Helen Mirren Biography

Ft. Lauderdale, FL (CNS) - Helen Mirre, Actress

Birthplace: Chiswick, England, United Kingdom

Birthdate: July 26, 1945

Sign: Leo

Born Ilyena Vasilievna Mironov, Dame Helen Mirren was born to a Russian father, Vasily Petrovich Miranov; and an English mother, Kathleen née Alexandrina Eva Matilda (nee Rogers). She was the second of three children. Vasily changed the family name to Mirren in 1950. When asked to describe her family upbringing, Mirren once quipped it was very "anti-monarchist."

Mirren attended St Bernard's High School for Girls. She went to college at London's New College for Speech and Drama. Her acting was quickly recognized. She was accepted to the National Youth Theatre at age 18. By 20, she starred as Cleopatra in the NYT Broadcast of Anthony and Cleopatra.

In 1966, Mirren became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, staying there until 1971. In 1972, she joined International Centre for Theatre Research for her first tour of the U.S. She would return to the RSC to play Lady MacBeth in 1974-75.

Her start in cinema was not quite as auspicious. In 1967 she was in the Swedish surrealist film entitled "Herostratus," then a "sexual fantasy" for TV called "The Extravanganza of Golgatha Smuts." In 1968, she did an adaptation of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" as Hernia with Diana Rigg and David Warner.

When not on stage, she did TV and film, slowly, steadily climbing up all three ladders simultaneously. During the 70s and 80s she would appear in films like "O Lucky Man!," "The Philanthropist," "Hamlet" (set inside an orgy); and the equally sexually charged "Caligula." As for television, she did a series of guest/ recurring roles, the highlight being "Laurence Olivier Presents: The Collection."

In early 1980s, she acted in "The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu." She then was in the film "Excalibur" as Morgana. It won her first cinematic award, the Saturn from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. Her first major accolades came on stage, for her work on "The Roaring Girl," again with the RSC. At that time she decided to move to Hollywood.

The payoff came shortly thereafter. In 1984, she won Best Actress at Cannes for the film "Cal." Mirren slowly built a film career from there with films like "2010," "Mosquito Coast" and the very controversial "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & His Lover."

Her career then exploded in the 1990s. On TV, she made a major impression as DCI Jane Tennison in 1991. The role would earn her BAFTA, Emmy and the Peabody. Then she starred as Queen Charlotte in "The Madness of King George," which garnered her another Cannes Award and her first Oscar nomination.

In 2001, she would earn another Oscar nomination for her work in "Gosford Park." All the while Mirren's reputation kept growing with "Prime Suspect."

2003 would be an incredible year for Mirren. The then 58 year-old actress caused scandal performing in the nude for the film "Calendar Girl." She would also return to playing DCI Tennison in "Prime Suspect 6." Mirren also found time to be on the stage in Eugene O'Neill's "Mourning Becomes Elektra" for the National Theatre. She was also invested Dame Commander of the British Empire, earning the descendant of anti-monarchists the title of "Dame."

Her awards shelf was finally completed in 2006, when she won the Oscar for Best Actress playing Elizabeth II in "The Queen." In all, she has been nominated for 108 different awards and has won 63.Her latest title is Honorary Patron for Trinity College in Ireland.

Her latest film role is in the film "Inkheart." Future projects include "The Last Station" in 2008; "The Tempest," "Love Station" and "State of Play" in 2009; and "Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho" and "The Debt" in 2010.