Helen Mirren hits back at claims older women shouldn't have long hair – 'I'm quite enjoying it'

Helen Mirren has embraced her 'radical' long white hair after growing tired of maintaining her do during the Covid-19 pandemic

Helen Mirren
(Image credit: Getty)

Dame Helen Mirren has condemned the outdated belief that older women shouldn't have long hair, revealing she has no plans to cut her striking white mane any time soon. 

The Oscar-winning actor said that she is 'quite enjoying' having long hair during a recent interview, calling her new look 'radical' yet 'very cool'. 

The 77-year-old made an exciting virtual appearance on Lorraine on Wednesday to discuss her new superhero film, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, ahead of its highly-anticipated release next week. After asking all about the exciting project, the Scottish TV presenter shared her glowing thoughts on Mirren's long white hair. 

"Can I just say, I love your hair. It looks brilliant. I loved it in the movie as well. It's so elegant, it's gorgeous," Lorraine gushed. 

The sweet compliment prompted Mirren, who has rocked everything from pixie haircuts to soft bobs throughout her impressive acting career, to reflect on the outdated societal beliefs about older women's beauty. 

Helen Mirren

(Image credit: Getty Images)

"Yes...You’re not supposed to have longer hair after a certain age," the Calender Girls star said. "But during Covid, I started growing my hair and I hadn’t actually had long hair since I was in my 20s. And it sort of grew and grew and grew, and I couldn’t be bothered to cut it, basically." 

The Shakespearean actress is just one of many female celebrities in recent years to challenge ageist beauty rules, with US model Christine Brinkley embracing her gray hair roots just last week on Instagram. 

"And then I thought, you know what it's pretty cool, I think I'll stick with it for a while."

Mirren added that she plans to cut it "eventually" but for the time being, it's here to stay. "I'm kind of enjoying it, it’s quite radical," she added. 

At another point in the interview, Mirren offered some inspiring words of wisdom for viewers. 

"Life doesn’t stop," she said. "And creativity doesn’t stop and passion doesn’t stop and energy doesn’t stop, unless you decide to stop it. So be self-motivated, really, and never give up. And find enjoyment, if it’s possible in your life.”

Her appearance on Lorraine comes shortly after she nailed the dopamine dressing trend at the premiere of Shazam! Fury Of The Gods in London. Helen wore a pink cloak and sleek top knot for the glamorous red carpet event, proving once again you're never too old to have fun with fashion. 

Emma Dooney
Lifestyle News Writer

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.


Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.