Helen Mirren takes on Hebrew

Academy Award-winning actress Helen Mirren is immersed in language classes and Israeli history.

Helen Mirren 88 248 (photo credit: )
Helen Mirren 88 248
(photo credit: )
Academy Award-winning actress Helen Mirren is adding another talent to her already formidable list - Hebrew. According to Internet gossip sites, the 63-year-old actress has been holed up in Israel recently learning Hebrew for her latest role as an Israeli spy in The Debt, a remake of the 2007 Israeli film Hahov. Mirren, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Britain's Queen Elizabeth in the 2006 film The Queen, was also said to be researching Israeli history, Nazism and the Mossad. "Helen has spent past six weeks reading the history of Israel, Mossad and the life and times of Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal and she's learning Hebrew, too. She's really taking this seriously and she's totally immersed herself into the way of life over there," a number of sites quoted a source as saying. Miramax acquired worldwide rights last year to The Debt, about three Israeli Mossad agents tracking down a Nazi war criminal over 30 years. The original film was directed by Assaf Bernstein and starred Gila Almagor. The remake is directed by John Madden.