Dame Helen Mirren joined The Duke to work with Jim Broadbent

Dame Helen Mirren was drawn to 'The Duke' as she has always wanted to work with Jim Broadbent.

The 76-year-old actress plays Dorothy Bunton in the new comedy-drama and reveals that the presence of Jim as her on-screen husband - as well as the opportunity to work with the late director Roger Michell - was the driving force behind her joining the cast of the film.

Helen told BANG Showbiz at the UK premiere of 'The Duke' on Tuesday night (08.02.22): "It was funny, it was moving, it was unexpected. It was a lovely piece of writing, really, really lovely.

"It was a character I just wanted to play, and I wanted to work with Jim, and I wanted to work with Roger, so it all came together for me."

The movie tells the story of Kempton Bunton (Broadbent) as he finds himself on trial for the theft of Goya's portrait of the Duke of Wellington from London's National Gallery and Helen revealed that she would share her character's fear if she found herself in a similar situation with the stolen artwork.

Asked how she would react, the Oscar-winning star said: "I suspect very similar to Dorothy, I think I would have been shaking like she was, with the shock of it all.

"I think I would have wrapped it up and got on the bus and taken it straight back and put it somewhere safe."