INQUISITR.COM / Entertainment

Helen Mirren Won’t Be Driving In ‘Fast 8’ Even Though She Thinks She’s More Qualified Than The Rock, Discover Her Wild Past

By Stacey Cole
Published on: 05:20 PST, Aug 7, 2016

Helen Mirren, the 71-year-old British actor who has been knighted, has miles to go before she hangs up her boots. The veteran actress is all set to feature along with Charlize Theron in the eighth installment of the Fast and Furious movie franchise, known simply as Fast 8. And even though she is keen to work in the upcoming installment of the popular Fast and Furious franchise, Helen Mirren will not be allowed to drive any of the cars in the movie. According to Vanity Fair, Helen has revealed that she will not be driving in the upcoming installment, but fans can reportedly expect to see her behind the wheels in Fast and Furious 12, although these rumors have not yet been substantiated.

The news might be disappointing for the Trumbo actress’s fans who wish to see their favorite actress maneuver her vehicle during the thrilling car chases which have made the franchise very popular. For many fans, Fast and Furious is all about high-stakes driving, and any actor who is not a part of a car chase is perceived to be sidelined in the movie. However, Helen Mirren hasn’t been let down by the sidelining even though she claims to be an expert driver and well familiar with the double declutch technique. According to Vanity Fair, Helen cracked a joke about her complaint of not being allowed to pursue her passion of driving a fast car.

“I’m probably one of the few people on the set who know how to drive a gear shift car. I doubt The Rock knows.”

Optimistic fans hope that the film’s creators have a surprise up their sleeve and that the talented actress will be allowed to feature in an exciting car chase scene after all.

In addition to the upcoming Fast and Furious 8, Helen Mirren will also be serving as a host in the second season of Documentary Now!, a television series on IFC that aims to spoof famous documentaries by mocking the style of each film. According to Entertainment Weekly, a new teaser showed Helen Mirren introducing the upcoming second season of the series by narrating the parody of The War Room, the 1993 documentary film.

It is easy to understand Helen Mirren’s desperate longing to let her hair down and drive a fast car because she has always been bold and adventurous throughout her career. Helen Mirren is an actress who is famous for going against the rigid rules of society. According to Starts At 60, Helen has dabbled in cocaine before, however, she abstained from using it after she read that a Nazi war criminal in South America was profiting from the cocaine trade.

In 1979, Helen Mirren appeared nude in Caligula, an erotic historical drama which showed extreme nudity. According to Starts At 60, Helen spoke about the bizarre atmosphere that prevailed on the sets of Caligula, saying that turning up to the set each day felt like being in a nudist camp.

“Everyone was naked in that. It was like showing up for a nudist camp every day. You felt embarrassed if you had your clothes on in that movie.”

In 1980, Helen Mirren was arrested at an airport for smuggling in a gold watch that she was wearing. However, Helen claimed her innocence and happily paid the required customs duty. On one occasion, Helen got drunk while partying with an American theater group to such an extent that she got a tattoo on her hand by using a safety pin.

While Helen Mirren has a racy past and might be perceived as a wild actress of the 70s, she is also heavily involved in charitable causes and is the first patron of Women for Women International, a non-profit humanitarian organization that assists marginalized women around the globe. According to the Huffington Post, Helen Mirren is delighted to use her strength and fame to help the organization advocate for equality.

[Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images]

Share this article: Helen Mirren Won’t Be Driving In ‘Fast 8’ Even Though She Thinks She’s More Qualified Than The Rock, Discover Her Wild Past
The Rock helen mirren
More from Inquisitr