Helen Mirren – 76, London
Dame Helen Mirren is a London native who has appeared in films such as Gosford Park, The Queen, Hitchcock, and The Madness of King George. She is extremely flexible and has earned a name for herself in television and theater, earning the coveted Triple Crown of Acting (winning a Tony, an Emmy, and an Academy Award). Despite being the embodiment of conventional British elegance, Mirren is the descendant of an exiled Russian nobility, with her ancestors dating back to the legendary Russian field marshall Count Mikhail Kamensky. She will appear in the biopic/drama White Bird: A Wonder Story in 2022.
Helen Mirren – 76, London
Maggie Smith – 86, Ilford
Our list of British acting Dames would be incomplete without Maggie Smith, whose portrayal as Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey has won her (once again) the reputation of being one of the UK’s coolest screen/stage actresses. Smith, an exceptionally dynamic actress, has been active since 1952 and has appeared in over 80 shows. Younger audiences may remember her from the Harry Potter film series, where she played the fiery Professor Minerva McGonagall. She will resume her role as Violet Crawley in the recently announced Downton Abbey 2 film in 2022.
Maggie Smith – 86, Ilford
