Helen Mirren did not hold back her feelings about the individuals in Hollywood who don’t embrace feminism

More and more female celebrities are opening up about the experience of being a woman in entertainment. Recently, Helen Mirren talked about women in media and true to form, she didn’t hold back at all. It’s kind of stunning to think about how even a woman who is as universally known and widely successful as Helen Mirren experiences discrimination in her work life — it’s not shocking given how comment reports of poor treatment or pay disparity for women are, but somehow we imagined Helen Mirren’s life to be as perfect as she usually is.

She started off by noting how things have changed over the course of her career, and for the better. (Hooray!)

"There is a pressure mounting behind a dam, and I hope that that dam is finally bursting in terms of women directors and women-led dramas. When I first did Prime Suspect they were not at all sure that a female-led drama would be acceptable to the public. So that’s how much things have changed since we first began Prime Suspect. It’s changed hugely.

Unfortunately, not everybody is on board with the pushes for equality that are happening. Like pushing for equality on any other front, there are always people who are wary of the change, and who unfortunately lack the empathy to see why it’s necessary.

“I think it’s becoming embarrassing to turn someone down because they’re female. The mind-set has changed. Unfortunately, there are dinosaurs, and there are some dinosaurs that are 50 instead of 80. A lot of males over the age of 50 are locked in a past world really, and we just have to let them pass through the system and get them out the other end, if you like, for things to really change. That’s a very generalized statement, so maybe I should stop right there.

#Sorrynotsorry, but we have to agree with our girl Helen on this one. We’ve gotta get those dinosaurs outta there.