Ahead of the release of Red 2, we had the pleasure of yet again hearing from the acting legend that is Dame Helen Mirren. Here's what she had to say about her latest cinematic offering.
Question:
When such experienced pros working together, is it more like big kids playing together or are you trying to learn a bit more from each other?
Helen Mirren:
Good question, I'm learning, and of course it's a party but you know one is always quite nervous, I know I am anyway, you know when you're with very adroit and brilliant actors, I was terrified on the first one, I was so nervous to come and watch, especially you Bruce, because you know, you have done so many movies, so incredibly well, with such incredible variety, and here you are doing the kind of movie that you are so comfortable in, so brilliantly intact, you get the tone. We were talking about the tone, it's you who gets it right, you just hit the tone so brilliantly well, and it's not easy to do that, to make it look easy, but it's not easy it's really really difficult, so I was very nervous - I watched you like a hawk in RED, trying to learn that wonderful combination of ease with preciseness, it looks like it is so easy but in fact it is so precise.
One of the things I think we all enjoyed, was that we did get to play, you know there is a great sense of joy! I know one of the things they loved to do was to put every possible armour we had on me. I love the idea of Victoria being the sniper, you know being precise.
Question:
Was there a moment for you this time around, with RED 2 that you think "I can't really believe I've gotten myself into this mess"?
Helen Mirren:
It gives you the freedom to make what you are doing that day as interesting and as wild as you want it to be. You know, one of the themes we love about the movie, that we have always wanted to be in the movie, is the notion of how people can be underestimated or disregarded in their lives, you know and I think that's one of the reasons they want to prove themselves, you know they want to say, I'm not finished, and prove it to themselves as much as to, you know, their fellow professionals and to the world out there, prove it to themselves that they've still got it, you know.
Question:
Can you hit anything?
Helen Mirren:
I can hit anything with a target, it's all about the target.
Question:
It must have been great to play Victoria again; she seems to be the more sane character in the film but living an extraordinary life.
Helen Mirren:
Yes it was, the great thing about all these characters is that while they lead the most extraordinary lives they have very ordinary problems and are saddled with the same inefficient inadequacies that the rest of us have.
Question:
Victoria is seen in RED and RED 2 as giving Frank a lot of advice on relationships.
Helen Mirren:
Yes, Frank gets a more sophisticated and educated angle on relationships from Victoria who is well versed in mixing work and romance. I think Victoria is in charge of Frank's emotional life to a certain extent. Marvin may advise Frank, but Frank pays attention to Victoria who actually has had relationships in the context of her work.
Question:
What was it like working alongside Anthony Hopkins again?
Helen Mirren:
Well he wanted to work with us, that's the right answer. We had only just worked together, just before we did this movie.