Helen Mirren Explains Why She Hesitated to Play a Dying Woman in 'Goodbye June'

Helen Mirren has portrayed death on screen many times over the years, but 'Goodbye June' presented a challenge she wasn't entirely comfortable with.

According to director Kate Winslet, Mirren was uneasy about how her character's story would end and initially didn't want to take on the role at all. In the end, she agreed mainly to support Winslet, who was making her feature film directorial debut and also stars in the movie as one of Mirren's daughters.

About 'Goodbye June'

'Goodbye June,' now streaming on Netflix, is written by Winslet's son Joe Anders. The film follows June, a woman who learns that her cancer has returned and is terminal. With only weeks left to live and Christmas approaching, her family gathers to spend her final days together. The group includes her four grown children, their own complicated relationships, her grandchildren, and her husband Bernie, played by Timothy Spall.

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Helen Mirren's Dilemma in Playing a Dying Woman in 'Goodbye June'

Winslet shared that Helen Mirren has a personal rule against playing characters with dementia or cancer, but she made an exception for this film. Even so, Mirren preferred not to talk in detail about the illness while filming. Instead, she focused on the work day by day, sometimes voicing her discomfort before quickly shifting into performance mode once filming began.

To make the experience easier for Helen Mirren and the rest of the cast, Kate Winslet went out of her way to create a calm, distraction-free set. She avoided over-directing and removed as much visible equipment and crew as possible. Microphones were hidden, camera crews stayed out of sight, and actors weren't forced to hit marks. This approach allowed scenes—especially those involving children—to feel more natural and spontaneous.

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In some moments, Winslet even had the entire crew leave the room while cameras quietly rolled, giving the actors privacy to play out scenes on their own. She says this created a strong sense of realism and intimacy that deeply affected the performances.

While June's children struggle openly with her declining health, Bernie copes by avoiding the reality of the situation, spending time at the pub or watching football. One of the film's most emotional moments comes when he's seen singing a version of Ray Charles' Georgia at a bar, changing the lyrics to honour his wife.

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Winslet admits that this scene was the hardest for her to watch during editing, as it revealed just how much grief Bernie had been hiding from everyone, including himself.

For Winslet, 'Goodbye June' became not just a story about loss, but also about trust, vulnerability, and creating a safe space for actors to deliver deeply honest performances.

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