CHRISTMAS IS A TIME FOR GIVING BACK
DAME HELEN MIRREN TAKES A BREAK ON SET OF HER LATEST MOVIE TO TALK TO CLARE GOLDWIN ABOUT INSPIRING CAUSES, WHAT MAKES HER FEEL ALIVE AND HER FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS RITUALS
AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH HELEN MIRREN
AGLOBAL ICON, DAME HELEN, 71, RECENTLY BECAME THE FIRST PATRON OF WOMEN FOR WOMEN INTERNATIONAL, A CHARITY THAT HELPS WOMEN REBUILD THEIR LIVES AFTER CONFLICT AND WAR. SHE’S ALSO ABOUT TO STAR ALONGSIDE WILL SMITH, KATE WINSLET AND KEIRA KNIGHTLEY IN Collateral Beauty, PLAYING A CHARACTER WHO
HELPS A GRIEVING FATHER (PLAYED BY SMITH) FIND MEANING IN LIFE AGAIN. HELEN IS MARRIED TO AMERICAN DIRECTOR TAYLOR HACKFORD. SHE SPLITS HER TIME BETWEEN LONDON, THE US AND ITALY.
WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THE WORK OF WOMEN FOR WOMEN INTERNATIONAL I WAS BLOWN AWAY. REALLY, IT FELT LIKE I’D BEEN WAITING A LONG TIME TO COME ACROSS AN ORGANISATION LIKE THIS. IT’S A CHARITY THAT MAKES A GENUINE CHANGE, NOT JUST TRANSFORMING INDIVIDUALS’ LIVES BUT WHOLE COMMUNITIES. MY JOB IS TO RAISE THE PROFILE OF THE AMAZING WORK THEY DO.
I AM A FIRM BELIEVER THAT THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE LIES WITH WOMEN. THAT’S OBVIOUSLY SO IN TERMS OF BEARING CHILDREN, BUT IT’S ALSO THE TRUTH THAT WHENEVER WOMEN ARE EDUCATED A COUNTRY DOES WELL, AND WHENEVER WOMEN ARE NOT EDUCATED YOU HAVE A VERY DIFFERENT CULTURE. I’VE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT IF AID IS GIVEN TO ANY COUNTRY IT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE WOMEN. THAT WAY A COUNTRY CAN MOVE FORWARD.
EVERY ROLE YOU PLAY HAS AN EFFECT ON YOUR LIFE AND THOUGHT PROCESSES. I PLAYED A COLONEL IN Eye in the Sky, A FILM ABOUT THE MORAL DILEMMA OF CARRYING OUT A DRONE STRIKE ON A COMMUNITY WHERE SUICIDE BOMBERS ARE HIDING. IT BROUGHT HOME HOW WOMEN ARE AFFECTED BY WAR. THEY’RE NOT GIVEN ANY MEANS TO DEFEND THEMSELVES BUT THEY ARE INEVITABLY THROWN INTO THE FRONT LINE. WHEN YOU SEE NEWS SHOTS OF WOMEN RUNNING DOWN SNIPER ALLEY JUST TO GET A LOAF OF BREAD OR WATER TO GIVE TO THEIR CHILDREN, THESE ARE THE WOMEN THAT I ADMIRE SO MUCH.
THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY STRONG WOMEN IN MY LIFE, STARTING WITH MY MOTHER. BUT THE TWO WOMEN THAT REALLY STAND OUT FOR ME COULD NOT BE MORE DIFFERENT. THE FIRST WAS THE HEADMISTRESS AT MY CONVENT SCHOOL. SHE WAS A NUN IN AN ENCLOSED ORDER AND YOU WOULDN’T IMAGINE SHE’D BE A ROLE MODEL FOR A TEENAGE GIRL, BUT SHE WAS SO ENORMOUSLY WISE AND HUMANE. THEN THERE’S MARGARET THATCHER. I WAS ON THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM TO HER IN JUST ABOUT EVERY WAY, BUT WHENEVER A LITTLE GIRL ASKED, “MUMMY, WHO’S THAT LADY?” HER MOTHER WAS ABLE TO SAY, “THAT’S THE PRIME MINISTER.” THOSE WORDS MEAN SO MUCH. BECAUSE UNTIL YOU SEE A WOMAN BEING THE PRIME MINISTER OR A MILITARY COMMANDER YOU DON’T REALLY UNDERSTAND YOU CAN BE THAT TOO.
ROLE MODELS ARE SO IMPORTANT FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS BECAUSE THE OTHER IMAGE OF WOMEN THAT’S CONSTANTLY BEING REINFORCED IS A SEXUALISED
ONE. THE ONLY TIME YOU’LL HAVE A CROWD SCENE IN A FILM WHERE THERE ARE MORE WOMEN THAN MEN IS A SWIMMING POOL SCENE. THE WOMEN WILL BE IN BIKINIS, OF COURSE, AND THEY’RE USUALLY WEARING HIGH-HEELED SHOES. WHO WEARS HIGH HEELS BY A POOL? NOBODY!
THERE ARE SO MANY TRULY EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD WHO ARE UNBELIEVABLY DEDICATED AND COMMITTED TO AMAZING CAUSES AND I AM ABSOLUTELY NOT ONE OF THEM! ALL I CAN DO IS TRY TO ADD MY SUPPORT WHEN AND WHEREVER I CAN. [DAME HELEN IS ALSO PATRON OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CHARITY REFUGE.]
THE HEARTBREAKING THING IS THERE ARE SO MANY WONDERFUL ORGANISATIONS BUT YOU CAN’T SUPPORT THEM ALL. >>
ONE OF THE REASONS I TOOK THE ROLE IN Collateral Beauty WAS BECAUSE IT MEANT SHOOTING IN NEW YORK WHEN MY HUSBAND WAS MAKING A FILM THERE. WE’RE USUALLY WORKING THOUSANDS OF MILES APART. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OUR MARRIED LIVES WE WERE ABLE TO COME HOME IN THE EVENING LIKE A NORMAL COUPLE AND SAY “HOW WAS YOUR DAY?” TO EACH OTHER.
GREAT GOOD CAN COME FROM EVEN THE GREATEST HEARTBREAK, THAT’S THE CENTRAL THEME OF Collateral Beauty. I LOVED THE CONCEPT THAT BEAUTY CAN BE FOUND IN CHALLENGING AND PAINFUL CIRCUMSTANCES.
THE OTHER THING THAT ATTRACTED ME TO THE FILM WAS WILL SMITH. HE IS EXTRAORDINARILY KIND AND NICE AND ENERGETIC. I’VE BEEN SO LUCKY WITH THE MEN I’VE WORKED WITH IN MY RECENT FILMS.
MY CHARACTER REPRESENTS DEATH, BUT AS I’VE GOT OLDER DEATH HAS ACTUALLY BEEN SOMETHING I’VE THOUGHT ABOUT LESS. WHEN YOU’RE YOUNGER YOU LOSE FRIENDS IN ACCIDENTS OR TO ILLNESSES SO IT’S A SHOCK. OVER THE YEARS IT JUST BECOMES SOMETHING THAT’S ALWAYS PRESENT IN YOUR LIFE. I’M LUCKY THAT I’VE NEVER HAD A BRUSH WITH DEATH, BUT I DON’T THINK I’M AFRAID OF IT.
THE TIMES YOU FEEL MOST ALIVE OFTEN COME OUT OF NOWHERE. BUT NATURE WILL USUALLY DO IT FOR ME. RIGHT NOW WHERE I AM [IN FLORIDA ON A FILM SET] IT’S RAINING AND THE SUN IS OUT. THERE MUST BE AN AMAZING RAINBOW SOMEWHERE. SEEING A RAINBOW MAKES ME FEEL ALIVE.
LIKE MOST FAMILIES WE HAVEN’T YET SORTED OUT ALL OUR CHRISTMAS PLANS YET, BUT TAYLOR AND I WILL PROBABLY BE AT OUR HOUSE IN ITALY. [THE COUPLE HAVE A HOLIDAY HOUSE IN SOUTHERN ITALY.] WE LOVE BEING IN ITALY AT CHRISTMAS – IT IS SUCH A SPECIAL TIME. IT’S ALL ABOUT CELEBRATING WITH FAMILY AND WE HAVE GOOD FRIENDS WHO ALWAYS INVITE US TO SPEND THE DAY WITH THEM. THE FOOD IS CLASSIC ITALIAN. THE MOST AMAZING FEASTS AND ENDLESS ARRAY OF ANTIPASTI JUST KEEP COMING OUT OF THESE TINY KITCHENS.
I LOVE PUTTING MY NATIVITY SCENE TOGETHER EVERY CHRISTMAS. EVERY HOUSE IN ITALY HAS A NATIVITY – OFTEN ONE FOR OUTSIDE AND ONE FOR INSIDE. THEY CAN BE VERY ELABORATE, COMPLETE WITH RUNNING WATER AND LIGHTS. I HAVE ONE NOW. I’LL SPEND AGES FIDDLING WITH THE ARRANGEMENT TO GET IT JUST SO, DECIDING WHERE THE LITTLE SHEEP LOOKS BEST, OR WHETHER I SHOULD HAVE ONE ON THE SIDE LOOKING LIKE IT’S JUST WANDERED OFF.
WE HAVE A FAMILY TRADITION THAT YOU CAN’T OPEN YOUR PRESENTS UNTIL AFTER DINNER. THE KIDS [HELEN HAS GREATNEPHEWS] HAVE A LITTLE PRESENT THAT THEY CAN OPEN IN THE MORNING BUT THE BIG PRESENT OPENING HAPPENS AFTER DINNER. IT’S LOVELY, THOUGH IT DOES REQUIRE A LOT OF WILLPOWER! I ALSO LOVE THE TRADITION OF MIDNIGHT MASS. I’M NOT RELIGIOUS BUT CERTAIN CEREMONIES LIKE MIDNIGHT MASS AND CAROL SERVICES CAN FEEL VERY SPECIAL.
COLLATERAL BEAUTY is out on 26 December.