The 2007 movie Helen Mirren only made for the money: “Is she insane?”
Helen Mirren is one of Hollywood’s most accomplished and celebrated actors – would she ever do anything just for the money?
She might not admit to the crime outright, but quite frankly, she wouldn’t be an actor at all if that weren’t the case. They can be our Hollywood heroes and seemingly most civilised thespians, but at the end of the day, if bills need to be paid and the offers to your agent have run thin of late, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.
Of course, this is not an excuse to create a free-for-all, and actors to star in whatever old shit they like just so the cheques keep rolling in, but on certain occasions, as an audience member, you have to cut your losses and accept that not every movie your favourite star appears in is going to be a true artistic revelation.
In Mirren’s case, her version of that state of affairs was seen most of all in the 2007 action and adventure film National Treasure: Book of Secrets, in which she starred as Dr Emily Appleton, the mother of the central character Ben Gates, played by Nicolas Cage, who helps the gang decipher clues to find the secrets of a lost city.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m scouring the streaming platforms right now for it. Naturally, it was hardly a product of high art, despite featuring a massive cast including the likes of Ed O’Brien – who openly confessed to it being a cash-grab – Jon Voight and Diane Kruger alongside the heavyweights. Even more predictably, it wasn’t loved by the critics, but audiences still lapped it up.
When it came to the reasons for her own participation, Mirren took on the voice of the naysayers. “Why do something as fun as this, why do something as exciting as this, why on earth do something as popular as this, why do something as well-budgeted as this? Is she insane?”, she mocked herself by saying.
But then, trying to assume a mantle of reality, she continued: “No, she’s really, really sensible. She knew what she needed to do. I’m not talking about career move, I’m just talking about my personal pleasure, my personal fun.” Watch out: there was very nearly a slip of the tongue there into much more dodgy, monetary territory.
There’s no denying that for a seasoned classic actor like her, there is going to be something joyful in just allowing herself to be free for a moment, have fun, perform massive stunts, and not be weighted down by the shackles of an intense character fighting for their life or being faced with world-altering consequences.
Yet at the same time, she should also just be allowed to call a spade a spade. If the job was taken purely for the big bucks, then there’s nothing overly wrong with admitting that, even if society’s standards would make you think otherwise. Actors are making a living just like the rest of us – but it might involve a lot more fire, flips, and big-budget productions along the way.
