Helen Mirren Dismisses Donald Trump: ‘Enormous Body, Small Head’
Helen Mirren is no fan of Donald Trump. The Oscar-winning actress said that the Republican presidential nominee is part of a generation of misogynists that is nearing its expiration date, while expressing hope that younger women will have more opportunities than she did when she was beginning her career in the 1960’s.
“It’s dinosaurs,” Mirren said at a New York luncheon for her film “Eye in the Sky.” “I think they’re dying out, honestly. I think there are a few old dinosaurs left and I think that Mr. Trump is one of them.”
During a question and answer session moderated by former New Yorker editor Tina Brown, Mirren poked fun at Trump’s physique, dismissing him as having an “enormous body, small head,” and noting that he had, “dinosaur-y hands.” Mirren’s comments came the day after she appeared at a Broadway fundraiser for Hillary Clinton, during which she recited a speech by Eleanor Roosevelt.
In “Eye in the Sky,” Mirren plays a seasoned military officer debating whether or not to launch a drone strike. It was a role that was originally written for a man until director Gavin Hood decided that Mirren had the bearing and commanding screen presence to nail the part. Mirren believes that the gender shift is evidence of a “groundswell” of opportunities for women both in front of and behind the camera.
“Ten years ago, I don’t think I would have been cast in this movie,” said Mirren, adding, “To me what is the most exciting is to see women arriving behind-the-camera. Not just as great directors…but cinematographers, boom operators, in the electrics department. In all of the departments, suddenly you see one or two or three women on the set. That is the real change. That’s huge.”
Trump has attracted a wave of blistering media coverage after a tape leaked showing the real estate developer and politician making light of sexual assault with “Access Hollywood” host Billy Bush. In the past, Trump has said disparaging remarks about the likes of Rosie O’Donnell, Megyn Kelly, and “Miss Universe” winner Alicia Machado, that many people found sexist. Despite the controversy surrounding the Republican standard bearer, Mirren chose to be optimistic.
“I believe in the young, and I certainly believe in young women,” said Mirren. “I think young women are entering into a very different world to the world I entered in.”
“I think the dinosaurs will die out,” she added.
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