Dame Helen Mirren, who just celebrated her 80th birthday, is now calling out the patronizing lens that we’re looking older couples through. The award-winning actress got real about the burden of public judgment while walking hand in hand with longtime partner, Taylor Hackford. She lamented how statements such as “Well just look. How cute.” strip older folks of their humanity and respect.
In a revealing chat with the New York Times, Mirren lamented the way in which society views growing older. She articulated the anger producing such condescension that makes her want to tell people to go “fuck off.” Love and companionship, she stressed, should never be dismissed, regardless of a person’s age. Mirren maintains that the wisdom of age includes an important perspective, born out of experience with loss as well as triumph.
Mirren has been no stranger to the cruel realities of death over the course of her life. The death of her brother, Peter, from skin cancer at the age of 54 in 2002 affected her profoundly. Having to deal with her beloved stepson, Rio Hackford’s, death at age 51 in 2022 from cancer, has even more changed her perspective on life. Creating beauty in the midst of difficulty. These experiences continue to confirm for her that life still has beauty to offer, even in hard times.
As she promotes her latest film, “The Thursday Murder Club,” Mirren expresses her excitement about portraying Elizabeth, a former spy who leads a group investigating murders. The movie arrives in theaters on Tuesday, August 22. As usual, it will be available on Netflix just a few days thereafter—premiering on August 28. Long before she was cast, Mirren had a unique personal investment in the story. She loved its strong message that life can be rich and wonderful, even in nursing homes.
“You’re not going to be 30 when you’re 50. You’re just not.” – Helen Mirren
Mirren condemns the “tech bros” who think that money can reverse the natural course of life. Through her work, she sheds light on the perspective of younger generations about aging in this regard. “The tech bros think their billions are somehow going to hold back time,” she stated. Yet she recognizes there is beauty in the aging process, noting that individuals may “lose certain stuff but you gain other stuff.”
Mirren’s observations are a powerful reminder of why it’s so important to embrace every chapter of life. She articulates that society must learn to appreciate the natural “wave of life” that has existed for billions of years.
“They haven’t learnt my mum’s lesson. It’s a natural wave of life that has been going on for billions of years and it’s beautiful to be part of that wave.” – Helen Mirren