40 Timeless Photos Of Helen Mirren That Are Leaving Fans In Awe

Helen Mirren has been an icon of cinema for many decades now. And if you weren’t around in her earliest days, you missed out. But don’t worry. Here’s her evolution as it happened in photographs — from attractive young rising star to the fierce, fashionable mature lady we know and love today.

40. Cleopatra, 1965

Mirren was a complete unknown before this starring role on stage. She played Cleopatra in an Old Vic production of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, and it turned out to be her big break. She was only 19 years old at the time, but her captivating performance bagged her an agent.  

39. With Nicholas Egon, 1965

Egon was clearly very taken with Mirren if this picture is anything to go by. Here they’re at the Cartouche restaurant re-enacting how they first met. Mirren actually did a lot for Egon’s career. After he painted her as Cleopatra, he began receiving commissions from rich and famous families around the world.

38. Admiring a portrait, 1965

Mirren’s performance as Cleopatra made waves on stage, but the starlet had an early impact on the London art scene as well. One day, she was going about her business in a Hampstead restaurant when an artist named Nicholas Egon, who had been struck by her beauty in the role, spotted her and introduced himself. He subsequently painted her and then took her to the studio to see the portrait.

37. At King's Cross Hotel, 1968

This pic shows a 22-year-old Mirren in London looking fresh-faced and very stylish indeed in a patterned white dress. She had her whole career ahead of her at this point and was being lauded for her talent. But probably even she had no idea of the heights she was going to reach.