Helen Mirren pays tribute to the late Margaret Tyzack

“I have just heard that the acting profession has lost one of its finest, Margaret Tyzack, known as Maggie to all her fellow actors.

I began my career on television with Maggie, playing to her Cousin Bette. Then a whole lifetime and many roles later, both hers and mine, we played together onstage in Phedre. It was as if no time had passed. Maggie was still the kind, indomitable, funny, wry, generous person she was in 1971. I had admired her and learnt from her in 1971, and when 2009 came around, I was still admiring and learning from her.

Her attitude to her work was always instinctive, sensible and unfussy. As we say, she just got on with it, but with such understated brilliance. There was always the feeling of a volcano beneath the surface, a fierce intelligence. She was also immense fun to be around, very hard working with always a great ironic sense of humour.

She was supportive to her fellow actors, whether they were experienced or the ignorant green thing I was in 1971. She watched, encouraged and led by example.

We will all miss her very much.”

via Helen Mirren's Official Website

Gramilano( Editor )

Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.

His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.