Helen Mirren gave an interview to Elle magazine , where she discussed the decision she had to make more than half a century ago when she was offered a nose job. The 80-year-old actress also stated that she considers having plastic surgery in her youth a “terrible mistake.”
“I wasn’t pressured—some director just told me I’d never have a career unless I got a nose job. I said no. I didn’t want to be a beautiful actress anyway. I decided to be less beautiful,” Mirren said.
Although Mirren hasn’t had plastic surgery, she tries not to judge anyone’s personal choices. “I’m not against plastic surgery, and I want to make that crystal clear. If it makes [someone] feel better, then why not? Life’s too short to be upset about your facial features,” she explained.
However, she cautioned young people against making hasty decisions. “I think it would be a terrible mistake to have plastic surgery in your twenties: your face is still changing. I don’t like to criticize or judge people for what makes them happy. But trying to look like you’re different would be terrible,” the actress said.
She says her best advice in this case is good lighting. “Before you do anything, make sure you have good lighting in your bathroom so that when you look in the mirror, you’re well-lit and look great. Because from that point on, nothing matters. You just look at your reflection and think, ‘Oh, I look amazing.’ And that’s it. It’s a lot cheaper than a facelift,” she joked.
Mirren isn’t the only celebrity to warn against plastic surgery. Kate Winslet recently criticized Hollywood for imposing unrealistic beauty standards, calling it “****** chaos.” “Nobody listens to me because everyone’s obsessed with perfection and getting more likes on Instagram,” she added, concluding, “It really upsets me.” Last summer, Jamie Lee Curtis echoed this sentiment, declaring, “Once you’ve ruined your face, you can’t get it back.”
Mirren won an Oscar for her role as Elizabeth II in The Queen (2006). Her other film credits include Caesonia in Caligula and Leo Tolstoy’s wife in the biographical film The Last Station, about the writer’s final year. She is of Russian descent and has visited Russia several times . She has been married to director Taylor Hackford since 1997 and has no children.
