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BEVERLY HILLS - British actress Helen Mirren won the Golden Globe for best actress in a dramatic film on Monday for her performance as Queen Elizabeth II in "The Queen."
Mirren's performance as the monarch, who is facing a crisis in public confidence following the death of Princess Diana, has been hailed by critics. The 61-year-old actress is expected to win a nomination for best actress when the Oscar nominations are announced on January 23.
Earlier in the evening she won a Golden Globe for best actress in a TV mini-series or movie for her performance as another queen in "Elizabeth I," the current British monarch's namesake.
Martin Scorsese was named best film director for "The Departed," a crime thriller many think might earn the famed director his first Oscar either for best directing or for best film.
British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen won the Golden Globe for best actor in a comedy or a musical for his stunning performance as boorish Kazakh journalist searching for "sexytime" during a US visit in "Borat."
- REUTERS