Nudity No 'Big Deal' For Dame Helen

Morley Safer Profiles Award-Winning Actress Dame Helen Mirren

(CBS)  Mirren grew up in Leigh-on-Sea, a suburb of Southend, a working class holiday town. She was born Ilyena Lydia Mironoff. Her father Vasily was the son of Russian aristocrats stranded in England after the Russian revolution. Her mother Kathleen was a cockney girl daughter of a butcher, who grew up when "class" really mattered.

The Mironoffs or Mirrens, who were considered slightly Bohemian, did not exactly fit in to any class.

"I never felt quite that I absolutely belonged," Mirren says. "And I had yearnings for another world. I never wanted to get married and live in Leigh-on-Sea for the rest of my life which is what a lot of my school colleagues did."

School was St. Bernard’s, a convent school run by Bernardine nuns. It was strict – no boys, no short skirts, no mention of sex. But it was at the school that Mirren got her first shot at acting, in the annual Nativity pageant, where she played Eve.

"I was Eve. It was sort of a leopard skin outfit, it was great. 'Oh Adam, what shall we do, whither shall we go?' I remember my lines as I was being thrown out of the Garden of Eden downstairs in the hall…. A lot of this," she recalls.

It was in the Southend amusement park that Mirren honed her acting skills working as a barker, enticing holiday makers to take a shot at the games of chance.

"And you sort of shout out something like, 'Excuse me sir, excuse me, did you park in at the gate? Sir, sir, sir. Did you park in at the gate?' And they go, 'What? What?" You’re talking rubbish.' And so they come over and then they say 'I’m sorry what did you say?' You say, 'Did you park in at that gate? Anyway it doesn’t matter, I’ve got a lovely attraction here look, great dart stall, prizes you can win,'" Mirren remembers.

Asked if she learned something that she still uses today, Mirren says, "I did. Oh! A very high skill in bodushitsu."

Bodushitsu, she explains laughing, is the Japanese for b---s---.

"No, you know I brought away with me a love, an appreciation of the vulgar and the carnival," she says. "It's rough and working class and real."

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Famous People And The Stars Who Bring Them To Life
Photo: Helen Mirren

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"You use some of that in a couple of roles, correct?" Safer asks.

"Yes, absolutely. Yes, it’s always in me a bit, this world," she replies.

Mirren’s earthiness won her rave reviews. After a sizzling portrayal of Cleopatra while still in her teens, she was invited to join the Royal Shakespeare Company. She dazzled audiences with her talent and blatant sexuality in modern and classical roles.

And then there were the early films, like Caligula.

Most of them were turkeys, most notable for Mirren taking her clothes off.

"Indeed," she agrees. "We call it 'Getting your kit off' in England."

"Yes. I’m famous for getting my kit off in England, yes," Mirren says.

The roles have earned her such titles as "the sex queen of Stratford" and "the thinking man’s crumpet."

Asked if any of this got to her in any way, Mirren says, "It did used to get to me. I just kind of ignored it. Which I’m still doing to this day, Morley. It’s still hanging around."

And she's still doing it – "getting her kit off." As recently as age 58, Mirren took it all off again for "Calendar Girls."

"Oh, it gets better as you get older, Morley, you should try it," she tells Safer.

"Well, no…," he replies.

"Yes, I think we should do this interview, both of us in the nude. You’d love it. Go on," she says.

"What the hell?" Safer replies, laughing.

"Well, you know I mean, I don’t see the big deal, you know I don’t get, it," Mirren says.

Despite her commercial and professional success, Mirren says her twenties were the worst years of her life. She was plagued by a lack of self confidence and panic attacks.

"I wasn’t happy then, I wasn’t happy. I was frightened," she says. "I mean just frightened that nothing would work out."

[lbutts1]

After having seen countless interviews by Morley over the years, I count this one as one of the best. It was obvious that both he and Helen Mirren truly enjoyed it. Both seemed to be in their element. Ending it by walking off into the the beautiful sunset together and laughing about it was wonderful.

[house015]

I think all 17 yr olds should HAVE to see older people naked once in a while! That's where your body is headed for, buddy, don't fool yourself. I only hope I'll look as good as Ms. Mirren, myself. My 37 yr old husband would jump at a chance to bed her!

[carlylaine]

WOW martinpion

You REALLY MEANT WHAT YOU WROTE.! : )

[lacamila-2009]

I love that Helen stated that the best thing about not having children is the freedom. I think a lot more people should consider not having children.

[rufusmin]

About 27 years ago when my husband and I were coming back from a trip out west, we stayed at a motel in western PA and on TV that evening was shown a movie with Helen Mirren. The movie itself was from around 1968 and was a British TV movie, titled "Kiss, Kiss, Kill, Kill". A really good mystery. When the movie ended, my husband claimed Helen Mirren as "another" of his "discoveries". We had never seen her in a movie before this, but he extolled her acting capabilities and said she would go places. Well, he was right! And now she's a Dame. If you can find a copy of that movie "K,K,K,K" watch it. You will be AMAZED.

[ciarrai3]

Long years of watching Morley Safer and not commenting or praising him will end now. His piece on Helen Mirren (which we'd seen on first airing) was one of the most enjoyable, human and flirtacious ones I've seen of all the 10,000 on 60 Minutes. What a warm and wonderful interview. I acquired a crush on Mirren much like the one Morley had. The sight of them walking off into the sunset and the accompanying comments was priceless. Helluva job, Morley.

[donnie900]

*point'n to a spot up on the ceil'n* I think it was that one right there.

[shanev137]

People over 40 should not be allowed to be nude in R-rated movies....for the sake of 17 years olds.

Give the old folks their own rating if they want be nude in movies....like "OFN" for old-folks-nudity.

[donnie900]

Foxiest chick I ever saw. Never ceases to amaze me the charity of women. Ruined my matress.

[bluestardad]

Put a bag on it ***!

[kbcirish]

I loved the segment on Helen Mirren! What an awesome lady! Strong and carefree...I especially loved the part with Morley and Helen laughing and holding hands at the end...Wonderful report..

[Knollsgerblis]

I think Helen Mirren is probably the best actress alive today. This was a fantastic segment on 60 Minutes! Outstanding.

[m_corvinus]

What a fabulous broad!

[annd2302]

martinpion

An apology for being human, not necessary.

[Martin Pion]

My apologies for the multiple postings! Nothing happened when I clicked. Hence the repeat attempts. Hopefully I'll know better next time.

[Martin Pion]

I found the interview of Helen Mirren by Morley Safer the most entertaining and insightful I'd seen in a long while. Dame Mirren was not shy about correcting Mr. Safer's observations about her when she found them in error. And certainly the last scene on the English beach in the setting sun was evocative. As an English immigrant to the US in 1977 in my early 40s I found much to connect to, my mother and stepfather having operated a kiosk in Southend-on-Sea briefly and having grown up in a seaside town on the south coast. I was surprised by her humble beginnings and pleased by her success after a difficult early career. Thank you, 60 Minutes!

[Martin Pion]

I found the interview of Helen Mirren by Morley Safer the most entertaining and insightful I'd seen in a long while. Dame Mirren was not shy about correcting Mr. Safer's observations about her when she found them in error. And certainly the last scene on the English beach in the setting sun was evocative. As an English immigrant to the US in 1977 in my early 40s I found much to connect to, my mother and stepfather having operated a kiosk in Southend-on-Sea briefly and having grown up in a seaside town on the south coast. I was surprised by her humble beginnings and pleased by her success after a difficult early career. Thank you, 60 Minutes!

[Martin Pion]

I found the interview of Helen Mirren by Morley Safer the most entertaining and insightful I'd seen in a long while. Dame Mirren was not shy about correcting Mr. Safer's observations about her when she found them in error. And certainly the last scene on the English beach in the setting sun was evocative. As an English immigrant to the US in 1977 in my early 40s I found much to connect to, my mother and stepfather having operated a kiosk in Southend-on-Sea briefly and having grown up in a seaside town on the south coast. I was surprised by her humble beginnings and pleased by her success after a difficult early career. Thank you, 60 Minutes!

[Martin Pion]

I found the interview of Helen Mirren by Morley Safer the most entertaining and insightful I'd seen in a long while. Dame Mirren was not shy about correcting Mr. Safer's observations about her when she found them in error. And certainly the last scene on the English beach in the setting sun was evocative. As an English immigrant to the US in 1977 in my early 40s I found much to connect to, my mother and stepfather having operated a kiosk in Southend-on-Sea briefly and having grown up in a seaside town on the south coast. I was surprised by her humble beginnings and pleased by her success after a difficult early career. Thank you, 60 Minutes!

[Martin Pion]

I found the interview of Helen Mirren by Morley Safer the most entertaining and insightful I'd seen in a long while. Dame Mirren was not shy about correcting Mr. Safer's observations about her when she found them in error. And certainly the last scene on the English beach in the setting sun was evocative. As an English immigrant to the US in 1977 in my early 40s I found much to connect to, my mother and stepfather having operated a kiosk in Southend-on-Sea briefly and having grown up in a seaside town on the south coast. I was surprised by her humble beginnings and pleased by her success after a difficult early career. Thank you, 60 Minutes!