She may have won an Oscar for The Queen, but Dame Helen Mirren is now set to play a rather different kind of matriarch.
These are the first pictures of the actress on the set of Guy Ritchie’s latest TV series, Fixer, in which she plays the head of an Irish crime family in London.
They show the 79-year-old star in character as Maeve, dressed in sombre black lace under a fur-trimmed black coat, getting out of a limousine to attend a funeral.
She is joined by an all-star cast in the gritty Paramount+ series. Also seen on set were former James Bond, Pierce Brosnan, 71, who stars as Maeve’s husband Conrad Harrigan, and Tom Hardy as Harry Da Souza, fixer for the Harrigan family.
Other familiar faces in the drama include Downton Abbey’s Joanne Froggatt and Peaky Blinders’ Paddy Considine.
It is unclear which character’s funeral they were attending in the scene they shot at Kensal Green Crematorium last week, but the hearse bore flowers which spelled out the word ‘Son’.
A source on set said: ‘Helen was having a great time during filming. She was very friendly and was definitely having fun embracing her inner gangster.
‘She is particularly fond of Pierce, they have been working together for decades.’
Dame Helen Mirren is pictured in character as Maeve, dressed in sombre black lace under a fur-trimmed black coat
Dame Helen Mirren and Mr Brosnan first co-starred in the 1980 gangster movie The Long Good Friday, and have worked together and known each other for decades
Also seen on set were former James Bond , Pierce Brosnan , 71, who stars as Maeve’s husband Conrad Harrigan
Tom Hardy pays Harry Da Souza, fixer for the Harrigan family, in the Paramount series
Other familiar faces in the drama include Downton Abbey ’s Joanne Froggatt (left)
The 79-year-old was pictured getting out of a limousine to attend a funeral for the show
It was unclear what was happening but the filming depicted a scene from a funeral
These are the first pictures of the actress on the set of Guy Ritchie ’s latest TV series, Fixer (pictured with Pierce Brosnan)
A source on set said that the 79-year-old ‘was having a great time during filming’
Actors on set were seen embracing as they filmed the emotional scenes at a funeral
Dressed in somber attire, the cast looked deeply engrossed in the emotional storyline as cameras rolled on the atmospheric set
It is unclear which character’s funeral they were attending in the scene they shot at Kensal Green Crematorium last week
Floral tributes were laid at the crematorium as the star studded cast filmed emotional scenes
Venom star Hardy is executive producer of Fixer, with episodes directed by gangster specialist Ritchie, known for films such as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Guy Ritchie, known for his gritty crime dramas, is expected to deliver another action-packed blockbuster with this star-studded ensemble (pictured – Dame Helen Mirren on set)
A horse drawn hearse bore flowers which spelled out the word ‘Son’ but it was not clear which character has died
The cast gathered at the crematorium to film as part of the production, which has already had a bumpy ride
The pair first co-starred in the 1980 gangster movie The Long Good Friday, and more recently filmed a movie adaptation of Richard Osman’s bestseller The Thursday Murder Club.
Venom star Hardy is executive producer of Fixer, with episodes directed by gangster specialist Ritchie, known for films such as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and the current Netflix hit The Gentlemen.
The production has already had a bumpy ride, including camera equipment being stolen in November. Two men in a Toyota Prius distracted the crew by asking for directions before speeding off with the expensive kit.
Then in December, Hardy offered to pay the wages of 50 freelance set builders after the construction company hired for the job, Helix 3D, went into liquidation. After he stepped in, Paramount resolved the situation.
Meanwhile, Dame Helen narrowly missed losing her £12 million home in the wildfires that have been engulfing Los Angeles.
