May 1 , 2000

by Veronica Mixon

Best known in recent years as Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison in the PBS series "Prime Suspect," Mirren has won accolades for her work in film and on the stage.

Her numerous film roles include an Oscar-nominated role in "The Madness of King George," "Cal," "Mosquito Coast" with Harrison Ford, "The Long Good Friday" opposite Bob Hoskins and Peter Greenaway's controversial "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover."

She won a Golden Globe Award for her performance opposite Kyra Sedgwick in the Showtime Original Movie, "Losing Chase" directed by Kevin Bacon and she can be heard in DreamWorks animated featured "Prince of Egypt." Presently, Mirren resides in New Orleans with her husband, American director, Taylor Hackford.

THE INTERVIEW

You're playing a classic "monster." You got the same reaction as the shark in "Jaws."
Oh, that can't be true! Oh, how awful. But for Mrs. Tingle to be scary she has to be a bit believable. She can't be like a James Bond type villain.

Mirren & Holmes in a scene of "Teaching Mrs. Tingle"

What was your attraction in playing this woman?
It was a great role and I'm not saying that on the level that it is so much fun to play the villain. I don't particularly agree with that. It was a great role that was written - that drove the story that is proactive. I love things that are verbal. Just on a purely practical, objective level as an actor you look at a role like that and go, 'Umm, that's a really good role' - and she's on the last page of the script.

When Kevin Williamson sent you the script, had you seen his "Scream" movies before?
I'd seen the first one, yes. And I absolutely enjoyed it. I had thought, 'Oh, no-that's not my kind of thing.' And people said, 'no, see it! And I really enjoyed it. It's still not my cup of tea-and it's not meant to be. But, on the pure, objective level of filmmaking, I enjoyed it.

You must have been uncomfortable being tied to the bed for most of the movie?
No. You're only tied up for a couple of minutes. And I love being in bed. There's nothing I like more than being told, 'Get back to bed again.' It was fabulous.

Did the kids play games with you while you were tied to the bedposts?
No, they were lovely. We had a really good time. I know actors always say that and then later on they say, 'It was a nightmare.' But I know that absolutely none of us will be saying that. I loved them because they loved each other. They are so nice to each other. You know it's scary when you're a young actor. It's incredibly competitive. You don't know what the future will bring. And young actors are much more critical of each other than older actors. There wasn't the least bit of suggestion of this. They were totally supportive of each other. They watched each other and gave each other everything off-camera. They were an inspiration to me.

What do you think of Katie Holmes?
I hate saying things like this but I think she's magical-and also very technically able. She's very experienced. She knows what she's doing and she's a very hard worker. That's what I observed on the set. It's not what you see on the screen. You just see the beauty. I saw what a hard-working, dedicated professional she is.

Are we going to see another "Prime Suspect"?
No, when I say that...probably not. Well, maybe, maybe. I stopped doing it four years ago. I loved doing it. I loved doing it and it was very good to me. I was absolutely committed to it but I wanted to step away from it for a time and maybe to come back with fresh eyes. What happened to it is what happens to all very successful pieces - they get cloned. And what was ground breaking becomes the norm because absolutely everybody else is doing it. So you have to step away from it and then maybe push the envelope further and find a new way of looking at it.

What do you think of the Emmy nomination?
I feel honored and very happy about it. But, I am dreading it as well. What to wear again? Joan Rivers will tell me I'm the worst dressed again - and I'll cry again.

Does it make you want to avoid public events?
Oh, it does. On the bright side, I've experienced the worst - it can't get worse than that. But it puts everything on what you're wearing and not on to what you've done.

Do you have an all-time favorite TV character?
I didn't have TV as a kid. We literally didn't have TV in the house until I left home. We got TV after I went to college. So I didn't grow up in that sort of "Rosie O'Donnell" world of TV. I'm actually jealous of that. But, it's also good that we didn't have TV.

What made you want to become an actress?
It was Shakespeare, really. I think he's so great. It happened very quickly in a very linear way. Of course, it's a struggle. The very first thing I did was Rep (repertory)- - like your summer stock. Then I joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, which is very prestigious.

What are you working on now?
I just completed a film called "Green fingers" and I'm about to do an American play in London called "Collected Stories." It was done in the States with Uta Hagen. "Green fingers" is a wonderful, gentle sweet comedy based on a true story in England about a group of convicts who win the top prize for gardening. They become master gardeners. It's based on a true story that was actually in the New York Times. I play this upper class horticulturist woman-not a convict who guides them and is their mentor.