Helen Mirren- Actor of the Week

Helen Mirren

Dame Helen Mirren is my actor of the week in a little nod to the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. This lady has done some pretty amazing period work in her illustrious career. Of Russian and British descent, Helen (born Ilyena Lydia Vasilievna Mironoff) has portrayed both QEI and QEII in film.

Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen

As the beloved Queen of England during one of her most trying times right after Princess Diana's death, Helen Mirren shone. I have seen this film perhaps three times now and each time I marvel at her skill as an actress. She certainly deserved the Oscar she won for The Queen. Helen famously commented that the Queen had much better legs than she has. That may be true but as for the rest of the package, that bathing suit photo a few years ago would tip the scale in Helen's favour!

Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth I in Elizabeth I- The Miniseries

In another powerful role as the original Queen Elizabeth in Elizabeth I, she proves her gravitas again. She won both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for playing the Virgin Queen in this miniseries. Looking at the photo above, I wouldn't mess with her, would you?

Helen Mirren as Sofya Tolstoy in The Last Station

Riding a roller coaster of emotion as Sofya Tolstoy, wife of Leo, she nabbed another well earned nomination for a lead actress Oscar for The Last Station. This one is a gem with Christopher Plummer, Paul Giamatti, James McAvoy and Anne-Marie Duff all adding to the wealth of talent in this film.

Helen Mirren as Ayn Rand in The Passion of Ayn Rand

Who better to portray the sexy yet smart Ayn Rand than Helen Mirren in The Passion of Ayn Rand? Of Russian extraction, she can do a Russian accent perfectly and the sexy/smart thing is in the bag. I haven't seen this one but it looks awesome!

Helen Mirren as Chris in Calendar Girls

I have to admit that Helen's role in Calendar Girls may be my favourite of her many wonderful films. This film is funny and touching and just highly entertaining. I drag it out every year or so. Ciarán Hinds as her husband is pretty easy on the eyes, as is the Yorkshire countryside. Oh, and did I mention that this one is really funny? Yes, I guess I did.

Helen Mirren as Mrs. Wilson in Gosford Park

Her role as Mrs. Wilson, the perfect servant, in Gosford Park may be a close second for my fave role of Dame Mirren's. A small but crucial part in this ensemble piece, Mrs. Wilson always has me crying at the end.

Helen Mirren as Detective Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect

Many viewers first got to know Helen Mirren as no-nonsense Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Jane Tennison in the long running ITV series Prime Suspect. Tough and yet still sexy is what Dame Helen does best. My sister's husband has seen all of the Prime Suspect episodes and I don't think it is entirely because of the storylines, wink, wink, nudge, nudge, know-what-I-mean, say no more!

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So hat's off to Helen Mirren. She is busy filming Hitchcock right now as Alma Reville (otherwise known as Lady Hitchcock) with Anthony Hopkins as the man himself and Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh (?!). I hope Dame Helen Mirren has many more wonderful films ahead of her. And just to prove that she really does have a sense of humour, Check out this short from 2011 called When Harry Met Sally 2 with Billy Crystal and Helen Mirren on YouTube.

Celia Imrie- Actor of the Week

Celia Imrie

What a joy to have Celia Imrie as my Actor of the Week. She has been in so many of my favourite films that I had a hard time deciding which ones to feature.

Celia Imrie Fighter Pilot Bravo 5 Star Wars Phantom Menace

If you didn't know that Celia played the first female fighter pilot in Star Wars Episode 1: Phantom Menace, don't feel bad. I had no idea either! Apparently George Lucas made her remove her lipstick. No lippy for fighter pilots?

Celia Imrie as Una Alconbury in Bridget Jones's Diary

Of course I will always think of Celia as Una Alconbury in Bridget Jones's Diary. She was perfect as Auntie Una, the meddling best friend of Bridget's mum.

Una Alconbury: You career girls. Can't put it off forever. Tick-tock, tick-tock

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Una Alconbury:  Come and look at your gravy, Pam. I think it's going to need sieving.
Pam Jones:  Of course it doesn't need sieving. Just stir it, Una.

Celia Imrie in Calendar Girls- bigger buns!

In Calendar Girls, we will always remember Celia as "Bigger Buns" which is apparently what some fans shout out when they meet her in the street. Actually, as I was starting this post I told my husband I was featuring Celia Imrie he said he'd never heard of her. All I had to say was "Bigger Buns", and he replied "Oh, her!"

Celia Imrie as Mrs. Meyrick in Daniel Deronda

As the lovely Mrs. Meyrick in Daniel Deronda, we get to see Celia as a Victorian matron. Small part but very well done I think. I am reading Daniel Deronda now and I have her voice in my head as I am reading.

Celia Imrie as Mrs. Quickly in Nanny McPhee

Celia must have had a lot of fun playing the way over the top character of Mrs. Quickly in Nanny McPhee, chasing Colin Firth all over the highly coloured set. The food fight looked like a good time too!

Celia Imrie as Lady Glenmire in Cranford

In Cranford, Celia plays Lady Glenmire, not quite the grand lady that the Cranford crowd was expecting and she gives them quite a lot to talk about when she marries one of the few men in that village! Naughty, naughty!

Celia Imrie at the premiere of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

I just can't wait to see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. This has been out in the UK for months, but we don't get it in North America until May 4th. I know I am going to end up buying this DVD! It looks like such fun from the trailers.

Celia Imrie as Grace Rushton in Titanic

I will be watching Titanic the TV miniseries again this weekend as I quite enjoyed it (despite what some critics and viewers are saying). Celia's character of Grace Rushton is a "new money" first class passenger who is snubbed by the aristocrats she is trying to impress. She is very concerned about her Pekinese Suki especially when the ship starts sinking.

So did I manage to cover all of your fave Celia Imrie films? Or would you like to add one or two to the list? I would have added the character of Mrs. Miller in The History of Tom Jones: A Foundling but I couldn't find a photo of her. She starred in Tom Jones with the father of her teenaged son Angus (Benjamin Whitrow aka Mr. Bennet from P&P 1995). And it is a gem if you have never seen it! Any others I missed?

Ciaran Hinds- Actor of the Week

Ciaran Hinds

Ciaran Hinds (pronounced KEER-ahn Hyndz, I looked it up!) has been in many wonderful Period Dramas and is well loved for his various roles. Ciaran grew up in Northern Ireland and before being an actor he was an Irish dancer- I kid you not! Boy would I love to see him Irish Dance. Michael Flatley eat your heart out!  But where do I start with his acting career? Oh, I guess I will have to start with my personal favourite and possibly yours, Captain Wentworth.

Ciaran Hinds as Captain Wentworth in Persuasion

"You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight and a half years ago. Dare not say that a man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant."

Swooooooooon! That little quotation from Persuasion gets me every time. Much as I liked Rupert Penry-Jones' portrayal of Captain Wentworth, I think I speak for a few of us when I say that his voice is in my head as I read the paragraph above.

Ciaran Hinds as Professor Flynn from Circle of Friends

Ciaran Hinds was hilarious as Professor Flynn in Circle of Friends.  If you haven't seen this one in a while, it is worth watching for his performance alone... "The sexual life of savages!"

Ciaran Hinds and Samantha Morton in Jane Eyre 1997

There are so many versions of Jane Eyre that one has to specify either the year or the actor playing Mr. Rochester or Jane Eyre so that we know which one is being discussed. This one has many familiar faces in it such as Samantha Morton, Rupert Penry-Jones and Gemma Jones. I have to admit however, that my heart belongs to the 2006 version with Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens.

In Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day 2008, a wonderful screwball comedy, Ciaran Hinds gets to demonstrate his dancing ability as Joe, the handsome older gentleman who literally sweeps Frances McDormand's character Miss Pettigrew off of her feet. Phwoar, ladies!

OK, I know this isn't a Period Drama but it is one of my fave chick flicks. Calendar Girls from 2003 is a classic BritCom with a heart. If you haven't seen it you really have a treat in store for one of those nights when you need a good laugh and a good cry.


Did I miss any of your favourite Ciaran Hinds films, period drama or not? Tell me which ones you particularly enjoyed. You guys have great suggestions for a film-a-holic like me!


This post is dedicated to Rena and Mary Simonsen who used words like "hopelessly attached" and "quintessential MAN" when speaking of Ciaran Hinds in the comments on my older post on Persuasion 1995 and 2007. Thanks to everyone for all of the great comments on various posts. That is what makes this blog so much fun to do.

My fave British (non period) comedies

Four Weddings and a Funeral 1994

Young Bridesmaid: What's bonking?
Scarlett: Well, it's kinda like table tennis, only with slightly smaller balls.

Love Actually 2004

Sam: Let's go get the shit kicked out of us by love.

The Full Monty

Dave: Anti-wrinkle cream there may be, but anti-fat-bastard cream there is not. 

A Fish Called Wanda 1988

Ken: Rev-enge!
Otto: [laughing] It's K-K-K-Ken! C-c-c-coming to k-k-k-kill me! How you gonna c-c-c-catch me, K-K-K-Ken?

Calendar Girls 2003

Chris: Lawrence, we're going to need considerably bigger buns.

Educating Rita 1983

Rita: Christ! My customer! She only come in for a demi-wave, she'll come out looking like a flippin' muppet!

Notting Hill 1999

Keziah: No thanks, I'm a fruitarian.
Max: I didn't realize that.
William: And, ahm: what exactly is a fruitarian?
Keziah: We believe that fruits and vegetables have feeling so we think cooking is cruel. We only eat things that have actually fallen off a tree or bush - that are, in fact, dead already.
William: Right. Right. Interesting stuff. So, these carrots...
Keziah: Have been murdered, yes.
William: Murdered? Poor carrots. How beastly!

Bridget Jones's Diary 2001

Mr. Darcy: I like a woman with an arse you can park a bike in and balance a pint of beer on.

Death at a Funeral 2007 (not 2010!)

Jane: Would you like a cup of tea, Sandra?
Sandra: Tea can do many things, Jane, but it can't bring back the dead.

Kinky Boots 2005

Lauren: Lola, you're gonna have to excuse Charlie. We don't have many transvestites in Northampton.
Lola: I'm not merely a transvestite, sweetheart. I'm also a drag queen. It's a simple equation. A drag queen puts on a frock, looks like Kylie. A transvestite puts on a frock, looks like... Boris Yeltsin in lipstick. There, I said it.

About a Boy 2002

Marcus: Suddenly I realized - two people isn't enough. You need backup. If you're only two people, and someone drops off the edge, then you're on your own. Two isn't a large enough number. You need three at least.

Pirate Radio (The Boat That Rocked) 2009

Dave: So tell us Mark, now at the very end - what was your secret? How did you get all them girls?
Mark: Simple. Don't say anything at all.
'Young' Carl: Nothing?
Mark: Nothing. Then, when the tension becomes too much to bear, you finally, finally, you just say: "How about it, then?"

Bend It Like Beckham 2002

Wedding Guest: Lesbian? Her birthday's in March. I thought she was a Pisces.

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So, there you have a list of some of my favourite British Comedy Films (not period pieces). I have obviously left a few off of my list which should be there so please help me out and leave a comment with your faves, whether they are on my list or not!

Cheers!