Dame Helen Mirren’s beauty has been captured in stunning fashion over the course of her successful career. One of the many actresses thriving flawlessly after 50, Mirren has portrayed real-life royalty and authority figures. Her latest role, in the 2025 Netflix release The Thursday Murder Club, will see her playing an amateur sleuth attempting to solve a murder with her group of retirement home friends. With all of the work Mirren has landed over 60 years, it’s hard to believe there was a time she was told years ago she’d “never get work” if she didn’t get a nose job.
The now-79-year-old British actress was one of several major stars to take part in THR’s Drama Actress Roundtable. During the discussion, Helen Mirren and her fellow A-listers discussed their work and Hollywood beauty standards. This led the 1923 actress to talk about a time decades ago when she was given the request about her nose, and how she boldly reacted:
I was told to have a nose job in my 20s…. Someone said, ‘You’ll never get work if you don’t have a nose job.’ I said no. I didn’t want to be a pretty actress anyway. I elected to be not so pretty.
Actresses at the roundtable, like Keri Russell, were surprised when Helen Mirren shared that tidbit. To be quite honest, I can’t believe it myself. It’s unfortunate that someone made such a harsh claim to Mirren. However, what makes me smile is that apparently, even at that time, the Caligula actress was not keen on submitting to the industry’s pressure to conform to constricted standards of beauty.
Mirren may tend to play regal characters, but her off-screen persona of confidence, humor and candidness hasn’t escaped her. In he past, she’s had no problems being honest about Hollywood preferring to cast younger actresses, or James Bond’s “sexism” for not portraying women’s importance in the Secret Service. With that, the fact that she had such an honest reaction to the notion of a nose job years ago doesn’t shock me.
What’s also worth mentioning is that getting a nose job in Hollywood doesn’t necessarily mean you’re guaranteed more work. For example, Dirty Dancing’s Jennifer Grey said it was hard to land acting gigs after two nose jobs due to the fact that she was no longer recognized. Grey’s nose was considered distinct at the time and, in Mirren’s case, she’s also known for her looks as well. It’s interesting to wonder whether the Hitchcock actress’ career would’ve been derailed had she took the person’s advice.
I think it’s fair to say it’s tough to be a woman in Tinseltown when there are people who pressure them to get plastic surgery to advance their careers. Fortunately, Helen Mirren and other actresses have stood up for themselves. Even before hearing about Mirren’s experience with being told to get a nose job, I was already a fan of hers. Now, I admire her even more for not letting someone else dictate how she should look.
Be sure to see the Triple Crowns of Acting achiever in The Thursday Murder Club, which will be available for Netflix subscription holders on August 28th.