Helen Mirren, 80, Opens up About Career Anxiety

Helen Mirren has starred in numerous movies throughout her legendary career as an actress. There’s “The Queen,” “Gosford Park,” and more recently, “The Thursday Murder Club.” However, even legends sometimes struggle to understand their talents. Recently, Mirren opened up about how she still feels anxiety when taking on new roles in Hollywood. 

Mirren spoke to PEOPLE about the fear she has when taking on new roles. She stated in August 2025, “I think it’s because every project that you go into is an unknown.” She continued, “And each time you enter into a new project, you never know how it’s going to be or how the people are going to be, and whether the chemistry will be good or a disaster. So stepping into a project is nerve-racking.”

The “Thursday Murder Club” star then said, “Every single one is completely different and has a different energy and a different requirement, you never know if you’re going to sort of step up or not.” She then discussed her “fake it til you make it” approach. 

According to Mirren, “A lot of it is pretense, of course, sort of acting. You feel insecure, but you pretend you don’t. And we all do it, don’t we?” She then made her fears relatable by saying, “Walking into a party or walking into a job interview or whatever it is you’re having to deal with. We all have sort of gird[ed] our loins for want of a better word.”

Mirren Says the Fear Keeps Her Engaged

Mirren continued the interview and stated that the fear of accepting new roles is one of the things that keeps her going. She said, “I think it’s that very thing that I’m talking about is the unknown. And that is the thing that sort of galvanizes you and drives you forward, is the fear and the excitement of that.”

It was that fear that also led to her latest film, “The Thursday Murder Club.” It arrives on Netflix on August 28 and also stars Pierce Brosnan, Celia Imrie, and Ben Kingsley. So far, the upcoming movie has an impressive 86 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Notably, it was previously released in select theaters.

Mirren spoke to Hey U Guys in August 2025 about the potential of a sequel for the film. She said, “Hope so, yes. We’re hoping that that will happen. Yes.”

The Beloved Actress Remains Relevant in Hollywood

Mirren began her legendary career in 1963 when she joined the National Youth Theatre. This then led to her taking on the role of Cleopatra at the age of 19. According to IMDb, she has since amassed an impressive 151 roles as a screen actress. This includes the 2025 series “MobLand,” the mega hit “Barbie” in 2023, and “Fast X” the same year. 

Notably, Mirren is expected to return for “Fast X: Part 2, which has a 2027 release date.