Helen Mirren at 80: the actress’ iconic looks through the decades
The British actress recently declared that she is ‘ageing with fun’ rather than gracefully – a look at her style evolution
British actress Helen Mirren has said she is “ageing with fun” rather than “gracefully” as she marks her 80th birthday. The Academy Award-winning actress from London, who turned 80 on Saturday, is best known for playing Queen Elizabeth in The Queen and detective Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect. She will also star in the upcoming Netflix film adaptation of The Thursday Murder Club, based on the book series by Richard Osman.
In a recent interview with OK! Magazine, Mirren said she feels “insulted” when people tell her she looks good for her age, adding that she finds it “patronising”. Mirren said: “I am not ageing gracefully at all! I hate that term – it sounds like you have to be elegant and accepting, and, no, I am not.
“We just do grow older, there’s no way you can escape that. You have to grow up with your own body, your own face and the way it changes,” she added. “It’s not always easy but it is inevitable. You have to learn to accept it.”
Mirren’s fearlessness has also been reflected in her bold and ever-changing fashion choices over the decades. From youthful glamour to regal sophistication, her red carpet journey is a dazzling testament to ageing on her own terms.
Here’s a look back at the actress’ most memorable looks, from the 1960s to today.
Mirren wore a striking pale blue gown that matched her blue hair for the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. The long-sleeved design by Del Core had a wide V-neckline and a fitted bodice.
At the Los Angeles premiere of the HBO series Catherine the Great in 2019, Mirren exuded a modern aristocratic vibe in a Tiffany blue floor-length gown and striking, puff-sleeved cape, echoing the commanding presence of her title role in the series.
Mirren went to the screening of Trumbo at the Accenture Gala in 2015 in London wearing a chic light satin suit with a slim A-line silhouette and an elegant metallic clutch purse. A matching fascinator showed off her playful and typically British style.