Mirren is unusual; a woman over fifty who still finds diverse roles. She
plays professionals (DCI Tennison in TV's Prime Suspect,
psychiatrist in The Pledge, teacher in Teaching Mrs Tingle) but even
when she inhabits more vulnerable parts (Some Mother's Son, Where
Angels Fear To Tread, The Comfort Of Strangers), she conveys an
underlying defiance. Whatever the medium or genre, Mirren's
characters always have strength. It's no coincidence she often plays
queen (The Prince Of Egypt, The Madness Of King George; Prince Of
Jutland and Cleopatra on stage). She avoids grandstanding
performances in favour of finding the subtleties of human behaviour in
the midst of melodramatic lives.
