Atlanta, GA 12/8/2010 10:21:32 PM
Dame Helen Mirren thinks her looks are "bloody irrelevant".
The 65-year-old actress - who is often highlighted as one of the most
beautiful Hollywood actresses - is a "bit cross" so much is made of her
looks because it means women feel pressured into always appearing their
best.
Asked how it makes her feel to be a beauty role model in her 60s, she
said: "A bit cross, actually. We have to let go of this c**p. It
creates even more pressure on women, and I certainly don't want to be a
part of that. I'm not beautiful; I clean up nice.
"Why don't we talk about the fact, for example, that I just did
'Arthur', and the cinematographer was a woman, the film operator was a
woman, the whole camera team were women? That's where we should be
putting our attention. The fact that I look good at the age I am is
bloody irrelevant."
Despite being lauded as a beautiful star, the British Oscar-winner
reveals her background did not indicate she would end up an actress.
She told the Hollywood Reporter: "My father was born in Russia and came
to England when he was two years old. So in a sense, I grew up the
daughter of an immigrant. My parents had a love of the arts, but they
came from a lower-income background. My father was a taxicab driver in
my early days.
"Around about 13 or 14, I decided that I wanted to be an actress. I
knew I wanted to engage in the world of the imagination, but it was not
economically feasible for me to study acting, so I went to a teachers'
training college."
