On December 1st in Malta, the European Film Academy will honor Dame Helen Mirren with the “European Achievement in World Cinema 2012” Award for her skillful four decades as an actress. Mirren’s role as Alfred Hitchcock’s wife and collaborator Alma Reville in “Hitchcock” could be her latest foray into awards season.
Mirren’s first breakout role was in 1980 in John Mackenzie’s “The Long Good Friday.” During the 80s, she starred in Neil Jordan’s Irish thriller “Cal,” for which she won the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival. Her portrayal of Queen Charlotte in Nicholas Hytner’s “The Madness of King George” earned Best Actress honors at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival and her first Oscar nomination. Her second Oscar nomination, as well a Golden Globe and BAFTA nomination, came for her role in Robert Altman’s 2001 film “Gosford Park.” Mirren’s turn as Queen Elizabeth II in “The Queen” won a range of accolades in 2006 including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA Award for Best Actress and the Volpi Cup in Venice. In 2009, she was again nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal of Sofya Tolstoy in “The Last Station.”
“It was discovering the immense diversity of European filmmaking that gave me an enduring love and respect for the art form,” said Mirren after receiving news of the award from the European Film Academy, continuing: “This award is therefore a very meaningful honour. I would be proud to be counted as an actor in the European tradition.”
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