Helen Mirren is a British actress with many awards under her name. She is usually known for rocking her short haircut, but that changed during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The veteran star decided to try something new and let her hair grow out. Mirren first showed off the new look while promoting her film “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” where she plays the villain Hespera.
After being cooped up in the house during the pandemic, Mirren’s hair started to grow. She said she could not be bothered to get it cut, and will be keeping her long strands for a while. When she saw herself with the different hairdo, it dawned on her that she had never seen her hair long since her 20s.
Other than that realization, Mirren is also trying to break the mold of what is expected of women. In this case, the actress is aiming at the stereotype that older women are not supposed to have long hair.
Helen Mirren in 1985 in Los Angeles | Source: Getty Images
“The Queen” alum is always rooting for women over 60. She emphasized that life does not stop just because one is getting older, the creativity, passion, and energy are still activated and will be until one decides to stop.
Mirren has her mind set on defying beauty standards for older women because she believes her generation has endured ageism for far too long. In 2019, the celebrated star said it was annoying that products created for women of her generation are sold with a 15-year-old’s face.
Helen Mirren on the set of “The Collection,” 1975 | Source: Getty Images
Another thing the actress has raised was her dislike for the word “beauty.” Mirren confessed that she did not like using the term because it made people who were not confident about their looks feel excluded.
She showed more strength on the set of her movie “Shazam! Fury of the Gods.” The London native revealed that she broke her finger while doing one of her stunts. She gushed over her bravery and how she did not complain because she wanted to feel like a “stunty” person.
Even though Mirren enjoys some length to her hair, some fans are still attached to her iconic bob cut from the 70s. They said the actress looked much younger with short hair and that it was known that longer hair is not recommended the older a person gets.
But another user came to the Hollywood star’s defense and pleaded with people to leave older women alone, and let them do what they want with their hair.
Helen Mirren Forgets Her Age
Mirren was featured in People’s 2022 Beautiful Issue, and since the actress is not a big fan of the word “beauty,” she suggested another term that would be equally empowering.
“I love the word swagger because I think swagger means I’m confident in myself, I’m presenting myself to the world, I’m enjoying the world around me,” she expressed. Mirren even went so far as to suggest that the whole beauty industry be changed to the “swagger” industry because it would give people confidence.
When speaking about being on the cover of an issue dedicated to beauty, the “Red” star said she was shocked to be chosen because she never considered herself beautiful.
Although Mirren might not see her beauty on some days, her supporters always remind her how stunning she looks. She posted a bare-face selfie with undone hair while preparing for the Oscars.
Her comment section was filled with fans praising her for her natural beauty, saying how much of an inspiration she was to many women worldwide.
To prove that Mirren is living a life where age has no limitations, she visited the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” in 2018 and admitted that she did not know that she was 72. She was convinced she was 73.