by dorothy snarker

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Helen Mirren brings sexy back to 60

Helen Mirren is sexy. This isn't my opinion; this is empirical fact. It's just one of life's great truths. It's like the rise and fall of the tide every day — dependable yet still, somehow, magical. What's that? Evidence? You demand proof? Behold, Helen and her itsy, bitsy, teenie weenie. Sure, it's not a yellow polka-dot one, but it is unmistakably a bikini. And, wow, is it ever sexy.

Earlier this month, shots of the newly 63-year-old star rocking her bikini bod while on vacation in Italy caused quite a stir in the British press and beyond. But for anyone paying attention, this is nothing new. Helen has always been a hottie. She was even officially deemed one by you in the inaugural AfterEllen.com Hot 100 list (No. 31 in 2007, shamefully absent in 2008 — hint, hint for 2009).

These days along with inspiring legions of women decades younger than her to do more crunches, Helen is helping to bring the concept of "sexyback" to a whole generation of women who our youth-obsessed culture has unfairly put to pasture. Male actors in their 60s and beyond are still routinely considered desirable leading men. Take Robert De Niro (64), Harrison Ford (66), Al Pacino (68) and Jack Nicholson (71).

But female actors are too often given an artificial, not to mention ridiculously premature, expiration date for their attractiveness. But, guess what: We're all going to get older. Time spares no one. So it's nice to have role models in graceful and downright sexy aging to look up to like Helen.

Of course, Helen isn't the only one. A look at some of the sauciest 60-somethings out there: Susan Sarandon (61), Candice Bergen (62), Charlotte Rampling (62), Diane Keaton (62), Jacqueline Bisset (63) and Catherine Deneuve (64).

(Sidenote: You can take everything I just said about Helen and insert Tina Turner's name and it would still hold true in spades. Oh, by the way, she is 68. Age ain't nothing but a number, baby.)

dorothy snarker's blog

Submitted by

Dorothy Snarker

on July 28, 2008 - 9:00am.

TAGS ::

Helen is a total fox. I

Submitted by

Through_the_Rye (109 posts)

on July 28, 2008 - 9:01am.

Helen is a total fox. I love older women.

I thought that since we did a AE hot list of women of color, we should have also done a list of women over 50. One that preferrably includes the fabulous women you listed and Meryl Streep.

oooh Meryl Streep. SHE is a

Submitted by

Julie (32 posts)

on July 28, 2008 - 1:11pm.

oooh Meryl Streep. SHE is a fox! Mama Mia, anyone? I could barely stand it!

Mamma Mia!

Submitted by

shmilers (21 posts)

on July 28, 2008 - 4:11pm.

Mamma Mia indeed! she looked amazing and made the movie oh so much better :D

MAMMA MIA

Submitted by

Warmspirit (1 post)

on July 30, 2008 - 2:21pm.

I do have to agree with you as Meryl Streep was awesome in MAMMA MIA and her voice was like she had sung all her life, magnificient. This coming Oscar season I do hope that Meryl Streep will be in the categories for the Globe, Sag and the Oscars. She deserves it as this was the picture of the year. :)

Hot over 50s

Submitted by

the linster (543 posts)

on July 28, 2008 - 6:48pm.

Actually, we do have a post about hot women over 50. :)

Wow!

Submitted by

Libra (45 posts)

on July 28, 2008 - 9:09am.

She must be natural right! I guess she haven't done anything to her body! That's great! I wonder how much she works out though! Isn't she more beautiful than being skinny and starving! She looks like a real woman! Oh and I think Hillary Clinton is a good example too and she is 60 natural, and powerful.

I saw the pic of Helen in

Submitted by

Sportylady (352 posts)

on July 28, 2008 - 9:12am.

I saw the pic of Helen in the recent issue of People. My jaw hit the ground when I saw her in the bikini. She looks amazing (no surprise) but wow, anyone would kill for that figure.

sexy life long

Submitted by

7Up (396 posts)

on July 28, 2008 - 9:37am.

Charlotte Rampling!!! sexy!!!!!

Smokin hot!

Submitted by

snowgirl41 (78 posts)

on July 28, 2008 - 9:56am.

I was just talking about this with my friends this weekend. She is HOT! I just hope to look that good at 62!

Snowgirl41

"Every person in the world has a purpose for being here—a calling".

Aw

Submitted by

Amylin (194 posts)

on July 28, 2008 - 10:19am.

I had seen those pics already and i was "wowed"... her and Charlotte Rampling are my favorite ladies over 60. I would take Susan Sarandon too...

It's unbelievable to be that way at that age! No plastic surgery? really? If so, i wanna know their secret so that i can be hot at 60 myself when i get there!

Right on, baby!

Submitted by

HotHandle (170 posts)

on July 28, 2008 - 11:22am.

Just think how hot Jennifer Beals (44) and Mary-Louise Parker will be in their 50s and 60s. I am glad that women like Meryl Streep and Helen Mirren are aging gracefully and naturally. They are a shining example to us all in this youth-obsessed culture. They are also a personal inspiration to me; at 48, I am not looking forward to my fifties. However, if I continue to diet and work out, I might not look too bad. :-)

inspiration for this old fart...

Submitted by

~wicked~ (44 posts)

on July 28, 2008 - 12:59pm.

i absolutely LOVE all these women AE has graciously shown us...oh my....what an inspiration these women are for me....maybe i can slightly look that great in another 12 years? only time will tell ;-)

www.myspace/fuqdmeover

hehe

Submitted by

Fires (30 posts)

on July 28, 2008 - 3:32pm.

she is definitely hot :]

shes only 56 but...

Submitted by

jessie85 (11 posts)

on July 28, 2008 - 4:32pm.

Mary McDonnell and her legs. enough said.

43 years difference...

Submitted by

-amykins- (4 posts)

on July 28, 2008 - 5:13pm.

... but I'd like to think were I ever to meet Helen the chemistry would cause her to put aside the age gap and run away with me. Oh and same goes for Meryl Streep. I saw Mamma Mia last week and sat through it biting my lip haha.

Mary McDonnell

Submitted by

Sub.Textual (64 posts)

on July 28, 2008 - 5:26pm.

Is the main reason I watch Battlestar Galactica. I have had a crush on her for years. :)

I'm 25...

Submitted by

monica_ca (101 posts)

on July 28, 2008 - 8:30pm.

and I'd kill to look that good in a bikini NOW, let alone at 60+

World's sexiest women

Submitted by

zephyr (436 posts)

on July 28, 2008 - 8:50pm.

She looks incredible in that bikini. Isn't she a sex symbol in Europe? In any case Helen Mirren would definitely be on my list of world's sexiest women. There's something incredibly alluring about a mature woman who not only looks good in a bathing suit, but displays intelligence and confidence.

omg.

Submitted by

Katherine (185 posts)

on July 29, 2008 - 12:32am.

drool.

there goes my arbitrary "no lusting after women older than my mother" rule. HELLO NO MORALS! :P

omg, inbd

sad but true

Submitted by

tenpoundpom (1 post)

on July 29, 2008 - 2:45am.

Helen Mirren has the dubious honour of being the the first woman that my dad and I lusted after at the same time!! I think it's fair to say that we both have great taste in women......