Helen Mirren Interview on Feminism, Sexism, Her Past, and Her Career

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published 11 July 16

Helen Mirren is one badass woman. It's a fact you already knew, of course—but it's made all the more apparent in this exclusive AOL Makers (opens in new tab) clip for MarieClaire.com, in which the powerhouse gets personal, sheds insights, and reminds you why she's your role model.

On Feminism:

"Any woman now actually is a feminist," she says. "They don't realize it, because they're living in a world feminism has, to a certain extent, created for them. Which is very exciting, because it's entitled. That's what I love about them. They're entitled."

On Being Seen as Displaying "Sluttish Eroticism" as a Young Actress While on Michael Parkinson's Show:

"It was one of the very first interviews I ever did. I'm talking quite seriously about acting, but he had just decided to throw that mantle on me, I guess, and never actually listen to what I was actually saying. I think the '60s and '70s were not a good time for women. It should have been liberating, but actually it wasn't. It squeezed women."

On Being an Advocate for More Female Roles/Gender Diversity:

"I always used to say 'put your energy into changing roles for women in life,' because as night follows day, as women's roles change in life, women's roles will change on the screen. Your banging your head against a brick wall, and a little bit of cement falls away, and I feel that the wall is just about to fall."

Catch the full episode now on Makers.com (opens in new tab).

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Samantha Leal

Samantha Leal is the Deputy Editor at Well+Good, where she spends most of her day thinking of new ideas across platforms, bringing on new writers, overseeing the day-to-day of the website, and working with the awesome team to produce the best stories and packages. Before W+G, she was the Senior Web Editor for Marie Claire and the Deputy Editor for Latina.com, with bylines all over the internet. Graduating from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University with a minor in African history, she’s written everything from travel guides to political op-eds to wine explainers (currently enrolled in the WSET program) to celebrity profiles. Find her online pretty much everywhere @samanthajoleal.