Helen Mirren isn’t holding back.
At 79, the legendary actress still has plenty to say, and she’s not sugarcoating any of it. In a recent interview with WWD, she opened up about the dangerous shifts in women’s rights, especially after the 2022 Roe vs. Wade decision. Her biggest concern? That there’s still a deep-rooted desire to repress women.
“My great fear is that with the overturning of Roe vs. Wade and what’s happening in America in general, you realise that lurking in the back is always this need, this desire to repress women,” she said.
Helen Mirren on women’s rights is nothing new, but her message feels especially urgent now. She referenced history to make her point, how authoritarian regimes like Stalin’s and Hitler’s reduced women to mere tools for reproduction.
“It was ‘get back there, have babies, and shut up. Be pretty, be sexy, have babies, and then shut up about everything else,’” she recalled.
Despite her fears, she remains hopeful. “I keep thinking it can’t take over, because women have come so far.”
For someone who’s spent more than five decades in the spotlight, Helen has seen the evolution of women in film, and she’s not done pushing for more progress. She admits that Hollywood still has a thing for youth and beauty, but that’s not the whole picture anymore.
“There will always be a desire to see youth and beauty on the screen. I mean, I feel the same, quite honestly,” she admitted. “But I think it’s the broadening of the stories that we tell. Casting then follows.”
She points out that as people live longer, they bring stories that deserve to be told. “Between 50 and 100 years old, there are obviously roles for men and women,” she said.
Helen Mirren on women’s rights also touches the very core of storytelling. For much of her life, films came from a male perspective. That’s finally shifting.
“For all of my life, up to like 20 years ago, if I went to the movies, I only ever saw a vision of the world… seen through a man’s eyes,” she said. “Now we’re seeing women’s view of the world. I think it’s really surprising a lot of people.”
And the stereotype that women only want to make soft, feel-good stories? She quickly shoots it down.
“They thought women would just make movies about romance and dogs or something,” she laughed. “They are doing amazing, challenging, difficult, shocking stuff. It’s great.”
Helen Mirren on women’s rights is more than just commentary, it’s a call to stay awake and stay active. Even as she accepts aging with grace, she admits she wishes she could stick around longer to see how things evolve.
“I would like to live longer to see, because I’ve waited 50 years for the changes to happen,” she said.
Her words are a reminder: progress isn’t guaranteed. It takes time, effort, and voices like hers.
