25 Helen Mirren Quotes From One of the Accomplished Actresses in History

By Stephanie Kirby | Published July 20, 2023

Check out these Helen Mirren quotes to learn more about her acting career.

Helen Mirren is an English actress who is the only actor or actress ever to achieve both the British and American Triple Crown of acting.

She was born in London, England, in 1945 and became a dual citizen when she earned her American citizenship in 2017.

Mirren’s acting awards come from many different roles.

Her most famous is Queen Elizabeth II, her role on the television series Prime Suspect, and many roles in movies.

She began acting at a young age while in school and then got her professional start in her acting career in the theatre.

Take a look at these Helen Mirren quotes to learn more about the actress.

Best Helen Mirren Quotes

Here are some popular quotes from the actress.

1. “The trick in life is learning how to deal with it.” — Helen Mirren

2.“Being powerful is so much more interesting than being beautiful.” — Helen Mirren

3. “Humor in a relationship is so important. Many women will say that.” — Helen Mirren

4. “There’s no good way to waste your time. Wasting time is just wasting time.” — Helen Mirren

5. “A woman with knowledge is something that frightens the status quo quite a lot.” — Helen Mirren

6. “I have no maternal instinct whatsoever. Motherhood holds no interest for me.” — Helen Mirren

7. “The great marriages are partnerships. It can’t be a great marriage without being a partnership.” — Helen Mirren

8. “I think a lot of my work has been a weird attempt to liberate myself, but it’s not altogether successful.” — Helen Mirren

9. “Patience can be a good thing—but not necessarily. Sometimes it’s not so bad to be impatient. I’m a little bit too polite.” — Helen Mirren

10. “I don’t get to play the same role over and over in different movies. The roles that I get to play are quite varied, which is great.” — Helen Mirren

Helen Mirren Quotes About Aging, Life, and Confidence

The following quotes are words of wisdom shared by Helen Mirren.

11. “When you’re young and beautiful, you’re paranoid and miserable.” — Helen Mirren

12. “We’re all idiots when we’re young. We don’t think we are, but we are.” — Helen Mirren

13. “I remember thinking, when I was in my early 30s, that this is the best age to be, and I still believe your 30s are a wonderful time.” — Helen Mirren

14. “It has nothing to do with clothing or makeup. Just put your shoulders back and chin up, and face the world with pride.” — Helen Mirren

15. “It’s so hard when you’re younger to look at older people and understand that they have been where you are. It’s the weirdest thing.” — Helen Mirren

16. “You write your life story by the choices you make. You never know if they have been a mistake. Those moments of decision are so difficult.” — Helen Mirren

17. “The most important things is to bring people with Parkinson’s into our world and for the public to have a real understanding of it, as they’re beginning to have with autism.” — Helen Mirren

More Helen Mirren Quotes from the Legendary Actress

Learn more about the actress and her life and career perspective in the following quotes.

18. “You can’t control how other people see you or think of you. But you have to be comfortable with that.” — Helen Mirren

19. “Wherever I am in the world, if I get free time when I’m filming, I always hire a car, take to the road, drive for miles, and explore.” — Helen Mirren

20. “The control and understanding of our personal fears is one of the most important undertakings of our lives.” — Helen Mirren

21. “I think we all have a dream of what it would be like not to work and grow heirloom tomatoes, and I do have that dream. It would be lovely.” — Helen Mirren

22. “I still suffer terribly from stage fright… You just have to cope with it—take it on the chin and work through it, trying to use the adrenalin to perform.” — Helen Mirren

23. “I don’t think it’s good to try and change anyone. The trick and the mystery—of relationships and life in general—is to learn to live with the bits you don’t like.” — Helen Mirren

24. “I don’t like the word ‘strong’ because a strong character is never an interesting character. A character is made interesting by their vulnerabilities and their weaknesses.” — Helen Mirren

25. “What’s great in the modern world is that it’s becoming easier and easier for people to create without having access to large sums of money. They need access to certain technologies, but the cost is far less than it used to be.” — Helen Mirren