Dame Helen Mirren slams Hollywood for casting Britons as villains

British actress Dame Helen Mirren has lashed out at Hollywood directors for casting British actors as villains.

The 64-year-old Academy award winner suggested a wider range of roles would help Americans learn that Britons aren't 'just the royal family'.

She also said that her British colleagues were an 'easy target.'

''I think it's rather unfortunate that the villain in every movie is always British; we're such an easy target that they can comfortably make the Brits the villains. It's just nice to say we're not snooty, stuck up, malevolent, malignant creatures as we're so often portrayed. We're actually kind of cool and hip," the Telegraph quoted Mirren as saying during an event in Los Angeles celebrating British success in Hollywood.
 
''It's very important to let Americans know that we're not just the royal family, there's a lot more to us than that," Mirren added.