LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS THE OWLS OF GA HOOLE

HELEN MIRREN (Nyra) has won international recognition for her work on stage, screen and television. For her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in Stephen Frears' 2006 hit "The Queen,” she received an Academy Award®, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award®, and BAFTA Award for Best Actress. She was also named Best Actress by virtually every critics' organization from Los Angeles to London. On the small screen, Mirren was also honored for her performance as Queen Elizabeth I in the 2005 HBO miniseries "Elizabeth I,” winning an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe and a SAG Award®.

Most recently, Mirren earned both Oscar® and Golden Globe nominations for her performance in the historical drama "The Last Station,” playing Sofya Tolstoy.

Mirren will put a new spin on Hobson in the reimagining of "Arthur,” the role which earned John Gielgud an Oscar® in the original film. In another gender twist, Mirren will star as Prospera in Julie Taymor's big screen adaptation of Shakespeare's "The Tempest.” In October, she will star as a retired assassin in Summit's "Red,” based on the DC comic of the same name. In December, she stars as a Mossad agent in the John Madden-directed thriller "The Debt.”

Mirren began her career in the role of Cleopatra at the National Youth Theatre. She then joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, where she starred in such productions as "Troilus and Cressida” and "Macbeth.” In 1972, she joined renowned director Peter Brook's theatre company and toured the world.

Her film career began with Michael Powell's "Age of Consent,” but her breakthrough film role came in 1980 in John Mackenzie's "The Long Good Friday.” Over the next 10 years, she starred in a wide range of acclaimed films, including John Boorman's "Excalibur”; Neil Jordan's Irish thriller "Cal,” for which she won the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival and an Evening Standard Film Award; Peter Weir's "The Mosquito Coast”; Peter Greenaway's "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover”; and Charles Sturridge's "Where Angels Fear to Tread.”

Mirren earned her first Oscar® nomination for her portrayal of Queen Charlotte in Nicholas Hytner's "The Madness of King George,” for which she also won Best Actress honors at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival. Her second Oscar® nomination came for her work in Robert Altman's 2001 film "Gosford Park.” Her performance as the housekeeper in that film also brought her Golden Globe and BAFTA Award nominations, several critics groups' awards, and dual SAG Awards®, one for Best Supporting Actress and a second as part of the winning ensemble cast. Among her other film credits are Terry George's "Some Mother's Son,” on which she also served as associate producer; "Calendar Girls,” for which she got a Golden Globe nomination; "The Clearing”; "Shadowboxer”; "National Treasure: Book of Secrets”; "Inkheart”; and "State of Play.”

On television, Mirren starred in the award-winning series "Prime Suspect” as Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison. She had earned an Emmy Award and three BAFTA Awards, as well as numerous award nominations, for her role in early installments of the "Prime Suspect” series. She won another Emmy Award and earned a Golden Globe nomination when she reprised the role of Detective Jane Tennison in 2006's "Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act,” the last installment in the PBS series.

Her long list of television credits also includes "Losing Chase,” for which she won a Golden Globe Award; "The Passion of Ayn Rand,” winning an Emmy and earning a Golden Globe nomination; "Door to Door,” for which she received Golden Globe, Emmy and SAG Award® nominations; and "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone,” earning Golden Globe, Emmy and SAG Award® nominations.

Mirren has also worked extensively in the theatre. She has received two Tony Award nominations, the first for her work in "A Month in the Country,” and another for her role opposite Sir Ian McKellen in "Dance of Death.” She also received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress for her performance in "Mourning Becomes Electra” at London's National Theatre. In 2009, Mirren returned to the National Theatre to star in the title role in "Phèdre,” directed by Nicholas Hytner.

Helen Mirren became a Dame of the British Empire in 2003.

TOP

Home | Theaters | Video | TV