Known as one of the finest actresses of a generation, Helen Mirren has proven herself on stage and screen over and over again since the start of her career in the late 1960s. She is one of the few people in the world to have achieved the Triple Crown: an Academy Award, a Tony Award and an Emmy Award.
Mirren has appeared in countless well-loved films during her career and achieved a Damehood in the UK, and a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in the US.
BEST: Excalibur (1981): 7.4
One of Mirren’s earlier film roles saw her cast as Morgana Le Fay in John Boorman’s medieval fantasy film, Liam Neeson in the role of Sir Gawain; he and Mirren lived together for a number of years around this time period.
WORST: Winchester (2018): 5.4
One of Helen Mirren’s worst films saw her cast in the lead role of Sarah Winchester in the 2018 horror, Winchester. Somehow, the film managed to attain some rather impressive results at the box office.
However, critics found the film to be incredibly boring, and even Mirren couldn’t shine within a bad film. She was nominated for Worst Actress at the Golden Raspberry Awards.
BEST: Trumbo (2015): 7.5
Alongside Best ing Actress awards.
WORST: The Tempest (2010): 5.3
Before she eventually found herself in the middle of a successful film career, Helen Mirren was known for her incredible talents as a Shakespearian actress. As such, you’d expect her return to the world of Shakespeare to be one filled with greatness. Unfortunately, the 2010 remake of The Tempest (which changed the role of Prospero from male to female for Mirren) was a huge flop from every angle.
BEST: The Long Good Friday (1980): 7.6
One of Helen Mirren’s first starring roles came in the 1979 gangster film, The Long Good Friday. It was Bob Hoskins’ breakthrough role, and one of Mirren’s earlier demonstrations of her talent on screen. Despite a modest budget, the film was well-received when it was released and has gone on to be considered one of the best British films ever made.
WORST: Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999): 5.3
Kevin Williamson’s directorial debut provided him with a great list of options for the titular starring role. Glenn Close, Sigourney Weaver and Meryl Streep were all considered, but it was Helen Mirren who eventually landed the role. She was openly delighted by the opportunity to play an antagonist, but it eventually came to nothing: the film was a universal failure that was unable to provide comedy or thrills.
BEST: The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989): 7.6
It might not exactly have the most catchy title in the world, but this crime drama is considered to be one of the best roles Helen Mirren ever landed. Described as a black comedy on the poster but taking on all the elements of a crime drama, the film was a hit thanks to beautiful cinematography and impressive acting performances.
That said, it wasn’t without its controversies. A variety of nude scenes and graphic violence made it a point of conversation after its release.
WORST: The Fiendish Plot Of Dr. Fu Manchu (1980): 5.1
Released near the start of Helen Mirren’s explosion into on-screen fame, The Fiendish Plot Of Dr. Fu Manchu was the final film to star Peter Sellers. Unfortunately, it was a major disaster. Not only is the film steeped in racism from the start, but Sellers himself was also clearly unwell and trying his best to deliver lines from a terribly written, completely unfunny script. All of these factors basically overshadow the fact that Mirren is even present.
BEST: O Lucky Man! (1973): 7.9
An allegory on capitalism and living in a society powered by capitalism, O Lucky Man! was a distant stretch from Malcolm McDowell. As with most of the cast, Mirren played two roles: Patricia, and the receptionist at the casting call. As the film was released before her jump into worldwide fame, critics didn’t pick up on her individually and she faded into the background.
WORST: Berlin, I Love You (2019): 4.6
The idea behind the 2019 romantic drama, Berlin, I Love You is an interesting one. It brought together an incredibly impressive cast who would each take on one of the ten different segments of the film in an anthology style. This experimental approach was a failure, and the film was panned universally by critics.
