the King's Birthday Honours. The 80-year-old Academy Award-winning actress, renowned for her roles in The Queen and Prime Suspect, was recognised on Friday for her contributions to drama. This honour places her among an exclusive group of only 65 living individuals who currently hold the title.
Gratitude and Reflection
In a video message shared on her Instagram account on Saturday, Dame Helen conveyed her gratitude for the "incredible honour" and expressed a wish that her parents could have witnessed the moment. She stated: "I would like to communicate how incredibly proud I am of being offered to become a companion of honour to my country, Britain, the country that I love so much. I am the daughter of an immigrant. My father was given shelter by Britain when he escaped from the Russian revolution, so many years ago. My mum was a working-class girl from East London, my dad was an immigrant from Russia, so I'm a real mix, but I think of myself as utterly British to the core."
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Born Ilynea Lydia Mironoff in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, Dame Helen commenced her acting journey with the National Youth Theatre, making a significant impact by playing Cleopatra in a 1965 production of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. Shortly thereafter, she undertook numerous classical roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company before starring in a series of films throughout the 1980s, including The Long Good Friday, Excalibur, and Peter Greenaway's The Cook, The Thief, His Wife And Her Lover.
Dame Helen remarked: "I fell in love with Shakespeare at a very young age. I fell in love with the extraordinary history of the culture of drama in Britain, that amazingly long history, and I count myself very much a part of that tribe of rogues and vagabonds that historically the British acting community always was. We have such an incredible gift in our cultural jewel that is Shakespeare, and that was how I fell in love with drama, how I fell in love with acting."
Advice for Aspiring Actors
The actress also offered guidance for young people, urging them to be punctual, to avoid being selfish or self-interested, and to "take every opportunity you possibly can to reach out for what you love and then give it your all." She continued: "This is an amazing moment for me. I have to say, absolutely extraordinary. I would never have believed this, you know, as a 13, 14, 15 year old, let alone a 25, 35, 45 year old, so as an 80 year old I'm absolutely thrilled. Thank you so much."
Career Highlights
Dame Helen became a household name in the 1990s for her portrayal of the tough-talking DCI Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect. Over her decades-long career, she has received four Academy Award nominations and won her first Oscar for Best Actress in 2007 for her regal role in The Queen, a film that follows Queen Elizabeth II in the aftermath of Princess Diana's death. That same year, she also won a Golden Globe for the TV series Elizabeth I, after receiving her first Golden Globe in 1997 for the TV film Losing Chase.
She is also known for starring in the 2003 US TV movie The Roman Spring Of Mrs Stone and Calendar Girls alongside Julie Walters and Celia Imrie. The actress recently reunited with Imrie in the Richard Osman murder mystery film adaptation, The Thursday Murder Club, which also stars Pierce Brosnan. Brosnan also portrays Dame Helen's on-screen husband in Guy Ritchie's crime drama series Mobland.
Dame Helen married American producer-director Taylor Hackford in 1997 and was made a Dame of the British Empire in 2003 for her services to drama.
