Oscar winner Helen Mirren pulled no punches about a famous British film franchise, admitting “it was not my thing” due to its portrayal of women.
Helen Mirren Reveals British Movie Series She Couldn’t Stand
LONDON — Dame Helen Mirren has built an illustrious decades-long career tackling complex, formidable, and ground-breaking roles. Yet, when it comes to one of Britain’s most celebrated cinematic export franchises, the Oscar-winning actress admitted she was never a fan.
Why Gender-Swapping 007 Isn’t the Answer
Despite her sharp critique of the franchise’s historical gender dynamics, Mirren has also rejected the popular fan theory that the next 007 should simply be gender-swapped to feature a female James Bond.
“You can’t have a woman,” Mirren clarified in a subsequent interview regarding the character’s future. “James Bond has to be James Bond, otherwise it becomes something else.”
Instead of retrofitting an existing male hero to create female representation, the actress advocated for Hollywood studios to greenlight original spy projects centered on authentic, complex female intelligence agents—stories that honor the real-world women who served in covert operations without needing a famous male moniker.
Speaking about the world-famous James Bond film series, Mirren revealed that she has long held a strong dislike for the franchise, primarily due to its historically outdated and sexist depictions of female characters.
“The whole series of James Bond, it was not my thing,” Mirren admitted. “It really wasn’t. I never liked James Bond. I never liked the way women were in James Bond.”
Rooted in ‘Profound Sexism’
While 007 remains a staple of British pop culture, Mirren didn’t hold back on her critique of the spy series’ historical foundation.
- Outdated Tropes: Mirren pointed out that early installments consistently framed women merely as romantic foils or eye candy rather than multi-dimensional figures.
- Misrepresented History: She highlighted that real-world espionage has always heavily relied on female strength and intelligence, pointing to figures like female operatives in the French Resistance as prime examples of true bravery in espionage.
- Profound Sexism: Describing the core setup of classic 007 films as “drenched and born out of profound sexism,” Mirren argued that modern spy cinema should focus on telling authentic stories about actual women who worked in covert intelligence.
Praise for the Men Behind 007
Despite her distaste for the franchise’s framework, Mirren clarified that she holds no grudge against the actors who played the iconic MI6 agent.
| Actor | Mirren’s Thoughts |
| Pierce Brosnan | Called herself a “massive fan,” noting his charm and warmth since co-starring with him in the 1980 classic The Long Good Friday. |
| Daniel Craig | Praised the most recent Bond actor as a “very lovely, gracious person.” |
Though producers have updated the dynamic of “Bond girls” in recent entries—introducing more active, formidable female operatives—Mirren’s candid critique serves as a sharp reminder of how far espionage cinema still has to go to escape its legacy tropes.
Also read: Why Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren ‘Don’t Hang’
