Helen Mirren has definitely earned a legion of fans throughout her more than 50-year career as an actress, and her commitment to ageing naturally has garnered her even more popularity.
Mirren started off in the entertainment industry as a theater actress, joining the Royal Shakespeare Company before making her debut on London’s West End in 1975.
Though, the now-78-year-old didn’t become a household name until later on in her life – she was 35 when she landed her breakout role as a gangster’s girlfriend in ‘The Long Good Friday’ (1980), opposite Bob Hoskins.
Having focused on her career for much of her adult life, finding the right partner and having children wasn’t on Mirren’s radar… Until she met her now-husband – US film director Taylor Hackford.
“I was 38 when I met Taylor, pretty late in life,” she stated in a 2016 AARP interview, recalling how the director had kept her waiting for an audition when they first met. When she eventually landed the part, the pair got to know each other and their relationship grew from there.
Eventually, Mirren and Hackford were able to bond over their similar working class upbringings (her mother was a working class woman whose own family came from a long line of butchers, while Mirren’s father was a Russian aristocrat who escaped to the UK during the Russian Revolution and became a cab driver to support his family).
The future spouses also bonded over their love for traveling, and apparently had a similar view on storytelling, both being in the entertainment industry.
Even though Hackford’s two children from previous marriages supported Mirren’s union with their father, this didn’t change her stance on becoming a mother herself. Though, she did explain that she found Hackford’s dedication to being the best parent to his children rather endearing.
The pair eventually married in 1997, after they came to the realization that they knew they would be together forever. At that point, they’d been together for over a decade.
The infamous swimsuit photo
Fast forward to 2008, and Mirren went viral for an image her husband snapped of her at the beach… Something that stunned fans and even the legendary actress herself!
The married couple had been on a romantic Italian beach vacation when they trekked to a secluded beach spot to take in the breathtaking views in private.
She recalled how she took a photo of her husband and then, in return, he snapped a quick pic of her. Though, Mirren said that the moment she sucked in her stomach when posing, she saw a small flash in the distance and crouched down on the rocks to hide from the apparent paparazzo.
When Mirren’s husband turned around, he couldn’t see the paparazzo, and said his wife was just being “paranoid”. Though, sure enough, the photo taken of Mirren in a red bikini was posted by a tabloid and went viral everywhere.
A few years later the actress told Ellen DeGeneres on the latter’s talk show that the image was just a fluke, saying: “I look at that picture and say, god, I wish I look like that. But I don’t.”
Years later, people are still stunned by the image of Mirren, who was 63 years old at the time it was taken – with many people on the internet commenting that they don’t look half as good as her despite being decades younger!
In 2014, the Oscar winner spoke about the image just before her 68th birthday, telling People: “The truth is I don’t really look that good, it was just a flattering picture.”
She added: “I am beyond the bikini-wearing age, really. I wouldn’t normally wear one. I look like a woman in her 60s. I’ve always looked awful in a bikini, even when I was young.”
What do you think of Helen Mirren’s stunning bikini image? Let us know in the comments!
If you liked this article, then you’ll definitely be interested in reading about how Julie Andrews made a rare public appearance at 87.
This Iconic Actress is 91 and Radiating Beauty—See Her Stunning Transformation
Carol Burnett, the famous comedy legend, turned 91 in April!
After many years of making us laugh, Burnett still shines bright. NBC honored her amazing career last year with a special tribute called *Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter and Love.*
Many of Hollywood’s biggest stars attended the event to honor Burnett, sharing their admiration on the red carpet.
**Birthday Tributes to Burnett**
One of the attendees was Julie Andrews, the legendary star of *The Sound of Music* and a close friend of Burnett. She joked, “She brings out the best in me, and I think I bring out the worst in her. I don’t know why!”
Andrews remembered meeting Burnett at a Chinese restaurant long ago: “When we met, no one else could get a word in. We bonded like that, and it has never changed,” Burnett said about their lasting friendship.
Music icon Cher also shared stories about her friendship with Carol Burnett.
“I would sneak out through the fence to go to the farmer’s market, and we played practical jokes on each other,” Cher said. “It was just easy and fun, and that’s all we wanted to do.”
Actress Jane Lynch remembered meeting Burnett for the first time: “I was firmly in love; she’s exactly the person you hope she would be,” she told the Hollywood Reporter.
The guest list for the tribute show, which was taped in March, included many big names from both the past and present. Stars like Lily Tomlin, Steve Carell, Laura Dern, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Oprah, Michelle Obama, Steve Martin, Martin Short, Allison Janney, Jimmy Fallon, and Ellen DeGeneres all participated in celebrating Burnett’s remarkable career.
According to Playbill, some of Broadway’s biggest stars, like Bernadette Peters, Billy Porter, Sutton Foster, and Kristin Chenoweth, will perform musical numbers in honor of Burnett. She herself is a Broadway veteran, having received Tony nominations for *Once Upon a Mattress* and *Moon Over Buffalo*.
“I’m so excited NBC decided to throw me a birthday party and invited all of my closest friends,” Burnett said in a statement. “I can’t wait to look back at so many wonderful moments throughout my career. I feel so lucky to share this night with everyone.”
Carol Burnett is best known for her groundbreaking variety/sketch series, *The Carol Burnett Show*, which aired for 11 seasons on CBS. It was the first show of its kind hosted by a woman, and Burnett is widely seen as a trailblazer for female comedians.
She has recently received many lifetime achievement awards, including the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.
In 2019, the Golden Globes named their television lifetime achievement award after her, calling it the “Carol Burnett Award,” and she was the first person to receive it.
Last year, she returned to TV with an important guest role in the final season of *Better Call Saul*.
In an interview before her 90th birthday, Burnett shared that she doesn’t feel her age, calling herself a “late bloomer” compared to other performers.
“I can’t wrap my head around it,” Burnett told *People Magazine*. “I still feel like I’m about 11, but I’m amazed. It sure went fast. But I’m glad because I’ve got all my parts — my hips, my knees, and my brain, so I’m happy about that.”
As Carol Burnett celebrated her 91st birthday on April 26, the television legend was still making waves. She recently celebrated her role in the new miniseries *Palm Royale*, appeared on the cover of *Harper’s Bazaar* in March, and almost saw her playful birthday wish involving *Maestro* star Bradley Cooper come true during her appearance on *Jimmy Kimmel Live!* just days earlier.
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