Some actors turn into their characters, whilst other actors turn their characters into themselves. Dame Helen Mirren somehow does both at the same time. Every role she takes on is irrefutably hers, but she somehow disappears into them. Throughout her career, Helen Mirren avoided playing a single "type" of role, instead experimenting with characters coming from a broad spectrum of backgrounds, classes, and geographical origins. Never content to rest on her laurels, Helen Mirren has broadened the types of roles she plays as she advances in age, reaching new heights in her craft.

Not every role embraced by Dame Helen is or was ever intended to be high art, of course. She has voiced cartoon characters, played silly characters, and even appeared in big-budget action movies designed to make box office records, not earn BAFTAs. Even in these roles, Helen Mirren brings a seriousness of purpose and craft, elevating every role she takes on, and justifying the fees no doubt paid to have her name on the marquee. What all her characters have in common is that when one watches them, one can see oneself in them. Helen Mirren's characters are a population of relatable, charming beings with which everyone can identify. Which are you?