Despite an illustrious career that spans decades and has resulted in numerous accolades, including an Oscar for her role in The Queen, Dame Helen Mirren is still experiencing firsts.
The Yellowstone spin-off 1923 is her first-ever foray into the western genre. With steely grit and captivating rebellion, the actress delivers a masterclass performance in a world that many would assume she’s confident in.
In fact, Helen – who overcame a fear of horses to learn how to ride a horse-drawn buggy – says she simply dived into the complexities of her character, rancher’s wife Cara Dutton.
“How did I prepare?” the actress, 79, muses. “I don’t really prepare, quite honestly. I just jump into things with all guns blazing, so to speak.
“But I am the daughter of an immigrant. My father came from Russia to England, so I do understand to a certain extent the immigrant experience and the mentality.
“My own contribution to 1923 was to make Cara an Irish woman and very clearly an immigrant, who were the people who created the Wild West. It’s an important contribution that hopefully I made.”
In season two of the series, Cara and her husband Jacob – played by the one and only Harrison Ford, who accepted his role in 1923 without even reading a script – are facing the brutalities of a harsh Montana winter with limited resources. At the same time, they’re dangerously close to losing their family ranch to a conniving businessman.
It sparks a strong change in Cara. She stands tall with a rifle in hand, almost daring her enemies to take her on. But for all her efforts, it’s Mother Nature that proves to be a much stronger force.
Helen says, “There are some great female roles in [1923 creator] Taylor Sheridan’s work who are strong. But it’s not the strength of a character that makes it interesting – it’s their complexity. From that comes vulnerability as well as flaws, which is a lovely gift for an actor.
“But we see the Dutton family being pushed to the edge of starvation this season. Cara is still the same, but her circumstances have changed.”
With an Oscar, five Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes and a Tony Award, to name just a few of her trophies, Helen is arguably one of the greatest actors of our time. Now she has added her clout to a classic screen genre.
But instead of cowboys, bar fights and shoot-outs, which have become cliché in western films, 1923 aims to understand its place in history. For that, Helen is proud to be involved in its resurgence.
“It’s a piece of history done with truth and great drama,” tells Helen. “People are now looking at that time for what it was – and likewise to Britain’s history. The teachings when I was at school were very coloured by a desire to make us look noble and good.
“But the re-evaluation of the west and what people went through is what I believe has re-energised the genre. It’s wonderful to be part of that.”
Helen and Harrison’s special bond
Amid rumours of a flirty relationship between the co-stars, Helen has joked she and Indiana Jones actor Harrison, 82, may be related!
“Harrison and I have a weird thing,” she says. “It’s like your best friend in college that you haven’t seen for 30 years but once you’re back, it’s exactly the same, only even better, actually. There is this weird connection. Maybe we should do a DNA test later. Maybe we are brother and sister in the end… Or maybe cousins. That would be better.”
Helen and Harrison first worked together on the 1986 film The Mosquito Coast. The actress says, “There are a million different kinds of actors. They’re as different as dentists are to one another, but when there’s a fit, you feel it. It’s just a perfect bit of casting.”
Season two of 1923 is now streaming on Prime Video.
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