Helen Mirren

Mirren in 2007, cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com

Birth Name: Helen Lydia Mironoff

Place of Birth: Hammersmith, London, England, U.K.

Date of Birth: 26 July, 1945

Ethnicity:
*Russian (father)
*English (mother)

Helen Mirren is a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Queen (2006). She is also known for her roles on television’s Prime Suspect, Elizabeth I, and Catherine the Great, in the films The Long Good Friday, Excalibur (1981), Cal, 2010: The Year We Make Contact, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover; The Madness of King George, Teaching Mrs. Tingle, Gosford Park, Calendar Girls, The Last Station, Red, and its sequel; The Tempest (2010), The Debt, Hitchcock (2012), The Hundred-Foot Journey, Woman in Gold, Trumbo, Eye in the Sky, The Leisure Seeker, The Fast and the Furious sequels, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and Golda; and for considerable work on stage. She is said to be the only actress who has played both queens Elizabeth I and Elizabeth II on screen.

Helen is the daughter of Kathleen Alexandrina Eva Matilda (Rogers) and Vasiliy Petrovich Mironov, later known as Basil Mironoff. Her father was of Russian descent, and was a viola player with the London Philharmonic Orchesta, as well as a cab driver, driving-test examiner, and civil servant. Her mother was English. Helen was raised in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. She is married to American director Taylor Hackford.

Helen’s paternal grandfather was a Russian arms dealer who went to England to buy arms for use in WWI. However, he could not go back to Russia due to the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, and stayed in London with his family. He subsequently worked as a taxi driver. Helen’s father grew up in England.

Helen has evidently stated that her mother had Romani ancestry. It is not clear if this claim has been verified/documented.

Helen’s paternal cousin was actress and model Tania Mallet.

Helen’s paternal grandfather was Pyotr Vasilievich Mironov (the son of Vasily Mironov and Countess Lidia/Lydia Andreevna Kamenskaya). Pyotr was born in the Russan Empire. Countess Lidia was the daughter of Count Andrey/Andrei Sergeyevich Kamensky and Lubov Fedorovna/Federovna Nadervil. Helen’s great-great-grandfather Count Andrey was the son of Sergey/Sergei Mikhailovich Kamensky and Ekaterina Fedorovna/Federovna Levshina. Sergey was the son of Mikhail Fedotovich Kamensky and Anna Pavlovna Scherbatova. Mikhail Kamensky (1738 – 1809), Helen’s great-great-great-great-grandfather, was a Field Marshal and a member of the Russian nobility, who fought in the Napoleonic campaigns and Catherinian wars.

Helen’s paternal grandmother was named Maria/Mary “Marusia”/”Maroussia” Sinchugova/Sinchougova/Sinchougoff.

Helen’s maternal grandfather was Arthur Rogers (the son of Henry Rogers and Matilda Bayley). Arthur was born in Clerkenwell, London, and was said to have been a butcher for Queen Victoria. Henry was the son of James Rogers and Hannah. Matilda was the daughter of William Bayley and Matilda Yates.

Helen’s maternal grandmother was Elizabeth Sarah Jones (the daughter of Samuel Radford Jones and Harriett Goddard). Elizabeth was born in Westminster, London. Samuel was the son of Thomas Jones and Elizabeth. Harriett was the daughter of James Goddard and Harriett/Harriott/Harriot Colyer.

Sources: Family history of Helen Mirren – http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Genealogy of Helen Mirren – https://www.familysearch.org

Genealogy of Helen Mirren (focusing on her father’s side) – https://www.geni.com

Daily Mail article about Helen’s Russian ancestry – http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Biography of Helen Mirren, that mentions her possible Romani ancestry – http://news.bbc.co.uk

Birth record of Helen’s mother – https://www.familysearch.org

Helen’s mother on the 1911 England and Wales Census – https://www.familysearch.org