Dame Helen Mirren DBE
‘Alias The Queen’
Ilyena Vasilievna Mironov was born on 26 July 1945 in Chiswick, West London. She was the second of three children; her father, Vasiliy Petrovich Mironov, was of Russian descent and her mother, Kathleen Rogers, was a true “East Ender” from West Ham. Her grandfather, Pyotr Vassili Mironov was a Russian nobleman, colonel and diplomat, who changed the family name to Mirren in the 1950s. The family moved to Westcliffe-on-Sea, Essex when she was about 3 years old. She attended St Bernard’s High School and went on to the New College of Speech and Drama in London. 
At 13 she played in the school production of 'The Tempest' and at 18 she was accepted for the National Youth Theatre before starring in 'Anthony and Cleopatra' at the Old Vic in 1965. In 1966 she joined the Royal Shakespeare Company and appeared in many productions until 1971 when she started work with the International Centre for Theatre Research.
She received acclaim for many of her stage performances and also won the Plays and Players Best Actress award for her role in 'Teeth `n` Smiles' in 1975. She took a break in Hollywood Hills returning to the UK in 1989 to co-star in 'Two Way Mirror'. In 1994 she appeared in 'A Month in the Country' but it wasn’t until the play was shown a year later in the US that she was nominated for Broadway’s Tony Award as Best Actress. In 2002 she was nominated for the same award for her performance in 'Dance of Death'.
Further appearances on stage followed and in 2003 she excelled in 'Mourning Becomes Electra'. In her autobiography she says “This production was one of the best experiences of my professional life. The play was four and a half hours long, and I have never known that kind of response from an audience…It was the serendipity of a beautifully cast play, with great design and direction. It will be hard to be in anything better”.
Her film appearances have been as many as her stage ones, notably: 'The Long Good Friday', 'White Nights', 'The Madness of King George' and 'The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover'. Her success continued in 'Gosford Park' and 'Calendar Girls'.
She has portrayed royalty three times. She played Queen Charlotte in 'The Madness of King George', in 1994, Elizabeth I in 'Elizabeth I' in 2005, and Elizabeth II 'The Queen' in 2006. It was her role in 'The Queen' which won her numerous awards including: a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and an Oscar.
Her television performances have been as successful as her stage and film career. She is most remembered for her role in 'Prime Suspect' as Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison for which she won three BAFTA awards for Best Actress in 1992, 1993 and 1994; and was nominated for Best Actress in a Mini-series or TV movie. She went on to win an Emmy award in 2007 for her role in 'Prime Suspect: The Final Act'.
She has won an impressive number of awards for her many performances and has been nominated for many more. She is the third actor to win two Golden Globes in the same year and one of only three to win a Golden Globe, an Oscar and an Emmy, also in the same year. Her extensive list of winning awards includes: British Academy Awards for her roles in 'The Queen' and 'Prime Suspect 3'; Golden Globe Award for her roles in 'The Queen' and 'Elizabeth I'; and an Emmy Award for her role in 'Elizabeth I'.
She married Taylor Hackford in 1997 after a 15 year relationship and was appointed Dame in 2003. Her autobiography was published in September 2007: 'In the Frame: My Life in Words and Pictures'.
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