Actress Helen Mirren turns 70 on Sunday, July 26. Is it possible that she just keeps getting better and better each year? Here are some of the reasons we love her.
1. She clearly isn't above having fun or being silly.
2. She's a Triple Crown winner.
Mirren has won all three of acting's top awards. She won an Academy Award in 2007 for her role as Elizabeth II in "The Queen," a Tony this year for "The Audience," and several Emmys for her TV portrayal of Detective Jane Tennison on "Prime Suspect."
3. She's a Triple Crown winner at an age when many other horses get put out to pasture.
Mirren is entertainment's version of the watch that keeps on ticking. Despite the scarcity of roles for older actors, Mirren continues to be a top box-office draw. Perhaps it's because she is comfortable in her own skin and isn't afraid to put herself out there. And of course she has that regal thing going for her.
4. She's known as the "sex queen of Stratford."
She went from being a young hottie to an older hottie. With class, dignity and a beauty that comes from within, Mirren is a textbook case of how to age gracefully. The nickname "sex queen of Stratford" came from her days at the Royal Shakespeare Company and is an acknowledgement of her willingness to strip when the role called for it.
5. She's not on Twitter or Facebook, and boasts about it.
You want to know what this Grand Dame is up to? Then you'll just have to go to her official fan page. How retro, right?
6. She once lived with Liam Neeson, an item on many a bucket list.
Mirren lived with actor Liam Neeson during the early 1980s. They had met while working on the set of "Excalibur." When he was interviewed for Inside the Actors Studio, Neeson credited her for helping him get an agent.
7. She is the epitome of cool under pressure.
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