Helen Mirren: Starring in 'Golda' like playing British monarch

Oscar-winning actress compares her new role as Israel's first female prime minister to playing royalty for her 'commitment to her country'
Reuters|
For Helen Mirren, playing Israel's only female prime minister, Golda Meir, was not unlike a role as a British monarch.
  • Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter

  • "In a weird way, it was a bit like playing Elizabeth I of England, in the sense of - not because she had that regality or anything - but her utter commitment to her country," said the English actor, who won an Oscar and a BAFTA award for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in the 2006 film "The Queen."
    2 View gallery
    הלן מירן
    הלן מירן
    Hellen Mirren
    (Photo: AFP)
    "Golda," which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival on Monday, focuses on Meir's leadership during the Yom Kippur War between Israel and a coalition of Arab states in October 1973.
    "It's not a biopic, it's not her whole life, it's just a little section where she's most challenged," said Mirren.
    That year, Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 6, during the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, threatening to overwhelm the country. Israel launched a massive counter-offensive before a ceasefire took hold.
    Mirren is nearly unrecognizable as Meir thanks to prosthetics and a make-up regimen that took hours, re-creating the Israeli leader's nicotine-stained fingers and swollen ankles.
    2 View gallery
    הלן מירן מתוך "גולדה"
    הלן מירן מתוך "גולדה"
    Helen Mirren in 'Golda'
    (Photo: Jasper Wolf)
    Over the course of the movie, the chain-smoking leader, who is also secretly being treated for lymphoma, is increasingly laden with grief as the gravity of Israel's losses weighs on her, something that director Guy Nattiv had wanted to highlight.
    "As an Israeli, I grew up with this knowledge that Golda is a complicated character," said Nattiv, adding that he hoped his movie would help Israelis see Meir as a real flesh and blood person.
    Nattiv also explained his decision to cast Mirren even though she is not Jewish, saying that besides being an excellent actor, she felt like a family member. "For me, other than the fact that I adore Helen ... I just found her very authentic."
    Comments
    The commenter agrees to the privacy policy of Ynet News and agrees not to submit comments that violate the terms of use, including incitement, libel and expressions that exceed the accepted norms of freedom of speech.
    ""