Helen Mirren reflects on being 79, ‘never thought I’d be’

Helen Mirren got candid on what it feels like being 79-years-old.

“You’ve moved through your life, and you are at the other end of your life,” the Golda star said In a recent interview on The Standard’s Brave New World Podcast with Evgeny Lebedev.

“You’re at the place you never imagined you’d ever reach when you’re 20, or 30, or even 40. But the reality is you do reach it — if you’re lucky. And that’s the number one thing you realize … is your good fortune at getting to be [alive.] I’m 79, and you lose people along the way."

The Queen alum also reflected on the death of American musician Kurt Cobain.

“I always say, ‘It’s so sad that Kurt Cobain died when he did,’” she said. “Because he never got to see GPS. It’s the most wonderful thing, my little blue spot walking down the street. I just find it completely magical and unbelievable.”

The iconic musician and lead singer of Nirvana was tragically found dead at his home in 1994, just five months after the band recorded their legendary MTV Unplugged album. He was only 27 years old at the time of his passing.

The actress further talked about the advantages of having the chance to live in a world before technology prevailed.

“I’m not full of youth, but I am life full. I much prefer that phrase … And I feel so grateful that I lived in a world without technology for quite some time. I knew a world without technology in a deep and full sense … Human connection was a very different thing back then,” she stated.

Further in the interview, Mirren expressed what it means to live life to its fullest.

“I’m 79. I never thought I’d be 79,” Mirren added. “And then you say, ‘Okay, well, this is it. This is what 79 is,’ you know? And it’s kind of okay. It’s not brilliant. But it wasn’t that brilliant to be 25 either.”

“So it’s not a question of seeking youth at all,” she continued. 

“It’s a question of living the life you have as fully and positively and enjoyably and confusingly and everything that it was when you were younger. It’s just called life.”