Dame Helen Mirren broke her finger performing her own stunts on Shazam! Fury of the Gods

Mirren, 77, revealed how doing her own stunts came at a cost on the superhero film
Helen Mirren in Shazam! Fury of the Gods
Warner Bros. Picture
Lisa McLoughlin 23 February 2023
The Weekender

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Dame Helen Mirren has revealed she was left with a broken finger on the set of her upcoming superhero movie, Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

The Oscar winner, 77, was adamant she would shoot some of her own stunts in the movie, which is the sequel to 2019’s Shazam!, but it came at a cost.

Speaking on this Friday’s The Graham Norton show, the British star admitted she didn’t complain about her injury at the time in a bid to appear like a “real stunty person”.

She told Norton: “I did some of my own stunts, but I broke my finger.

“I was incredibly brave and didn’t say anything or complain because I wanted to be a real ‘stunty’ person.”

The actress plays the menacing Hespera in the upcoming sequel and admitted she was drawn to the project because she loved the first movie.

Mirren showed off her injury alongside Pedro Pascal
PA

She shared: “I wanted to do it because I loved the first Shazam!. It was sweet and funny. I am not a big superhero type person, but I loved the idea of it and happily signed up for the second one. It is great.”

Despite her love for the film, Mirren joked that she found the storyline a bit hard to understand.

“Don’t ask me about the plot, it’s too complicated!” she laughed. “We are angry goddesses wearing unbelievably heavy costumes.

Dame Helen Mirren - In pictures

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“It was very hot and uncomfortable and in fact Lucy (Liu) said at the end of the first day’s shooting, ‘They are trying to kill us’ in all seriousness.”

Directed by David F. Sandberg, Shazam! Fury Of The Gods also stars Liu, Rachel Zeigler, Zachary Levi, Asher Angel and Djimon Hounsou and is due to be released in the UK in March.

The Graham Norton Show airs on BBC One on Friday, February 24 at 10.40pm

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