For the vast majority of the population, if we never hear the word ” coronavirus ” again — it will be too soon. The past three years have brought an unprecedented toll on the world, the effects of which will likely be felt for generations to come.
However, that isn’t to say that it’s all been doom and gloom. According to actress Dame Helen Mirren , COVID-19 allowed her to slow down and actually have dinner with her husband on a nightly basis — something that she hadn’t done in nearly 30 years .
For the past two-plus years, the world has been at the mercy of the COVID-19 virus.
Ever since lockdown restrictions were first implemented back in March of 2020 , COVID-19 has been at the absolute forefront of the news all across the globe.
It’s changed the way we think as well as the way we act with one another.
For the first time in modern history, human beings had to think twice about something as natural as hugging the ones that they love. It’s made us more frightful, less empathetic, and far more impatient.
However, as is true in any given situation, there’s always a silver lining to be found.
It goes without saying that nobody would’ve opted to participate in a global pandemic, given the choice. However, COVID-19 has undoubtedly made us appreciate the little things in life — at a much greater capacity than ever before.
Such is certainly the case for actress Dame Helen Mirren.
During a recent appearance on The Graham Norton Show , Helen revealed that although COVID-19 has been frustrating and trying at times, there was also some undeniable good that came out of it.
Helen explained to Graham that the lockdown allowed her to become reacquainted with her husband.
Helen is married to director Taylor Hackford ; the former President of the Director’s Guild of America. The couple has been happily married since saying “I do” back in 1997, but given their respective busy schedules don’t see each other as often as they’d like.
Once the lockdown restrictions became our new normal, all of that changed.
“For the first time in 30 odd years of marriage we sat at the table opposite each other and had dinner together every night for six months – it was fantastic, brilliant,” Helen said .
Helen also made sure to mention that on certain nights, she and Taylor would have “visitors” come calling.
However, these “visitors” were most definitely the uninvited kind. It wasn’t friends or family that came knocking on Helen’s door, it was a bear!
“There are lots of wild animals around there; lovely to sit and watch this beautiful wildlife happening in the Sierra Nevada,” Helen said.
Host Graham Norton directs the audience’s attention to a video screen and begins to play a homemade video (shot on Taylor’s cellphone) that shows a curious black bear making its way up their deck toward the house.
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Although you can’t see her in the shot, Helen can be heard scolding the bear while loudly knocking on the glass door.
Most people would be rightfully terrified to see a giant man-eating animal perusing through their backyard, but not Helen Mirren. Clearly, she isn’t afraid of anything.
Not only does Helen stand her ground, she outright challenges the magnificent beast.
Without pause or hesitation, Helen fearlessly unlocks the sliding glass door and begins yelling at the bear. “Go! Go on, bear!” she yells from the doorway. “Naughty bear !”
Realizing that it wandered into the wrong territory, the bear obeys Helen’s commands and runs off into the woods.
Listening to Helen Mirren scolding a bear in the same manner in which a mother disciplines a child is enough to send anyone into a fit of laughter. Clearly, Helen Mirren is the alpha here — and fears neither man nor beast.
