Helen Mirren famous quotes

It seems to me that the years between eighteen and twenty-eight are the hardest, psychologically. It’s then you realize this is make or break, you no longer have the excuse of youth, and it is time to become an adult – but you are not ready.
-- Helen Mirren

#Years #Eight #Twenties

I learned quite early on in life that we are all two people. And one of those people none of us will ever know.
-- Helen Mirren

#Two #People

People become more interesting from about 25 - they develop character and their personalities come out.
-- Helen Mirren

#Character #People #Interesting

You could build three hospitals with the cost of one film and I take that very seriously.
-- Helen Mirren

#Three #Cost #Film

I've always been battling against my sense of dignity and refinement. I was embarrassed by any bodily functions when I was younger. I could never even blow my nose.
-- Helen Mirren

#Blow #Noses #Dignity

You write your life story by the choices you make,
-- Helen Mirren

#Writing #Choices #Stories

The hardest period in life is one’s twenties. It’s a shame because you’re your most gorgeous, and you’re physically in peak condition. But it’s actually when you’re most insecure and full of self-doubt. When you don’t know what’s going to happen, it’s frightening.
-- Helen Mirren

#Insecure #Self #Doubt

I don't like the word 'strong,' because a strong character is never an interesting character. A character is made interesting by their vulnerabilities and their weaknesses.
-- Helen Mirren

#Strong #Character #Interesting

Fresh from a costume fitting, where I had been posing in front of the mirror assuming what I thought was a strong position - arms folded, butch-looking...you know - I met with the woman in charge of Holloway police station. She gave me the most invaluable advice: never let them see you cry, and never cross your arms. When I asked why, she said 'because it is a defensive action and therefore weak.
-- Helen Mirren

#Strong #Mirrors #Advice

All you have to do is to look like crap on film and everyone thinks you're a brilliant actress. Actually, all you've done is look like crap.
-- Helen Mirren

#Thinking #Actresses #Looks

Fear can be one of the most destructive emotions. It is, of course, also very important, in that fear sometimes stops you from doing stupid things. But it can also stop you from doing creative or exciting or experimental things. It can cloud your judgement of others, and lead to all kinds of evil. The control and understanding of our personal fears is one of the most important undertakings of our lives.
-- Helen Mirren

#Stupid #Clouds #Evil

It was not my destiny, I kept thinking it would be, waiting for it to happen, but it never did, and I didn't care what people thought ... It was only boring old men who would ask me. And whenever they went, 'What? No children? Well, you'd better get on with it, old girl,' I'd say 'No! F*** off!'
-- Helen Mirren

#Girl #Children #Destiny

I have never in my life found myself in a situation where I've stopped work and said, 'Thank God it's Friday.' But weekends are special even if your schedule is all over the place. Something tells you the weekend has arrived and you can indulge yourself a bit.
-- Helen Mirren

#Friday #Weekend #Special

You can't control how other people see you or think of you. But you have to be comfortable with that.
-- Helen Mirren

#Thinking #People #Think Of You

I don't believe that if you do good, good things will happen. Everything is completely accidental and random. Sometimes bad things happen to very good people and sometimes good things happen to bad people. But at least if you try to do good things, then you're spending your time doing something worthwhile.
-- Helen Mirren

#Believe #People #Trying

I drink just as much tea when I'm in Los Angeles as I do when I'm in London. I take my tea bags with me wherever I go.
-- Helen Mirren

#Tea #Bags #London

Actors are rogues and vagabonds. Or they ought to be.
-- Helen Mirren

#Vagabonds #Actors #Rogues

The trick in life is learning how to deal with it.
-- Helen Mirren

#Life Is #Tricks #Deals

I've been working every year since I started acting, and I got many awards before I won the Oscar for 'The Queen.'
-- Helen Mirren

#Queens #Awards #Years

Patience can be a good thing - but not necessarily. Sometimes it's not so bad to be impatient. I'm a little bit too polite.
-- Helen Mirren

#Littles #Sometimes #Impatient

I'm not an impersonator. I'm a lousy impersonator, actually.
-- Helen Mirren

I think of myself as being a bit of a wimp deep down - a bourgeois wimp - and I'm fighting that. I think all Brits are, maybe.
-- Helen Mirren

#Fighting #Thinking #Wimps

Parkinson's is a slow but inevitable process. It's hard living with it on a daily basis. The difficulty facing people with it is that they never quite know 'Can I or can't I do this today?'
-- Helen Mirren

#People #Today #Process

The great marriages are partnerships. It can't be a great marriage without being a partnership.
-- Helen Mirren

#Partnership #Great Marriage

I am in a fabulously lucky position in that I get to wear beautiful, beautiful gowns for functions, which I can then give back. That way, they're not sitting in my wardrobe with me looking at them and feeling guilty. I love that, and I think when people have a fabulous function to go to, I'd recommend renting.
-- Helen Mirren

#Beautiful #Thinking #Giving

I am not too keen on my nose, I don't like my knees, I hate my ankles, I am unsure about my behind, I don't like my legs at all. I am not too sure about my chin, my forehead is a bit dodgy. But, overall, I can live with it.
-- Helen Mirren

#Hate #Legs #Knees

I'm not a republican any more. Not so voraciously anyway - I'm not in favour of the concept of monarchy, but I do see the good in it if there's a good person in the role.
-- Helen Mirren

#Roles #Favour #Republican

I still have a Gypsy sense of adventure. I don't think I have slept in the same bed for more than three or four months my whole life. I am always planting vegetables that I never get to eat and flowers that I never see flower. I have always moved around the world.
-- Helen Mirren

#Flower #Adventure #Thinking

I don't think it's good to try and change anyone. The trick and the mystery - of relationships and life in general - is to learn to live with the bits you don't like.
-- Helen Mirren

#Thinking #Trying #Mystery

I have to say, without sounding like a total tosser, that everything I've learned in life, and that has taken me out of my natural interior life, has been with men. They exposed me to things that I wasn't aware of. I learned from all the guys.
-- Helen Mirren

#Taken #Men #Guy

I love men that love women. Morgan Freeman, who I worked with on 'RED,' was very flattering to me. But he is flattering to all women. He is a woman-charmer.
-- Helen Mirren

#Men #Red #Flattering

I remember thinking, when I was in my early 30s, that this is the best age to be, and I still believe your 30s are a wonderful time.
-- Helen Mirren

#Believe #Thinking #Age

I do think it's well over-time to have a female Doctor Who. I think a gay, black female Doctor Who would be the best of all.
-- Helen Mirren

#Gay #Thinking #Doctors

I always tell my husband, That's it, I quit, I've done all I wanted, and he's just like, Yeah, yeah. Sure.
-- Helen Mirren

#Husband #Live Your Life #Done

It seems to me that the years between eighteen and twenty-eight are the hardest, psychologically .
-- Helen Mirren

#Eight #Years #Twenties

When you're young and beautiful, you're paranoid and miserable.
-- Helen Mirren

#Beautiful #Miserable #Young

Right after winning the Oscar, when everyone was going home, they let these little gold Oscary shapes flutter down from the ceiling. Leonardo DiCaprio came over, bowed down, and kissed my hand. It was the most fabulous moment - such a lovely gesture. He didn't say anything.
-- Helen Mirren

#Home #Winning #Hands

Two phrases I hate in reference to female characters are 'strong' and 'feisty.' They really annoy me. It's the most condescending thing. You say that about a three-year-old. It infantilises women.
-- Helen Mirren

#Strong #Hate #Character

The control and understanding of our personal fears is one of the most important undertakings of our lives.
-- Helen Mirren

#Understanding #Important

Love is a command to rise to one's highest potential ... the best and noblest vision of ourselves. Love is a reward. The greatest we can earn. Granted to us for the moral qualities we have achieved in our lives.
-- Helen Mirren

#Inspirational #Love Is #Self Love

I don't think there's anything on this planet that more trumpets life that the sunflower. For me that's because of the reason behind its name. Not because it looks like the sun but because it follows the sun. During the course of the day, the head tracks the journey of the sun across the sky. A satellite dish for sunshine. Wherever light is, no matter how weak, these flowers will find it. And that's such an admirable thing. And such a lesson in life.
-- Helen Mirren

#Life Lesson #Flower #Sunshine

I loathe, I hate, chick flicks.
-- Helen Mirren

#Hate #I Hate #Chicks

American actors who voice animated movies are so brilliant at it, because by the nature of American speak, it's full of energy and full of commitment. And as a British actor, we have to kind of learn that.
-- Helen Mirren

#Commitment #Voice #Energy

I don't mind being sexy, but on my terms. To this day, I love sexuality. I love the art of sexuality. I love Lady Gaga and the performance of sexuality. The mysterious, the artistic and the slightly perverse. I'm interested in all that.
-- Helen Mirren

#Sexy #Art #Mind

I am quite spiritual. I believed in the fairies when I was a child. I still do sort of believe in the fairies. And the leprechauns. But I don't believe in God.
-- Helen Mirren

#Spiritual #Children #Believe

I think it's always hard for people to get their head around the fact that populist, commercial films can also actually be great works of art.
-- Helen Mirren

#Art #Thinking #People

At the time of the Silver Jubilee, I was a grumpy anti-monarchist. I didn't celebrate and was appalled by the celebrations. In my idiocy, I missed out! I feel completely differently now compared with that time.
-- Helen Mirren

#Jubilee #Celebration #Silver

There is that awful moment when you realize that you're falling in love. That should be the most joyful moment, and actually it's not. It's always a moment that's full of fear because you know, as night follows day, the joy is going to rapidly be followed by some pain or other. All the angst of a relationship.
-- Helen Mirren

#Falling In Love #Pain #Night

Painters hate having to explain what their work is about. They always say, 'It's whatever you want it to be' - because I think that's their intention, to connect with each person's subconscious, and not to try and dictate.
-- Helen Mirren

#Hate #Thinking #Trying