Helen Mirren claims she does not have a story of sexual harassment in Hollywood. But in life, in general? Well, she has many.
The #MeToo movement has encouraged many women working in Hollywood to come forward about their experiences with sexual misconduct. Mirren, who will next star in the horror film Winchester, is English, and did not start her career in Los Angeles like many of her peers had.
However, as she reminded Willie Geist during an interview with Sunday Today, sexual harassment is not a problem that comes with being a woman in Hollywood — it's simply one that comes with being a woman.
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She told Geist during their interview:
"I have never experienced [sexual harassment]…in Hollywood. Because [when] I came to Hollywood, I was in my 30s. I was too old. It doesn’t happen to you unless you’re very young."
She added:
"When I was between 16 and 23, 24 — men would expose themselves to me often, I would say about once a week…on the subway, on the tube, on the bus, walking down a road and it was like, ugh…. It’s not like you’re gonna go, 'Oh my god, that’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.' It’s the opposite. It's horror."
It's worth mentioning that women of all ages can be subjected to sexual misconduct. Still, Mirren makes an important point about where, and how, harassment happens. It's not only in hotel rooms of the Four Seasons, with major Hollywood producers. It can be as simple as a man making a lewd comment on the subway, or exposing himself without consent.
Mirren previously opened up about a way women can take some of their power back. In an interview with Refinery29 in December of 2016, Mirren revealed her one big piece of advice for young women:
"Work toward financial independence, if that's possible, because it gives you a freedom," Mirren told Refinery29's Arianna Davis. "It's a difficult thing to do, I know, but save your own money. I think that's very important."