She may not seem like the most natural of casting choices for the new Fast 8 sequel, but Dame Helen Mirren is once again letting it be known that she would love to join the Fast and Furious family. According to the latest gossip news updates, the Elizabeth actress isn't attracted to Furious 7's billion-plus gross or even the high-end sports cars. Mirren made it plain as pudding earlier this week on Late Night with Seth Myers that she's interested in spending some time with Paul Walker's bestie, Vin Diesel. While the 69-year-old Hollywood icon knows that chances are slim that Vin will wind up playing the role of her onset boyfriend, she's been intrigued by the Riddick action star ever since watching him give a witty speech several years ago.
Back when director James Wan was still adding stars like Kurt Russell and Iggy Azalea to the Furious 7 cast lineup, Dame Helen Mirren let it be known that she was pretty interested in joining the crew but didn't really get into her real reason for wanting a part until now.
During a recent chat with Seth Meyers earlier this week, Mirren explained that she wants on Fast 8 so she can get next to Hollywood muscle man, Vin Diesel.
The Dame explained to Jimmy Fallon's Late Night successor that she doesn't really know Diesel personally, but Ellen's pretty much been enamored from afar for the past few years (via People):
"Well...I mean, I am a huge fan of Vin Diesel.
"It came from me watching him make a speech once at some ceremony, and he was so smart and so funny and so cool.
"And I just sort of fell a little bit in love with him right there and then."
That being said -- Mirren doesn't really see any reason she couldn't be cast as one of the breakneck drivers, instead of taking the easy way out playing some aging G-man the way Kurt Russell did:
"I love doing my own stunt driving.
"And I did drive my own Land Rover as the queen...it was kind of stunt driving.
"I had to get stuck in a river and I did that all myself.
"[And] I got a very good time on Top Gear."
While it's, of course, hard to say whether or not Helen will ever be considered for the new movie or not, it couldn't be clearer that the franchise definitely doesn't need to add any more celebrities to the already heavily stocked ranks.
According to Forbes, the new Fast film is well on its way to becoming one of the most successful movies of all time after having already sailed past the billion dollar mark in record time:
"With $298.83 million as of Tuesday, Universal/Comcast Corp.'s Furious 7 will be passing the $300 million domestic mark at the box office either today or super-duper early tomorrow.
"This almost seems like a point of mere trivia considering that it crossed $1 billion last Friday and is now making a run at being one of the very highest-grossing films of all time worldwide.
"It may end up out grossing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part II ($1.3 billion) to become the biggest film not directed by James Cameron or Joss Whedon."
Well...it's not like they can't afford to pay her either.
