Why did Helen Mirren say no to nose job in 20s?

Helen Mirren is sharing how she once stood firm against pressure to change her appearance early in her career. 

During a recent Hollywood Reporter Drama Actress Roundtable, the 79-year-old Oscar winner reflected on being told she needed plastic surgery to succeed in the industry.

“I was told to have a nose job in my 20s,” Mirren said during the conversation, which included fellow actresses Kathy Bates, Niecy Nash-Betts, Parker Posey, Cristin Milioti, and Keri Russell. 

Reacting to her comment, a surprised Russell replied, “You’re kidding me.” Mirren then added, “Someone said, ‘You’ll never get work if you don’t have a nose job.’ I said no. I didn’t want to be a pretty actress anyway. I elected to be not so pretty.”

Mirren has long spoken out about beauty standards and the importance of staying true to oneself. At the 2024 L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth Honoree celebration in West Hollywood, she offered a deeper perspective on what beauty means to her.

“I've always had this issue with the word beauty because it assumes that you're looking to be beautiful in an exterior way,” she told PEOPLE at the time. 

“Of course, there are many, many different kinds of beauty in the world; it’s a very broad term,” she explained. 

“Being an ambassador for a beauty products company, I always wanted to say, ‘We're not trying to be beautiful, we're trying to be authentically and genuinely and happily and positively ourselves, whether that's beautiful or not.’”

While Mirren appreciates makeup, costumes, and fashion for their creativity, she also values the quiet, everyday moments that help her feel grounded and true to herself.

“I think probably in a bath with a candle and a book,” she said about when she feels most like herself. “Or having a cocktail with my husband in the evening, just one!”

She added, “Those simple moments — being out on a beautiful hillside in Scotland or in Poland or wherever I am and at one with nature. I think it's when you feel yourself at ease within the natural world and simply another part of the natural world. I think that's when one feels the most authentic and at ease with yourself.”