Apart from certain flaws which brought the sequel to 2019’s Shazam down, Helen Mirren’s Hespera was easily one of the biggest positives in the movie. As expected, the Oscar winner didn’t fail to deliver another exceptional performance and was able to bring another dimension to the character of Hespera.
However, playing the role of the eldest daughter of Atlas didn’t come off easy for the actress and brought its own sets of challenges. Despite the difficulties, the actress was able to overcome most of the action sequences on her own, though ultimately wasn’t able to avoid an injury in the process.
Helen Mirren didn’t let an injury best of her while filming Shazam! Fury of the Gods
During her time in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Helen Mirren didn’t back away from pulling her weight in certain action sequences. Despite being 77 years old, The Queen actress chose to perform several action sequences that led to her sustaining an injury in her left pinky finger. However, Mirren shared that she didn’t let the pain get the best of her and shared that she didn’t want to whine about her injury because she wanted to be a real stuntperson. She said.
“I broke it on one of the stunts, but I was incredibly brave, and I didn’t say anything because I wanted to be a real stuntperson … So I didn’t complain.”
The actress also clarified that she wasn’t able to perform every one of her stunts and didn’t back away from showcasing her extreme admiration for the work of the stunt performers. Mirren stated,
“When you’re in that stunt world, the stunt people are so brave, and you want to be accepted by them. I’m sucking up to the stunt people…I wanted to be accepted by them so I was not going to complain about my finger.”
And following her extreme dedication to the role, the actress was successful in keeping her injury a secret, as the lead of the movie, Zachary Levi revealed that he had no idea about the situation.
Zachary Levi was left in awe after witnessing Helen Mirren’s dedication
Following his transparency with the fans, Zachary Levi revealed that he wasn’t aware of Helen Mirren’s injury during their time on Shazam! Fury of the Gods. The Shazam! actor explained that he was left in awe by the dedication of the 1923 star and didn’t shy away from showcasing his admiration for the actress. He said,
“I had no idea, but she’s such a trouper. She was so there and present and rolling up her sleeves, like, ‘How can we go have fun? How can we do this?’ She’s everything. Such an icon.”
Despite the actress’ exceptional performance in the sequel, it wasn’t enough to ensure the movie’s success and the movie hasn’t been able to garner substantial numbers at the box office.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is currently running in theatres.
Source: The Graham Norton Show
