First Review: Enough Rope: Helen Mirren

Yet another charming interview by Andrew Denton is his meeting with Dame Helen Mirren next Monday night.

The actress shares memories of her family, her inspiration and her thoughts on marriage to film director Taylor Hackford.

Mirren talks about how hard it was when she moved to LA during the 80’s.

“The body of work that I’d built up, and the kind of work that I’d done in England just meant nothing there. I was a respected classical actress, I’d done movies, television, they meant nothing in America at all. I was no-one.

“It was the time of those teenage movies. They suddenly discovered the teenage audience. It was the Molly Ringwald time of filmmaking.”

Miren also talks about two of her most famous roles. In preparing for her part as Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect she took some tips on body language.

“Police men and women are brilliant at body language because that’s very much a part of what they do. And they read you instantly. Shoes, sox, tie, type of glases, hair cut.

“This woman said ‘Never fold your arms.’ Because folding your arms looks like a thing of strength but it’s not, it’s a defensive movement. You’re defending yourself and therefore its a weak movement and what is strong is to be open and relaxed.

“Politicians never fold their arms.”

For The Queen there were different tactics.

“You prepare by watching a lot of film, reading books and thinking. It was the thinking process in a way the most valuable to me, and trying to get to the truth of the person beyond the monarchy, beyond the crown, beyond the hat, beyond the corgis, beyond the all of that. And to try and get into that personality. I found myself basing my characterisation on her as a very young girl. The period of time before she even knew she was going to be Queen.”

Mirren talks about the Queen’s body language as projecting a ‘stiff upper lip’.

“What I saw was this incredible exterior control. Even in relaxation.”

But Elizabeth’s habit of toying with her wedding ring was, for Mirren, a giveaway signal of deeper tension.

“Usually with her wedding ring its going round and round and round and round.”

Denton presumes that the Queen herself has seen the film, but Mirren admits to having no idea.

“I assume too. Your assumption and my assumption have equal weight. I don’t know any more than you do.”

Enough Rope with Andrew Denton: Helen Mirren airs 9:35pm Monday night on ABC.