LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Helen Mirren is one of the most accomplished actresses of her generation, dominating both the cinema and television industries. The actress, who won the Life Achievement Award at the 2022 SAG Awards, made her debut in the role of Queenie in the 2017 film 'The Fate of the Furious' and reprised it in the 2019 films 'Hobbs & Shaw' and 'F9'. Queenie happened to be the mother of Jason Statham's character Shaw in the 'Fast & Furious' franchise. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Mirren, 77, said that she actively pushed to be cast in the series.
The 'Fast & Furious' franchise had seen a feud develop between Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Johnson and Diesel had become fast buddies as soon as Johnson joined the already famous movie franchise. After the eighth main installment, however, things quickly went south, and Johnson quit the franchise with a promise to never return. Recently, speculation surfaced that tensions were growing between Diesel and another newly-inducted franchise co-star — Jason Momoa. Reportedly, Momoa's portrayal of the villain in the blockbuster 'Fast X' had not exactly delighted Diesel. Diesel, however, went on social media to settle the air and provide his genuine thoughts on Momoa's performance in the film.
Besides the ongoing furious feuds, Diesel also has a close relationship with one special woman among his many 'Fast & Furious' co-stars. And, you guessed it, it's Helen Mirren. Diesel reportedly spent his 55th birthday in Rome by dining with Mirren!
'I didn't ask — I begged!'
Actress Helen Mirren, 77, has been open about how much she adores her 'Fast and Furious' co-star, Diesel. She admitted to believing herself to be a fast driver in an interview with PEOPLE, which is why she believed it "would be so cool to be in a film that was just about fast driving." She recounted the same event in an interview with THR, saying that she was present at a gathering where the two were first introduced to one another. She became "shameless" and went to the actor to ask for the part.
"I didn't ask — I begged!" Mirren exclaimed. "I think I was at some function, and he was there, and I got introduced to him. And I was shameless: 'Oh God, I'd just love to be in one of your movies! Please let me be in it.' And then Vin, with that beautiful, deep voice of his, said: 'I'll see what I can do.' And he did it for me."
"He found this great little role for me, which was perfect," gushed Mirren. "I'd just never done anything like that before — one of those big, big movies. And, in my vanity, I just loved driving and really wanted to do my own driving in a fast car."
Helen Mirren 'loved every minute' working with Vin Diesel
Previously, Mirren spoke to Entertainment Weekly about working with Diesel, 55, on 'F9'. She and Diesel instantly became friends while working on the franchise. "You're in very safe and loving hands when you're in a Fast & Furious film. It was just great to be in a very small space with Vin Diesel for quite a long time. I just loved every minute," Mirren remarked at the time. "It was great, hearing that beautiful, soft brown velvet voice really, really close, because we were squished together. Oh, I just so love his voice. He's got the best voice ever."
"That's completely natural chemistry. It was there right from the very beginning of my first meeting with Vin," she gushed. "And I just adored him immediately, and he's always been so kind and lovely to me. So it was there right from the beginning, and it is very weird. It doesn't make any sense whatsoever on any level, but that's the weird thing about chemistry, isn't it? There's never an explanation for it. It's just one of those things that happens," Mirren added in the interview.
Helen Mirren's 'timeless charisma'
Although Diesel has had conflicts with some of his 'F&F' co-stars, he is completely devoted to Mirren. "What makes Dame Helen Mirren so beautiful?" When Diesel learned she was the cover star of People's Beautiful Issue, he exclaimed, "I'll tell you. She has a charisma that is timeless. She has looks to kill and always has. She has a jovial spirit. But I think the thing that is most attractive about Dame Helen Mirren is the way she makes you feel. She always makes you feel appreciated and loved. And for that I love her forever."
According to Page Six, the two actors were sighted at the celebrity hangout Antica Pesa in Rome when Diesel was celebrating his 55th birthday. One of the producers of their latest movie 'Fast X' was also in attendance. According to an informant, the action legend "sat in the restaurant’s garden and sipped on red wine with Mirren, switching over to prosecco for the birthday moment."
