Helen Lydia Mironoff was born in London in July 1945. At 18 she joined the National Youth Theatre and then the Royal Shakespeare Company and then started her film career in the Age of Consent, at 24
Photograph: Moviestore collection Ltd/Alamy Photograph: Moviestore collection Ltd / Alam/Alamy
Mirren appeared alongside Malcolm McDowell in Lindsay Anderson's satirical film. Mirren was only cast at the 11th hour when the original actress set to play the role was fired Photograph: Ronald Grant Archive
Mirren played Caesonia in one of the most infamous cult films of all time Photograph: Photos 12/Alamy
Mirren plays Victoria, the wife of the cockney gangster Harold Shand, played by Bob Hoskins, in this brilliant British thriller Photograph: Ronald Grant Archive
Mirren played the no-good Morgana in John Boorman's Arthurian legend-based sword and sorcery film Photograph: Cine Text/Allstar
Mirren won Best Actress at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for a Bafta for her role as Marcella in the Irish drama. Here she is with John Lynch who played Cal Photograph: Warner Bros/Ronald Grant Archive
Mirren played Georgina Spica, 'The Wife' of the title in Peter Greenaway's sumptuous crime drama Photograph: Palace Pictures/Allstar
Possibly Mirren's most famous role so far has come from a police procedural show for Television. Her DCI Jane Tennison debuted in 1991 and ran for seven series, finishing in 2006. She hoovered up three Baftas and two Emmys and had countless nominations Photograph: ITV/Rex Features
Mirren starred alongside Nigel Hawthorne and was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the 1995 Academy Awards for her role as Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III Photograph: Channel Four/Allstar
Mirren won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV. Directed by Kevin Bacon, the TV movie tells the story of Chase Phillips' recovery from a nervous breakdown, seen here with her husband, played by Beau Bridges Photograph: Moviestore Collection/Rex Features
Mirren was again nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the Academy Awards. She played the housekeeper in the classic country house murder mystery directed by Robert Altman Photograph: PR
Shortly after receiving her DBE and becoming Dame Helen Mirren, Channel 4 had a hit with this mini-series. Mirren scooped an Emmy and a Golden Globe. She then went on to play another queen ... Photograph: HBO/Rex Features
Victory! Mirren, seen here reading the Observer, won an Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role as Queen Elizabeth II. She also won a Golden Globe and a Bafta Photograph: PR
More nominations, this time for a Golden Globes and a Bafta for her role as Alma Reville, the wife of Alfred Hitchcock played by Anthony Hopkins. The film explored their relationship during the making of Psycho Photograph: Fox Searchlight/Allstar
Mirren received another Oscar nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role as Sofya Tolstaya, the wife of Leo Tolstoy Photograph: Sony/Rex Features
