Helen Mirren 'nearly quit acting'

Helen Mirren has confessed that she almost gave up acting after losing out on several top roles to more famous women.

The Oscar winner admitted that retirement was on her mind before husband Taylor Hackford talked her around.

She said: "There was a time when I felt like giving up on my career because all the decent roles were given to Hollywood actresses with bigger profiles than me.

"I started crying and told Taylor my difficulties. He just took me aside and said, 'Don't worry. We're only this far along in our life together and still have all that time to go. Some will be hard and some will be easy, but we'll make it.'

"I think that was the moment I finally fell in love with him."

Mirren, who met Hackford on the set of 1985's White Nights, admitted that she was initially unsure about her future husband.

She said: "It was certainly not love at first sight and I would have taken a hefty bet against it if someone had said that this was the man I would spend the rest of my life with."