It was a case of glamour laid bare in London's Leicester Square on Tuesday, as Helen Mirren turned out for the premiere of her new flick, The Calendar Girls. The movie, which is tipped for major box office success, tells the story of 11 middle-aged women who strip off to raise money for charity.
The members of Rylstone and District Women's Institute decided to appear naked in a calendar in order to raise funds after one of their husbands died from leukaemia. And Helen, who also has something of a reputation for appearing in her birthday suit, had to draw on her experience to reassure the other, more bashful cast-members.
"Some of the cast had done it before and some absolutely had not," said the 58-year-old. "There was a huge amount of mutual support – not of the bra sort."
Co-star Julie Walters admitted she found her nude scenes somewhat nerve-wracking. "I was glad to show the camera my best side – my back," she joked.
Six members of the original Calendar Girls also came along to the screening. The wife of John Baker, whose death provoked the original fundraising effort, said her husband would have been delighted by the movie. "He'd be amazed and very proud of what we've done," said Angela. "I laughed a lot and cried a lot – it was very emotional."
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
