Helen Mirren tells men to stop 'owning' women

Actress Helen Mirren says men slinging their arms around their girlfriends are taking "ownership" of them

Helen Mirren finds it annoying to see men "with an arm slung round their girlfriend's shoulders," saying it's "like ownership".

In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, the veteran actress, 70, said if she could give her younger self one piece of advice, "It would be to use the words, 'F*** off' more frequently.

"It annoys me when I see men with an arm slung around their girlfriend's shoulders. It's like ownership. Of course, when you're young, you want the guy to take your hand and look after you," Mirren said.

"But when I see girls being leaned on, I want to say, 'Tell him to get his damned arm off your shoulder'."

Mirren has historically been outspoken about the sexism women face in everyday life, and the way it affected her own career.

Known for her enduring sex appeal, Mirren concedes it has both helped and hurt her professionally.

"My identity as an actress was sexualised very early on. Looking back over the past 40 years, it's been a hindrance as well as a help, and incredibly irritating at times," she said, remembering an interview with Michael Parkinson in 1975, when she was 30, in which he suggested her "physical attributes" detracted from her ability to be a "serious actress".

She has also said she hates the words "sassy" and "feisty," which are reserved to describe women.

"Only women are feisty," she told the Times earlier this year. "It just makes me gag."

nzherald.co.nz