Anxiety & Acting Dame Helen's Hidden Struggle

She Still Gives Herself Pep Talks in the Loo!

- Vivienne Archer

She’s one of the most successful actresses of our time, occupying the same lofty ranks as contemporaries Dame Judi Dench, Meryl Streep and Dame Maggie Smith.

So it’s hard to imagine a time where Dame Helen Mirren ever felt that she was an awful actress, but in a frank interview, the British star admits she used to be less-than-complementary about her own talents.

“I thought I was terrible for a long time,” she says. “It’s much easier for kids now because they all film themselves. A camera was terrifying to me.

“You do question yourself, you’re very vulnerable as an actor. I didn’t go to drama school, I was in youth theatre. It’s a dreadfully competitive world too, so you’re in a constant state of self-criticism and insecurity.”

Thankfully for Helen – and the world – she managed to conquer her anxieties, going on to become a universal treasure. But the screen siren says she still battles some of the same difficulties she faced as an aspiring stage actress in her early 20s.

“The paucity of roles [for women] – it’s still the biggest challenge,” she muses. “I’m very jealous of the young female actors coming into the world now because it’s so much better than it was.