Renowned Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren publicly addressed an incident that occurred the previous year in London. She was the target of a verbal attack by a pro-Palestinian protester, who confronted her about her connections with Israel, and the case is being investigated as a hate crime.
During her appearance at the Taormina Film Festival, Mirren shared with the press that the individual who insulted her, calling her an “evil Zionist”, seemed “a little excited or possibly mentally unstable”.
“I can’t determine whether he consumed information on the internet or whether he believed he read something he actually didn’t read, it’s uncertain to me,” said the actress.
Mirren’s connections to Israel go back decades. She first visited the nation in 1967, engaging in activities at Kibbutz Ha’on, located in the Golan Heights, an experience that, for many at the time, represented a community ideal of post-war nation-building. More recently, in 2023, she took on the role of Israeli leader Golda Meir in the film biography “Golda”, directed by Guy Nattiv, a role that sparked discussion.
At the event in Taormina, the actress emphasized that, despite maintaining a deep affection for Israel, she does not endorse the country’s recent operations targeting Palestinians.
“Evildoers appear everywhere, don’t they?” asked Mirren, adding: “Even in a country like Israel, where you imagine: ‘My God, this happened to you as a nation. How is it possible to replicate such conduct against another population?’. This is called crimes against humanity.”
The actress highlighted the existence of “wonderful friends in Israel”, praising the country’s artistic and intellectual communities as “exceptional people”.
She explained that her attachment to the nation was shaped by her childhood, spent shortly after the end of the global conflict.
“I came into the world at the end of the Second World War and was raised in post-war Europe,” she revealed. “My parents’ generation had such an intense and crucial understanding of the Holocaust that, for me, the formation of Israel represented an extremely significant milestone.”
“While perhaps it was implemented inappropriately, in the inappropriate place, I can’t say, but something needed to be done in the wake of the horror,” she continued. “Obviously, I have many Jewish friends, as is often said. My first two companions were Jews, a French Jew and an English Jew”, adding that the initial trip to Israel was made with the latter.
“I had access to everything up close and witnessed certain aspects that worried me in Israel at that time. I’m referring to six months after the conflict of the Six-Day War”, he detailed.
The artist Mirren, awarded an Oscar for her performance in “The Queen”, is participating in the current edition of the Taormina Film Festival to be honored with a lifetime achievement award, in a gala night that will take place on Friday, with the ancient Greek amphitheater as the backdrop.
In a different development of her professional career, the actress also addressed the recent controversy related to Tom Hardy’s possible return to the production of “MobLand”, where she shares the scene with Pierce Brosnan.
Mirren stated that she would collaborate with Hardy again “without any hesitation” and that she hopes to see him back for the next, third season of the series.
“I deeply admire Tom,” declared the actress. “I consider him an artist with unique talent. I have always enjoyed watching him perform, and I understand that each professional has their own creative methodology. Over time, I realized that some understand the nuances quickly, while others require more time”, he explained.
“As long as the end result on screen is spectacular, I’m perfectly happy with any approach, regardless of how you arrive at it. Tom is a very peculiar individual. He has a huge heart and is, quite simply… In my opinion, he is absolutely remarkable. Therefore, my support for him is authentic and unconditional,” he said.
When asked if she believed in Hardy’s return to the series’ cast, Mirren expressed her hope that this would happen.
“We also have an exceptional screenwriter, Jez Butterworth, a vigorous and impressive creative talent,” he added.
“So, I really hope that this comes to fruition. When such talented individuals with vast artistic potential collaborate, the creative path can be quite demanding, and tempers can run high, as we often say,” he commented. “But yes, we will continue forward, and the result will be even more superior.”