Helen Mirren Gives Kudos to Jane Fonda for Her Bold Perspective on Life (Exclusive)

Helen Mirren is presenting flowers to a woman who holds a special place in her heart.

“One of my Women of Worth is actually another L’Oréal ambassador, and that’s Jane Fonda,” Mirren, 80, shared exclusively with Us Weekly during the L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth Celebration on December 2 in Los Angeles. “I’ve always reflected on what a truly remarkable life she’s led, filled with diverse experiences. She embodies energy, commitment, [courage], radicalism, and controversy, yet is always dedicated to life. She’s certainly one of my Women of Worth.”

L’Oréal Paris marked the 20th anniversary of the Women of Worth program with a star-studded event at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. This year’s celebration honored 10 Women of Worth and highlighted two decades of female innovators and leaders from across the nation.

The 2025 honorees included: Yasmine Arrington Brooks, Amy Bowers Cordalis, Mizpah Brown-Rich, Keely Cat-Wells, Sloane Davidson, Lynne B Hughes, Anita Ravi, Cristina Rodriguez, Gloria Umanah, and Olivia Zhang.

Other prominent L’Oréal Paris global ambassadors present included Andie MacDowell, Kendall Jenner, Aja Naomi King, Gillian Anderson, Ariana Greenblatt, and Heidi Klum.

Mirren, with a career spanning over sixty years, openly confessed to Us that she also struggles with confidence, but uses a well-known psychological tactic to navigate it.

“I don’t possess confidence. I genuinely have no confidence at all. But I act like I do,” Mirren explained to Us. “It’s always been like that for me. It’s essentially just a performance.”

“Acting is effective. Pretending works. The phrase ‘fake it till you make it’ is truly valid,” she added.

Mirren is set to star in Kate Winslet’s directorial debut, Goodbye June, which will be released in select theaters on Friday, December 12, and will stream on Netflix starting Christmas Eve. The holiday drama was penned by Winslet’s and director Sam Mendes’ son, Joe Anders, and features the Titanic actress, 50, alongside Toni Collette, Andrea Riseborough, and Johnny Flynn as the four estranged adult children of Mirren’s character, June, who is battling terminal cancer.

The siblings are required to address their past issues and conflicts to support their ailing mother in her final days.

Winslet and Anders, 21, attended the December 3 red carpet premiere of Goodbye June in London.

“Joe had crafted a script during a screenwriting course he was fortunate enough to join,” Winslet mentioned to Hello! Magazine at the screening. “At the conclusion of the course, he approached me, saying, ‘I’ve written this piece, and it might be [explicit], but could you take a look?’ I read it and realized it was certainly not [explicit] and could definitely make for a film.”

Winslet quickly recognized her interest in directing the film, which would mark her directorial debut.

“I found myself experiencing a moment of realization, having dedicated much of my life to advocating for and uplifting other women in male-dominated arenas,” she shared with Hello! Magazine. “I had a moment where I thought, ‘Who am I if I’m not actively trying to change the culture?’ So, in my 50s, I took that step!”