Helen Mirren is The Queen
Helen Mirren Talks The Queen
“I have to say even more so when I saw it on the screen, that is when it really came together,” she said. “Just looking in the mirror, I couldn't see the physicality in terms of the movement. There's one shot in the doorway that completely blows me away. I come out and look at the flowers. I'm quite familiar with that piece of film because I watched it a lot to see what the queen did. You can hardly tell the difference. That's the most amazing moment. Sadly, I used very little makeup. I didn't spend hours in the makeup chair with all kinds of magical things being added to my face. I did very little makeup. It had more to do with the set of the face really. The set of the head, the set of the mouth.”
With footage of the queen readily available and even getting the chance to meet her, Mirren singled out the two most important elements to help her resemble Elizabeth II. “Obviously, the voice was terribly important. The voice and the physicality. Those two elements in terms of the outward appearance of the queen. I studied a great deal of film just to watch her: the way she walks, the way she holds her head, what she does with her hands, exactly where the handbag is held. When she wears her glasses and when she doesn't wear her glasses, which is quite interesting. When there's a tension and when there's a relaxation. So obviously the physicality was very important.”
Having just come off playing Elizabeth I on television, at least this Queen let her slip into something more comfortable. “The most glorious, but by far the most uncomfortable was Elizabeth I. And I love costume drama. There's nothing I love more than to be fitted for costumes, with fabulous fabrics. With Elizabeth I, my best moment of the day, was going to my trailer we had all the jewelry laid out, I mean banks and banks and banks of jewelry. And I'd say, ‘I think I'll wear all of those bracelets, and I'll wear three of those necklaces, and that one around my waist and let's have two of those broaches, and on.’ Elizabeth II is such a different person. I cried when I saw the wardrobe for that. Literally, when I had my first costume fitting, and those sensible brown shoes were lined up, and those square tweed skirts and padded knickers and padded bra and everything, but actually I came to love being in The Queen and the costume is very much a part of it.”
The Queen has a wide release this Friday, October 6th.
For the trailer, clips, poster, synopsis and more movie info, go to The Queen Movie Page.
Stay tuned for updates.
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