Helen Mirren 'cross' about focus on appearance

The 65-year-old actress - who is often highlighted as one of the most beautiful Hollywood actresses - is a "bit cross" so much is made of her looks because it means women feel pressured into always appearing their best.

Asked how it makes her feel to be a beauty role model in her 60s, she said: "A bit cross, actually. We have to let go of this c**p. It creates even more pressure on women, and I certainly don't want to be a part of that. I'm not beautiful; I clean up nice.

"Why don't we talk about the fact, for example, that I just did 'Arthur', and the cinematographer was a woman, the film operator was a woman, the whole camera team were women? That's where we should be putting our attention. The fact that I look good at the age I am is bloody irrelevant."

Despite being lauded as a beautiful star, the British Oscar-winner reveals her background did not indicate she would end up an actress.

She told the Hollywood Reporter: "My father was born in Russia and came to England when he was two years old. So in a sense, I grew up the daughter of an immigrant. My parents had a love of the arts, but they came from a lower-income background. My father was a taxicab driver in my early days.

"Around about 13 or 14, I decided that I wanted to be an actress. I knew I wanted to engage in the world of the imagination, but it was not economically feasible for me to study acting, so I went to a teachers' training college."