Helen Mirren is on the cover of this week’s People Magazine. I love when People Mag does this, puts a genuine movie star on their cover simply because he or she is promoting something. So much better than the true-crime covers and the treading-water royalist cover stories. Currently, Mirren is promoting The Thursday Murder Club, a Netflix adaptation of the bestselling novel by the same name. Mirren stars alongside Celia Imrie, Pierce Brosnan and Ben Kingsley, all of whom she’s known for many years. Some highlights from Dame Helen’s interview:
She’s a fabulous driver: She drops a few swear words; claims her Oscar and SAG trophies (both “beautiful young men”) are having an affair; and brags about her Formula One-level skills behind the wheel. “I’m rather foolishly vain about my driving,” she says. “I’m sure I could have been a racing car driver.”
She’s working so much at the age of 80: Over a six-month span in 2024 and 2025, she filmed a slew of projects, from the Western series 1923 and crime drama MobLand to the new Netflix mystery The Thursday Murder Club. “It was intense, but you just get into the rhythm of it,” says Mirren, who also appears in a cheeky Uber Eats commercial, which features her wondering about seeing her neighbor naked. “Sometimes you have what I call a bit of a ‘car crash of projects,’ and they all want to go at the same time.”
Thursday Murder Club is maybe her favorite project ever: One of those projects, Murder Club, resonated so much, she considers it her “favorite ever.” On set, “there was a sense of, gosh, guys, isn’t this amazing? Here we all are again,” says Mirren, who shared the stage or screen with all three costars before.
On people underestimating seniors: “People who are retired have had extraordinary, productive, challenging, difficult, professional lives, and they’re not finished. It doesn’t suddenly screech to a halt. Younger people cannot comprehend the fact that the older generation had sex, had fun, danced, were obsessed with their hair and their weight. And of course, the older people are looking at them and going, ‘You know what? We’ve done that. We’ve been there.’ One thing that I find galling as I get older is the sort of patronizing condescension: ‘Oh, that’s so sweet,’ ” she continues, affecting a, well, patronizing tone. “I hate the word feisty. I’m alive. Don’t give me those sort of awful labels.”
Turning 80 last month: “Honestly, I don’t celebrate birthdays. I don’t recognize them because life just rolls on. I expect to be very, very nicely treated on my birthday. That’s all I want. Cup of tea in bed in the morning.”
A word about her Uber Eats commercials… I love them. I never use Uber Eats, but I love that they hired Mirren for those commercials and they’re so funny. As for her speech about how people condescend to seniors… it happens and she’s right. But I would also describe her as feisty! She IS feisty!! At any age.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, cover courtesy of People.
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- MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA – AUGUST 14: English actress Helen Mirren arrives at the New York Special Screening Of Netflix’s ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ held at the Oak Room at The Plaza Hotel on August 14, 2025 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States.,Image: 1029492351, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Helen Mirren, Credit line: Image Press Agency/Image Press Agency/Avalon
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- MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA – AUGUST 14: English actor Sir Ben Kingsley, English actress Helen Mirren, Irish actor, producer, activist, and artist Pierce Brosnan and Welsh actor Tom Ellis arrive at the New York Special Screening Of Netflix’s ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ held at the Oak Room at The Plaza Hotel on August 14, 2025 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States.,Image: 1029492371, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Ben Kingsley, Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Tom Ellis, Credit line: Image Press Agency/Image Press Agency/Avalon
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- MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA – AUGUST 14: English actress Helen Mirren arrives at the New York Special Screening Of Netflix’s ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ held at the Oak Room at The Plaza Hotel on August 14, 2025 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States.,Image: 1029492423, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Helen Mirren, Credit line: Image Press Agency/Image Press Agency/Avalon
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- MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA – AUGUST 14: Irish actor, producer, activist, and artist Pierce Brosnan, English actress Helen Mirren, English actor Sir Ben Kingsley and Welsh actor Tom Ellis arrive at the New York Special Screening Of Netflix’s ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ held at the Oak Room at The Plaza Hotel on August 14, 2025 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States.,Image: 1029492532, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, Ben Kingsley, Tom Ellis, Credit line: Image Press Agency/Image Press Agency/Avalon
I agree with her about “feisty”. I’d say she’s fierce – which is how I’d prefer to think of myself as I get older.
I agree. “Feisty” has a bit of a patronizing ring to it – “ooh, look how that little puppy is so feisty, it just keeps nipping at my heels!”
I’m old and I’m happy to be known as simply “cranky”.
Yep, feisty is one of those words, cute is another. I’m also hearing a lot of ‘good for you!’ in that tone one uses with a child. It’s that tone that’s so irritating, even more so than the words.
I’m with @amb, just call me cranky. And watch your tone!
On the subject of being patronising towards older people, my b/f lost his grandparents fairly young and I don’t think was massively close to any of them. When he met my grandmother she’d have been about Helen’s age and he was quite shocked that she had views on current affairs and the world at large. I don’t think he’d given it any thought but just assumed she’s be busy knitting and only talking about village gossip or what’s on tv (as his parents have mostly done since I first met them 15 years ago when they’d have been in their 60’s, they love the news but only for the shock factor).
I just love her! She is bad a**
I want to be Helen Mirren when I grow up.
Don’t know how many seniors are celebitches, but I can attest that the patronizing condescension comments are everywhere. Church, the deli, pharmacy, post office etc. Adding to this is the invisability. Who knew I had this power while standing in line and being ignored.Yea me!!