Helen Mirren's intriguing sexuality

May 19, 2010, 16:56 GMT

Dame Helen Mirren finds sexuality "intriguing".

The Oscar-winning actress visited a brothel to prepare for her role as a brothel owner in new movie 'Love Ranch' and found the experience fascinating as she hadn't realised quite how powerful prostitutes could be.

She said: "I do think sexuality is intriguing. I mean, I have my own hang-ups and embarrassments and I didn't want to go in a brothel at all. But once I was in there, it kind of appealed to me because it's a very female world, a very female-centric world, not a male-centric world.

"You think the men are the kings - but not at all. The men are all shy and awkward and drunk. And the women are all-powerful."

The 64-year-old star - who made her first on-screen collaboration in 26 years with her director husband Taylor Hackford in the movie - claimed it was "fascinating" to see how prostitutes dealt with their sexuality without any hang-ups about their bodies. She explained to the Toronto Sun newspaper: "It's fascinating to spend some time with people whose business it is. They don't have any of those problems. They don't have any of those conflicts. They accept it. They accept it absolutely for what it is: It is a need, it is a desire, it is a passion and it is a ritual."