Every Best Actress Oscar Movie Winner Of The 21st Century Ranked
11. Helen Mirren - The Queen (2006)
Who should have won: Helen Mirren - The Queen.
Helen Mirren's portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II is a masterclass in restraint, fully exploring the inner-workings of a woman always on display, and forced to compete with tragedy, family dysfunction, and waning popularity.
Never showy but always precise, Mirren's version of the long-reigning British monarch is distant and lonesome, the portrait of a public figure unwilling to lose her grip on her image or her emotions. It's a quiet, internal performance, resilient and unstrained.
Throughout her career, Mirren has always thrived best when playing emotionally incorruptible women with the odds stacked against them, and in that respect The Queen is surely her finest of many impressive achievements.