Dame Helen Mirren says there’s no such thing as binary sexuality (Picture: Scott Garfitt/PA Wire)

Dame Helen Mirren believes gender and sexuality are on a spectrum.

Speaking to Radio Times, the 74-year-old actress was asked about the relationship between feminism and gender identity.

The Oscar-winning actress responded: ‘I came to the conclusion an awfully long time ago that there is black and there is white, and we’re all somewhere in the middle in a wonderful mix of male and female.

‘There is no such thing as binary sexuality, when you’re male or female. I don’t believe that at all,’ she added.


She then went on to talk about the role of femininity and masculinity in acting.



‘I think I was very lucky to be in my world,’ she mused. ‘The world of acting and drama, because I think an awful lot of actors have male and female in them.

‘A lot of great actors, great, masculine actors, are actually very feminine.

‘Great heart-throbs have a very present feminine side to them. A lot of very strong female actors, have a very strong male side to them,’ she added.

Dame Helen Mirren talks gender and sexuality (Picture: Dominique Charriau/WireImage)

The conversation also turned to controversial Australian feminist Germaine Greer.

When asked about the relationship between the ‘older generation of feminists’ and gender identity – specifically in relation to transgender people – the septuagenarian replied: ‘Do you mean Germaine Greer saying women are women and men are men?’

‘Well, she didn’t quite say that but if being a TERF [trans-exclusionary radical feminist] is not accepting that trans women are women then I’m not a TERF,’ she added.

We stan a trans ally.

Helen Mirren recently appeared alongside host of RuPaul’s Drag Race, RuPaul Charles, on the Graham Norton Show.

Explaining how he’s ‘named several queens over the years’, RuPaul gives Helen and actor Jack Whitehall their own drag personas in ‘Sir Lady Cheek Bones’ and ‘Jackie Black Ball’.

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