Dame Helen Mirren is renowned for championing a positive body image message, and being outspoken about the need for change when it comes to beauty standards. Now, the 70-year-old has credited reality TV star Kim Kardashian for helping to redefine those standards and bring about positive change.
© Photo: Getty ImagesDame Helen Mirren has opened up about body image
Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph, Helen explained that when she grew up, "everything was about women conforming", but that she had noticed a shift, adding that it's "wonderful that you're allowed to have a butt nowadays!"
She added: "Thanks to Madame Kardashian, and before her, J-Lo. We're also allowed to have thighs now, which is great too. It's very positive."
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© Photo: Getty ImagesThe actress credited Kim Kardashian for redefining beauty standards
The Calendar Girls actress has often spoken candidly about body confidence, and previously opened up about her being the face of L'Oréal Paris, her first beauty campaign, after hitting her milestone 70th birthday.
"I look 70 with a lot of makeup on and nice hair, I do totally look 70!" she told Kate Garraway and Ben Shephard on ITV's Good Morning Britain. "I don't have a motto for life, I really don’t except I’m getting less and less rule bound. The older I get, the more I realise there are no rules really, ultimately, we all have ways of living life and we impose rules upon ourselves all the time."
© Photo: Getty ImagesHelen also credited Jennifer Lopez for the shift in perception
The Hundred-Foot Journey actress also spoke about working with L'Oreal Paris, revealing that she felt age shouldn't play a part in wanting to have fun with beauty.
"To do a beauty campaign at my age is a bit sort of out of order really," she said. "I think you don't lose interest as a woman – or maybe as a man – we don't lost interest in these things as we get older, all we do is get more knowledge about them."
"We get more knowledge about what’s good for you, what’s bad for you, what works for you, what doesn’t work for you and so I don’t see why as an older person you should be excluded from the fun of all of that.”
