Dame Helen Mirren is one of our classiest actresses, best known for her portrayal of The Queen, both on stage and screen. But when it comes to food, her tastes are rather less than regal. ‘My favourite dish in the world is fried egg and chips, cooked in a special way by a particular restaurant in Spain,’ she says. ‘I might struggle to cook it myself, though — my talents in the kitchen are strictly limited. My signature dish is baked beans on toast. Actually, I make even better cheese on toast. Or Marmite on toast, and marmalade on toast. I’m a dab hand with a toaster.’ Scroll down for video . Dame Helen Mirren is best known for playing The Queen, but when it comes to food her tastes are less regal . All of which means her latest role in The Hundred-Foot Journey, as the formidable Madame Mallory, owner of an upmarket, Michelin-starred restaurant in the South of France, is a bit of a stretch. ‘We do tally with our love of food — regardless of what it is or where it came from,’ Helen insists. That said, it’s hard to imagine the fictional Madame Mallory getting too excited about 69-year-old Helen’s ‘favourite dish in the world’. ‘It’s from a restaurant in Madrid that cooks the chips in suet, then breaks an egg over the top of them, that then cooks over the hot chips. Trust me, it is truly delicious.’ If this is an attempt to be seen as a woman of the people, rather than as Britain’s best-known movie actress, it’s not Helen’s only one. An Oscar-winner with The Queen eight years ago, she insists she is nothing more than a jobbing actress — happy to hitch from film to film rather than pose for the paparazzi on the red carpet and be feted wherever she goes. ‘I’m not a movie star, I’ve never thought of myself as that,’ she says. ‘Sure I won an Oscar but I got very, very lucky. And I wasn’t even a blip on the Americans’ radar until I was well into my 40s. ‘It’s very important to me that I’m not seen as a star, especially one readily associated with one role or one type of role. I fought very hard to wriggle free of my role as Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect because I didn’t want to be limited in the parts I was offered. ‘I’m always trying to escape from something, and I’m currently trying to see my way clear of my Queenliness. But it’s easier said than done when you’ve appeared as Her Majesty on film and in the West End.’ Especially as Helen won an Olivier for her stage performance as the Queen in The Audience last year, and will reprise the role on Broadway this autumn. ‘I suspect taking the part to New York may be the final nail in my coffin as far as trying to escape from Queenliness is concerned!’ she says. ‘I used to think that if I hadn’t been forgotten by the time I died, my obituary would read: “Actress who played TV cop Jane Tennison, and who used to take her clothes off, has died.” ‘Now, it would probably read: “Actress who played the Queen, and who used to take her clothes off, has died.” But that’s fine, as long as I still have the freedom to play a variety of other parts.’ Dame Helen has certainly varied the mix since her Oscar triumph. The roll-call includes two movies with Russell Brand — an adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest and a remake of the comedy Arthur — the animated Monsters University, in which she voiced the frightening Dean Hardscrabble; TV film Phil Spector, when she was lawyer Linda Kenny Baden; spy movie The Debt, playing a former secret agent; and the big-screen thrillers Red, National Treasure: Book Of Secrets, and Red 2. The story follows Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal) and his family who move from India to a village in the South of France where they open a restaurant and encounter Madame Mallory (played by Dame Helen Mirren, right) Dame Mirren describes The Hundred-Foot Journey as a 'charming story' and said it meant she could spend a couple of months in the South of France . Her latest film, The Hundred-Foot Journey, was very much a choice from the heart, as it meant she could spend a couple of months in the South of France and take part in what she calls a ‘charming story’. ‘It was also about getting a classic phone call when I was offered the film. I was told, “It’s Steven Spielberg on the line.” He is one of the producers, and I did think somebody was having me on, but it really was Steven, and I quickly said yes. ‘And, of course, there was the food. The Hundred-Foot Journey is a food movie, whether it’s the Michelin-starred dishes prepared by Madame Mallory’s establishment or the wonderful Indian fare in the restaurant 100ft across the road in the small town where the movie’s set.’ She adds: ‘When I appeared in The Cook, The Thief, His Wife And Her Lover, which also had a strong culinary element, the off-set catering for the cast and crew was terrible! I think they’d blown all the budget on the food you saw on screen, and everyone was reduced to eating Spam for lunch. ‘There was none of that on The Hundred-Foot Journey. The French caterers were excellent, and my co-star, Om Puri, who plays the Indian restaurant owner, used to bring in bowls of Indian food containing the most delicious snacks. It was culinary heaven.’ Dame Helen at the UK gala screening of The Hundred-Foot Journey in London this week . But wasn’t she worried about piling on weight? ‘Some actresses are always on diets and I am no different because you feel you have to be,’ Helen admits. ‘I suppose I’m fortunate in that I don’t put on huge amounts of weight — and the odd bout of illness where I’m off my food soon takes off the pounds. ‘I have about 10lb that seem to come and go from my body — I should give each one of them a name because they’ve become so familiar to me — and that’s been the way of things for as long as I can remember. Maybe I should do something about them — finally say goodbye to them. Giving up those two spoonfuls of sugar in my coffee might help! But food is surely something to be celebrated, something to be enjoyed.’ It’s certainly celebrated in The Hundred-Foot Journey, a comedy-drama that follows the intense rivalry between the two restaurants. Dame Helen says: ‘I seriously recommend that people don’t eat before they see it, so they salivate over all the gorgeous food — especially in the Indian restaurant — and then have the appetite for the most delicious meal later. ‘Isn’t it interesting how we Brits have taken to Indian food, how it’s become such a key part of what we eat? It’s the first meal my husband Taylor [Hackford, the American film director] and I have when we get back to London from abroad. ‘And the one food I really miss when I’m abroad is not fish and chips but a really good Indian meal.’ Helen will be able to sample the real deal for the first time when she travels to India in December to visit a literary festival. The trip dovetails with work on her next movie, Woman In Gold — about a Jewish refugee seeking justice for what happened to her family in World War II. As for next year, Helen has various projects under consideration. Not that the fear of unemployment ever leaves her, she admits. ‘I say to Taylor: “It will come to an end, you know, we all have finite careers.” ‘My aim is to carry on working, and enjoying that work, for as long as I possibly can. And if each project is as enjoyable to work on as The Hundred-Foot Journey, I shall be more than happy.’ PINK CHAMPAGNE SISTERS: The Live Sessions . THE vogue for vintage gathers pace with this sparkling debut by close harmony trio the Pink Champagne Sisters. Backed by a slick, upbeat ensemble, the vivacious group hark back to The Andrews Sisters on a series of swinging Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin and Cole Porter covers from the 1930s and 1940s. Ellington’s It Don’t Mean A Thing and a spirited Chattanooga Choo Choo are energised by snapping fingers and a jazzy trumpet. (Available at pinkchampagnesisters.com) ***** . SMOKEY ROBINSON: Smokey & Friends (Verve) THIS duets album finds Motown legend Smokey revisiting his biggest hits with the help of Elton John, Steven Tyler, James Taylor and others. Robinson, once called ‘America’s greatest living poet’ by Bob Dylan, still plays the silky romantic well, but his singing partners are erratic. Gary Barlow adds little of note to Get Ready, but CeeLo Green whips up a storm on The Way You Do (The Things You Do). Mary J. Blige shines on Being With You. ***** . ADRIAN THRILLS .
Dame Helen Mirren is best known for her portrayal of The Queen on screen .
Now she will star as owner of upmarket restaurant in South of France in film .
The actress reveals her favourite dish in the world is fried eggs and chips .
She plays Madame Mallory in The Hundred-Foot Journey - in cinemas today .
The Hundred-Foot Journey opens in cinemas today. Turn the page for Brian Viner’s review.
Dame Helen Mirren is one of our classiest actresses, best known for her portrayal of The Queen, both on stage and screen. But when it comes to food, her tastes are rather less than regal. ‘My favourite dish in the world is fried egg and chips, cooked in a special way by a particular restaurant in Spain,’ she says. ‘I might struggle to cook it myself, though — my talents in the kitchen are strictly limited. My signature dish is baked beans on toast. Actually, I make even better cheese on toast. Or Marmite on toast, and marmalade on toast. I’m a dab hand with a toaster.’ Scroll down for video . Dame Helen Mirren is best known for playing The Queen, but when it comes to food her tastes are less regal . All of which means her latest role in The Hundred-Foot Journey, as the formidable Madame Mallory, owner of an upmarket, Michelin-starred restaurant in the South of France, is a bit of a stretch. ‘We do tally with our love of food — regardless of what it is or where it came from,’ Helen insists. That said, it’s hard to imagine the fictional Madame Mallory getting too excited about 69-year-old Helen’s ‘favourite dish in the world’. ‘It’s from a restaurant in Madrid that cooks the chips in suet, then breaks an egg over the top of them, that then cooks over the hot chips. Trust me, it is truly delicious.’ If this is an attempt to be seen as a woman of the people, rather than as Britain’s best-known movie actress, it’s not Helen’s only one. An Oscar-winner with The Queen eight years ago, she insists she is nothing more than a jobbing actress — happy to hitch from film to film rather than pose for the paparazzi on the red carpet and be feted wherever she goes. ‘I’m not a movie star, I’ve never thought of myself as that,’ she says. ‘Sure I won an Oscar but I got very, very lucky. And I wasn’t even a blip on the Americans’ radar until I was well into my 40s. ‘It’s very important to me that I’m not seen as a star, especially one readily associated with one role or one type of role. I fought very hard to wriggle free of my role as Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect because I didn’t want to be limited in the parts I was offered. ‘I’m always trying to escape from something, and I’m currently trying to see my way clear of my Queenliness. But it’s easier said than done when you’ve appeared as Her Majesty on film and in the West End.’ Especially as Helen won an Olivier for her stage performance as the Queen in The Audience last year, and will reprise the role on Broadway this autumn. ‘I suspect taking the part to New York may be the final nail in my coffin as far as trying to escape from Queenliness is concerned!’ she says. ‘I used to think that if I hadn’t been forgotten by the time I died, my obituary would read: “Actress who played TV cop Jane Tennison, and who used to take her clothes off, has died.” ‘Now, it would probably read: “Actress who played the Queen, and who used to take her clothes off, has died.” But that’s fine, as long as I still have the freedom to play a variety of other parts.’ Dame Helen has certainly varied the mix since her Oscar triumph. The roll-call includes two movies with Russell Brand — an adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest and a remake of the comedy Arthur — the animated Monsters University, in which she voiced the frightening Dean Hardscrabble; TV film Phil Spector, when she was lawyer Linda Kenny Baden; spy movie The Debt, playing a former secret agent; and the big-screen thrillers Red, National Treasure: Book Of Secrets, and Red 2. The story follows Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal) and his family who move from India to a village in the South of France where they open a restaurant and encounter Madame Mallory (played by Dame Helen Mirren, right) Dame Mirren describes The Hundred-Foot Journey as a 'charming story' and said it meant she could spend a couple of months in the South of France . Her latest film, The Hundred-Foot Journey, was very much a choice from the heart, as it meant she could spend a couple of months in the South of France and take part in what she calls a ‘charming story’. ‘It was also about getting a classic phone call when I was offered the film. I was told, “It’s Steven Spielberg on the line.” He is one of the producers, and I did think somebody was having me on, but it really was Steven, and I quickly said yes. ‘And, of course, there was the food. The Hundred-Foot Journey is a food movie, whether it’s the Michelin-starred dishes prepared by Madame Mallory’s establishment or the wonderful Indian fare in the restaurant 100ft across the road in the small town where the movie’s set.’ She adds: ‘When I appeared in The Cook, The Thief, His Wife And Her Lover, which also had a strong culinary element, the off-set catering for the cast and crew was terrible! I think they’d blown all the budget on the food you saw on screen, and everyone was reduced to eating Spam for lunch. ‘There was none of that on The Hundred-Foot Journey. The French caterers were excellent, and my co-star, Om Puri, who plays the Indian restaurant owner, used to bring in bowls of Indian food containing the most delicious snacks. It was culinary heaven.’ Dame Helen at the UK gala screening of The Hundred-Foot Journey in London this week . But wasn’t she worried about piling on weight? ‘Some actresses are always on diets and I am no different because you feel you have to be,’ Helen admits. ‘I suppose I’m fortunate in that I don’t put on huge amounts of weight — and the odd bout of illness where I’m off my food soon takes off the pounds. ‘I have about 10lb that seem to come and go from my body — I should give each one of them a name because they’ve become so familiar to me — and that’s been the way of things for as long as I can remember. Maybe I should do something about them — finally say goodbye to them. Giving up those two spoonfuls of sugar in my coffee might help! But food is surely something to be celebrated, something to be enjoyed.’ It’s certainly celebrated in The Hundred-Foot Journey, a comedy-drama that follows the intense rivalry between the two restaurants. Dame Helen says: ‘I seriously recommend that people don’t eat before they see it, so they salivate over all the gorgeous food — especially in the Indian restaurant — and then have the appetite for the most delicious meal later. ‘Isn’t it interesting how we Brits have taken to Indian food, how it’s become such a key part of what we eat? It’s the first meal my husband Taylor [Hackford, the American film director] and I have when we get back to London from abroad. ‘And the one food I really miss when I’m abroad is not fish and chips but a really good Indian meal.’ Helen will be able to sample the real deal for the first time when she travels to India in December to visit a literary festival. The trip dovetails with work on her next movie, Woman In Gold — about a Jewish refugee seeking justice for what happened to her family in World War II. As for next year, Helen has various projects under consideration. Not that the fear of unemployment ever leaves her, she admits. ‘I say to Taylor: “It will come to an end, you know, we all have finite careers.” ‘My aim is to carry on working, and enjoying that work, for as long as I possibly can. And if each project is as enjoyable to work on as The Hundred-Foot Journey, I shall be more than happy.’ PINK CHAMPAGNE SISTERS: The Live Sessions . THE vogue for vintage gathers pace with this sparkling debut by close harmony trio the Pink Champagne Sisters. Backed by a slick, upbeat ensemble, the vivacious group hark back to The Andrews Sisters on a series of swinging Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin and Cole Porter covers from the 1930s and 1940s. Ellington’s It Don’t Mean A Thing and a spirited Chattanooga Choo Choo are energised by snapping fingers and a jazzy trumpet. (Available at pinkchampagnesisters.com) ***** . SMOKEY ROBINSON: Smokey & Friends (Verve) THIS duets album finds Motown legend Smokey revisiting his biggest hits with the help of Elton John, Steven Tyler, James Taylor and others. Robinson, once called ‘America’s greatest living poet’ by Bob Dylan, still plays the silky romantic well, but his singing partners are erratic. Gary Barlow adds little of note to Get Ready, but CeeLo Green whips up a storm on The Way You Do (The Things You Do). Mary J. Blige shines on Being With You. ***** . ADRIAN THRILLS .
actresses, best known for her portrayal of The regal. ‘My favourite dish in the world is fried Helen Mirren is best known for playing The Queen, Hundred-Foot Journey, as the formidable Madame Mallory, owner of an upmarket, Michelin-starred restaurant in the South of France, is a bit of a celebrated in The Hundred-Foot Journey, a