This is the 116th post in our Celebrity of the Day series.
Helen Mirren was born Ilyena Vasilievna Mironov in 1945 in London. Mirren first got into acting by performing in productions at school. At the age of 18 she auditioned for the National Youth Theater and was accepted.
Her first film role came in 1967 in Herostratus this was quickly followed by a number of successful movie roles.
After working for the National Youth Theater she went on to join the Royal Shakespeare Company. From 1972-1973 worked with the International Centre for Theater Research.
She continued performing at the Royal Court and with the Royal Shakespeare Company throughout the 1970s. In the early 1980s she tried a brief stint in Hollywood but after being unsuccessful she returned to England.
In 1994 she won her first Emmy for her role in Prime Suspects 4.
In 1995 he work in the theater was finally recognized as she was nominated twice by the Broadway Tony Awards for Best Actress for her performance in A Month in the Country.
In 2006 she won a number of awards including an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen.
To this day she continues to spend her time performing on the stage.
To learn more about Helen Mirren visit Tiscali or IMDB.
