Quotes by Helen Mirren

“Fortunately, my husband is an Anglophile. He even loves public transport and travelling on the Tube. I always go by bus; you can be up high and see the world.”

“The trick in life is learning how to deal with it.”

“Flesh sells. People dont want to see pictures of churches. They want to see naked bodies.”

“When you do Shakespeare they think you must be intelligent because they think you understand what youre saying”

“Her Elizabeth is so genius,”

“hoping something would leap magically from the canvas into me. Who are you? Where are you? Id shout over and over.”

“All you have to do is to look like crap on film and everyone thinks youre a brilliant actress. Actually, all youve done is look like crap.”

“Actors are rogues and vagabonds. Or they ought to be.”

“I didnt want to be knocked over by a car and have my obituary talk only about Prime Suspect.”

Fresh from a costume fitting, where I had been posing in front of the mirror assuming what I thought was a strong position - arms folded, butch-looking...you know - I met with the woman in charge of Holloway police station. She gave me the most invaluable advice: never let them see you cry, and never cross your arms. When I asked why, she said because it is a defensive action and therefore weak.

I think every woman in our culture is a feminist. They may refuse to articulate it, but if you were to take any woman back forty years and say, Is this a world you want to live in? they would say, No.

The hardest period in life is one’s twenties. It’s a shame because you’re your most gorgeous, and you’re physically in peak condition. But it’s actually when you’re most insecure and full of self-doubt. When you don’t know what’s going to happen, it’s frightening.

There is that awful moment when you realize that you’re falling in love. That should be the most joyful moment, and actually it’s not. It’s always a moment that’s full of fear because you know, as night follows day, the joy is going to rapidly be followed by some pain or other. All the angst of a relationship.

Humor in a relationship is so important. Many women will say that. Some say, If they can make you laugh, its the sexiest thing on earth.

Working away from my husband for long periods is good and bad. It stops us taking each other for granted and gives us space, but I miss him terribly.

I have never in my life found myself in a situation where Ive stopped work and said, Thank God its Friday. But weekends are special even if your schedule is all over the place. Something tells you the weekend has arrived and you can indulge yourself a bit.

Patience can be a good thing - but not necessarily. Sometimes its not so bad to be impatient. Im a little bit too polite.

Gardening is learning, learning, learning. Thats the fun of them. Youre always learning.

The trick in life is learning how to deal with it.

I dont believe that if you do good, good things will happen. Everything is completely accidental and random. Sometimes bad things happen to very good people and sometimes good things happen to bad people. But at least if you try to do good things, then youre spending your time doing something worthwhile.