Oscar Winner Helen Mirren Reflects on Fear, Growth, and the Unknown

The star of “The Thursday Murder Club” revealed that even after six decades in Hollywood, she is still "absolutely terrified" when starting a new project, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.

“I think it’s because every project you enter is unknown,” Helen Mirren admitted. “And every time you go into a new project, you never know what it will be like, or what the people will be like, and whether the chemistry will be good or a disaster. So entering a project is stressful,” the 80-year-old actress told People magazine.

Over the years, Mirren has built a long list of roles and has taken home an Oscar, a Tony, five Primetime Emmys, multiple BAFTAs and Golden Globes.

On the other hand, having a sense of fear has kept Mirren engaged in her work, reports KosovaPress.

“I think it’s exactly what I’m talking about — the unknown. And that’s what motivates you and drives you forward — it’s the fear and excitement of it,” she said.

One role in particular stands out to Mirren — her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in the 2006 drama The Queen.

“Of course it had been done before, but not like that. And it was very unknown territory at the time. As you may know, the British have a very unique and deep emotional relationship with their monarchy — particularly the Queen, because she was there for such a long time.”

These days, Mirren is returning to the small screen in Netflix’s “The Thursday Murder Club,” debuting August 29. She stars alongside Pierce Brosnan, Celia Imrie, and Ben Kingsley as a group of retirees who spend their time solving unsolved murders for fun.

Mirren was part of the Royal Shakespeare Company in the 1970s with Kingsley (81), and previously worked with Brosnan (72) on Mobland. They also appeared together in the 1980 film The Long Good Friday.