British screen veteran Helen Mirren was crowned Queen of Venice after winning the best actress trophy at the city's annual film festival. The 61-year-old, who was honoured for her portrayal of Elizabeth II, was introduced as "Her Majesty" when she took to the stage to collect her award.
"It's always terrifying seeing your movie take its first steps, but it's an incredible honour for our film to take them at the Venice festival," she said. The actress seems to be on something of a royal roll at the moment, as her victory came just a few weeks after she collected an Emmy for playing Elizabeth I in a TV movie.
Helen, who was dressed in an elegant blue gown and Bulgari diamonds, insisted she was just a small component in the production, however. "I'm just a piece of DNA in the film," she said as her proud husband Taylor Hackford looked on.
The performer's latest offering, which also won the gong for best screenplay, was the only British film among 22 in contention for the main awards. Chinese director Jia Zhang-Ke took home the coveted Golden Lion for his movie Still Life, which examines the lives of those affected by the Three Gorges dam, while Hollywood heart-throb Ben Affleck was the surprise winner of the best actor prize, thanks to his role in Hollywoodland.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
