How Helen Mirren spent her birthday
You can’t say Helen Mirren isn’t a good sport. But you can say she’s a little testy about her age.
She spent her 61st birthday chatting with critics about the final cycle of “Prime Suspect,” which airs on PBS this November. The press material states that “drink, loneliness and the grueling life of a crime fighter are finally catching up with Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison, now clinging to her career.”
The release also said that our dear Jane was “pushing 60.”
So, curiosity drove me to the Internet to discover if Mirren had hopped over that line yet. And discovered today was her birthday.
It seemed churlish not to wish her many happy returns of the day when we met for a quick grab and gab. So I said softly, “Happy Birthday.”
Suddenly, she looked as if I was about to become a murder victim.
Eager to change the subject, I asked if Jane’s fans would find this a satisfying end to long relationship.
“Satisfied?” she queried with a hard Jane Tennison stare. “I don’t know, perhaps not, but everything must end eventually.”
She then warmly greeted the next reporter, who wisely didn’t mention anything involving cake and candles.