Helen Mirren - Dame Helen Mirren Receives European Film Award

Dame Helen Mirren is in quite possibly what some people could call the Regal phase of her career - apt given that she's played Queen Elizabeth II in the past. By this we mean that she's an actress now consistently putting on some of the best performances of her career and being recognised for them by critics and the public at large. Having won an Academy Best Actress Award in 2007, Mirren was once again nominated in 2010 and is expected another nod in 2013 for playing Sir Alfred Hitchcock's wife in the biopic Hitchcock.

Before that, though, it's been announced that the British actress will be getting a special award for her achievements in world cinema by the European Film Academy. As a result, Mirren will be a guest at the European Film Awards on December 1st in Malta where she will receive award. The BBC reports that she reacted to the news by saying "It was discovering the immense diversity of European film-making that gave me an enduring love and respect for the artform." Continuing she added "This award is... a meaningful honour. I would be proud to be counted as an actor in the European tradition."

Mirren will be revisiting her role as The Queen on the stage next year, in Peter Morgan's play The Audience.