Helen Mirren Revealed How Ron Howard Made Her Regret A Major Life Choice

Ron Howard’s renowned for being one of Hollywood’s nice guys. From his child-star days on The Andy Griffith Show to his iconic role in nostalgic sitcom Happy Days and his Oscar-winning directorial efforts, the Hollywood veteran’s rarely courted controversy. And yet it turns out that Howard once left British national treasure Dame Helen Mirren in tears.

Getting emotional

Mirren revealed the strong emotional reaction that Howard had caused in a 2016 interview with newspaper The Sunday Times. Not only did the Apollo 13 director make his fellow Oscar-winner cry. He also left Mirren questioning her life choices. And the Prime Suspect star isn’t usually one to express regrets.

A defiant voice

Yes, Mirren has established a reputation as one of the entertainment industry’s most defiant voices. In almost every interview she’s given the star has offered an audacious quote that’s grabbed the headlines. Take the time she told You magazine, for example, that the only advice she’d offer to her younger self would be to employ the F-word more frequently.

Growing old disgracefully

Now well into her 70s, Mirren’s often tackled the issue of growing old. In 2019 she told Vogue magazine, “It’s much better to age disgracefully! Take it on the chin, and roll with it. You die young, or you get older. There is nothing in between! You may as well enjoy it.”

The new Catherine the Great

But there’s barely a topic that Mirren isn’t happy to address. In 2019 the actress revealed to newspaper Daily Mail that she had something in common with the historical figure she portrayed in a Sky Atlantic period drama. Mirren said, “I felt it was my right to have affairs, and be in love with people, and to live with them. I’m a bit like Catherine [the Great].”