Helen Mirren is known for her talents, being one of the most acclaimed actors in the industry, with a variety of roles under her belt spanning a wide range of genres. Her credits include prestigious films like The Queen — which saw her win multiple major awards, including an Oscar for Best Actress — and various dramatic roles onstage. One genre she keeps going back to throughout her career is action.

Indeed, Mirren has been tied to several successful action franchises, such as the Fast & Furious and RED franchises. While it may come as a surprise to some, as outlined by Screen Rant, Mirren is big fan of the genre and the creative professionals, from the stuntpeople to the visual effects artists, who work hard to create entertainment. For her, there’s no real difference between starring in Red or in a Shakespeare play. As such, here’s a ranking of her best action movies.

7 National Treasure: Book of Secrets

     Walt Disney Pictures

National Treasure: Book of Secrets was released in 2007 and was directed by Jon Turteltaub. It’s a sequel film to the 2004 film National Treasure and the second overall film in the franchise. The film stars Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel, Ed Harris, and Bruce Greenwood. The film focuses on Ben Gates (Cage) and his father Patrick (Voight) after they are shocked by claims that their ancestor was a conspirator in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Helen Mirren stars as Dr. Emily Appleton-Gates, a professor of Native American Studies and Ben’s mother, who has divorced Patrick. It’s a different kind of performance for her and one that she succeeds in.

6 Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

     Universal Pictures

Helen Mirren lent her talents to the Fast and Furious franchise when she starred in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, which was released in 2019 and directed by David Leitch, based on a story by Chris Morgan. Set before the events of F9, the film sees Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham reprise their roles from the main series as Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw. The plot follows the unlikely pairing of the titular characters as they team up with Shaw’s sister (played by Vanessa Kirby) to battle a cybernetically enhanced terrorist (Idris Elba) threatening the world with a deadly virus. Mirren stars as Magdalene Shaw, who is a prolific criminal and the mother of Deckard and Hattie.

5 Anna

     Summit Entertainment

Anna was released in 2019 and is an action film produced and directed by Luc Besson. Sasha Luss takes the leading role as a Russian assassin who works for the KGB while constantly looking for a way out and finds an opportunity to do so when the CIA asks her to become a double agent. Mirren stars as Olga, an agent who assists her on her quest, and the pair have great chemistry, which makes for an enjoyable viewing experience.

4 Eye in the Sky

     Entertainment One

2015 saw the release of Eye in the Sky, which was directed by Gavin Hood and written by Guy Hibbert. Helen Mirren stars alongside names like Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman, and Barkhad Abdi in the high-budget military drama. She plays Colonel Katherine Powell, who is a veteran colonel on a mission fighting terrorists in Africa. It’s one of her best performances and shows why Mirren has become a staple in the action genre.

3 RED 2

RED 2 is the sequel film to 2010’s RED, and focuses on former CIA black-ops agent Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) and his old partner, Marvin Boggs (John Malkovich), who are forced out of retirement after assassins track them down. They have to unite against a Cold War weapon known as Nightshade, and Mirren successfully reprises her role as Victoria Winslow.

2 F9

The latest addition to the Fast & Furious franchise is 2021’s F9, which was directed by Justin Lin, based on a screenplay by Daniel Casey. The film focuses on Don Toretto, who is living a peaceful life off the grid. However, he is soon faced with similar challenges in which he has to protect the people he loves. Helen Mirren reprises her role as Queenie Magdalene Ellmanson-Shaw, the mother of Dom’s former enemies Owen, Deckard, and their sister, Hattie, and her talents are a real highlight of the film. As of right now, it’s unconfirmed whether Mirren will return for Fast 10, but, per Digital Spy, the actress has teased that would.

1 RED

In 2010, the original film in the RED franchise was released. The film was directed by Robert Schwentke and featured an ensemble cast. The film was unique to the action genre since it featured a cast of older actors which included. Mirren along with Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman, playing former agents who are coaxed back into action. The film was a box office success and demonstrates Mirren’s success as an action star.