Early Life and Education of Helen Mirren: A Complete Timeline

How education and upbringing influenced the life of Helen Mirren. A timeline of key moments.

Dame Helen Mirren is a highly acclaimed English actress with a career spanning six decades across stage and screen. She has received numerous prestigious awards including an Academy Award, multiple Emmy and BAFTA Awards, and a Tony Award. Notably, Mirren is the only individual to achieve both the US and UK Triple Crowns of Acting. She has also been honored with the BAFTA Fellowship and Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. In 2003, she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1964: Experienced inappropriate behavior during casting call

In 1964, Helen Mirren had an experience where she felt she was treated inappropriately by director Michael Winner during a casting call.

1967: First visit to Israel after the Six-Day War

In 1967, after the Six-Day War, Helen Mirren visited Israel, witnessing both the "extraordinary magical energy" of the country and instances of Arabs being displaced from their homes in Jerusalem.

1990: Mirren Declared Atheist

In 1990, Helen Mirren stated in an interview that she was an atheist.

December 1997: Marriage to Taylor Hackford

On December 31, 1997, Helen Mirren married Taylor Hackford at the Ardersier Parish Church in the Scottish Highlands, marking her first marriage and his third. The wedding occurred on Hackford's 53rd birthday.

1997: Mirren wanted to see the defeat of the Conservative Party

In 2006, Mirren stated that she wanted to see the defeat of the Conservative Party at the 1997 UK general election, calling them appalling.

2004: Named Naturist of the Year

In 2004, Helen Mirren was named Naturist of the Year by British Naturism, expressing her love for nude beaches and belief in naturism.

2006: Political views on the Conservative Party

In 2006, Helen Mirren expressed her desire to see the Conservative Party defeated in the 1997 UK general election, referring to them as "appalling".

September 2007: Publication of autobiography, In the Frame: My Life in Words and Pictures

In September 2007, Helen Mirren's autobiography, "In the Frame: My Life in Words and Pictures", was published in the UK by Weidenfeld & Nicolson, offering a candid account of her life and career.

In the Frame: My Life in Words and Pictures

Check it on Amazon

2007: Spoke about Michael Winner's Treatment at casting call

In 2007, Helen Mirren spoke about director Michael Winner's treatment of her at a 1964 casting call, where she felt she was treated "like a piece of meat".

May 2010: Waxwork unveiling at Madame Tussauds

On May 11, 2010, Helen Mirren attended the unveiling of her waxwork at Madame Tussauds in London.

August 2011: Mirren describes herself as spiritual

In August 2011, Helen Mirren told Esquire that she is quite spiritual and believed in fairies as a child, but does not believe in God.

2011: Named Sexiest Woman Alive by Esquire

In 2010, Helen Mirren was named Sexiest Woman Alive by Esquire, and in a 2011 photo shoot for the magazine, she posed with the Union Jack.

March 2013: Featured in Marks & Spencer's "Womanism" campaign and listed as one of the 50 Best-Dressed Over 50 by The Guardian

In March 2013, Helen Mirren was announced as part of Marks & Spencer's "Womanism" campaign, featuring British women from various fields, and was listed as one of the 50 Best-Dressed Over 50 by The Guardian.

2017: Becoming a U.S. citizen

In 2017, Helen Mirren became a U.S. citizen.

2020: Voting in first U.S. election

In 2020, Helen Mirren voted in her first U.S. election and supported Patricia Ackerman's campaign in Nevada.

August 2023: Support for Israel's existence

In August 2023, Helen Mirren voiced strong support for Israel's existence due to the Holocaust but criticized the Israeli government's direction and proposed judicial reform. She reaffirmed her support for the state while opposing cultural boycotts.

March 2024: Barbie doll likeness for International Women's Day

In March 2024, to commemorate the 65th anniversary of International Women's Day, Helen Mirren was one of the female celebrities who had their likeness turned into Barbie dolls.