Helen Mirren shared an agreement she had made with Kate Winslet before accepting her role on upcoming Netflix film, Goodbye June.
Before Ms Winslet even sent the script for the upcoming Netflix film Goodbye June, she reached out to Helen Mirren directly to discuss the project.
Ms Mirren agreed to consider the material but laid down two firm conditions beforehand.
The acclaimed actress made clear she would not portray any character suffering from dementia.
Her second stipulation was equally definitive: she refused to take on roles depicting someone who was dying.
These were non-negotiable boundaries Ms Mirren had established for herself regarding the types of parts she would accept.
Ms Winslet and director Joe Anders had always envisioned Ms Mirren as their sole choice for the central role of June, the family matriarch at the heart of the Christmas-set drama.
Despite these firmly held principles, the screenplay's exceptional quality ultimately persuaded Mirren to set aside her own restrictions.
She accepted the part of June, a quick-witted mother who manages her decline with sharp humour, unflinching honesty, and deep affection for her family.
The character spends a significant portion of the film confined to her hospital room, with relatives visiting in an attempt to bring her comfort during what appear to be her final weeks.
The story unfolds against a pre-Christmas backdrop, following four grown-up siblings and their frustrating father as they grapple with chaotic family dynamics while facing the prospect of losing their mother.
June remains the emotional anchor throughout, orchestrating events on her own terms even as her health deteriorates.
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Winslet has spoken about the immense faith required for an actress to appear so physically diminished and unwell on screen, as Mirren does throughout the production.
"It takes a huge amount of trust in a director for an actress to look so broken down and sickly, the way Helen does in the film," she said.
The director chose to capture many of their scenes using extreme close-up shots, particularly as the narrative progresses towards its conclusion.
"I shot her in extreme close-up in many of our scenes, especially in the latter part of the story as the audience inches closer to the end with her," Ms Winslet added.
Ms Mirren's portrayal left a profound impact on her fellow performers.
"She brings a truth to mortality," said Toni Collette, the Australian actress who plays Helen, one of June's four children.
Timothy Spall was brought on board to portray Bernie, June's devoted husband of many years.
The actor's history with Ms Winslet stretches back decades, to when she was just 19 and performing as Ophelia in Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet, where Spall took on the role of Rosencrantz.
Like numerous other cast members, Mr Spall found himself overwhelmed by Anders' writing.
"The beauty of the script is the characters all have a journey of self-discovery," he says. "It's cathartic. Joe is a God-given gift. He understands that truth is a mixture of tragic and comic."
Bernie shares a deeply loving marriage with June, yet struggles profoundly to articulate his emotions around loss.
His inability to confront the devastating reality of losing her manifests in spiralling behaviour, including inappropriate jokes and watching football while drinking beer in her hospital room.