Dame Helen Mirren is the queen of the 2026 Golden Globes.
The Queen star was recognized for her decades-long film career with the Cecil B. DeMille award at the Golden Eve primetime special, and she made a hilarious NSFW joke about the importance of the recognition she's received from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association over the years while accepting her trophy during the show, which aired Jan. 8 on CBS.
"This organization has held a little piece of my heart, as it was the very first organization in America to give me an award," Helen said on stage during her speech, recalling that she won her first Golden Globe for her performance in 1996's Losing Chase. "As eccentric as that group was, they noticed a small piece called Losing Chase that was way under the radar, and gave me a beautiful golden ball. Then they followed it with another, and I was the proud owner of two large balls, which, as you can imagine, really helped me in my career."
And the 80-year-old—who has been married to Taylor Hackford since 1997—acknowledged that her long-running success in Hollywood wasn't achieved all on her own, shouting out costars including Will Smith, Ryan Reynolds, Al Pacino and Bruce Willis.
"The DeMille Award was described to me as a career recognition," she added, "but I prefer to think of it as a life lived, a life survived, a life enjoyed, a life sweated, and a life carried on hopefully."
Another person who has been with her through the many stages of her career? Harrison Ford, who recalled first working with the actress on 1986's The Mosquito Coast before reuniting with her again for the Paramount+ series 1923 while introducing her to the stage.
"We had three lovely children," the actor said of their characters in The Mosquito Coast. "The script required all of us refer to Helen as 'Mother.' Forty years later, I got to work with her again when Taylor Sheridan cast her in 1923."
He quipped, "I was an afterthought."
This isn't the first time Helen has expressed feeling grateful about being honored with a special Golden Globes award. On the red carpet for the Golden Eve special, the 1923 alum detailed how thrilled she was to be earning a place alongside past Cecil B. DeMille winners like Barbra Streisand, Walt Disney and Sidney Poitier.
"The history is pretty impressive, isn't it?" Helen told Entertainment Tonight in an interview published Jan. 7. "It's extraordinary."
The Oscar winner highlighted that recognition from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association feels particularly heartwarming as someone who was not born in the United States.
"When you're not from here and you don't speak with an American accent, these moments are very, very, very special," Helen shared. "It is a great generosity of the American people and the film industry at large that welcomes talent and people from other parts of the world."
And Sarah Jessica Parker—who took home the Carol Burnett Award for a Lifetime Achievement in Television at the 2026 event—echoed that sentiment ahead of taking the stage for her own acceptance speech.
"I feel I’ve had a very lucky, hard-fought-for, unimaginable career," the Sex and the City star told the Los Angeles Times in an interview published Jan. 8. "I’ve had opportunities to work with some of the greats—actors, directors, writers—and some of the wonderful young talent that’s emerging; to play all sorts of different people from different places and leading different lives and having wonderfully different hopes and dreams."
For the six-time Golden Globe winner, accepting her trophy was an exciting opportunity to "be forced to look at the last 52 years and to appreciate forevermore the journeyman, in many ways, career that I’ve been able to have."
To see find out where Helen, Sarah and more stars will be seated at the 2026 Golden Globes, read on...
Brat Summer at the Cottage
"Boom Clap" singer Charli XCX and Heated Rivalry stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams are heating up their own table at the 2026 Golden Globes.
Ginger Gems
All Her Fault star Sarah Snook and Bugonia star Emma Stone can trade haircare tips.
Stratford Upon Beverly Hilton
Hamnet costars Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal are keeping it classy at their corner of the table.
VIP Crew
Leonardo DiCaprio can share some laughs with fellow tablemates Miley Cyrus and Marlon Wayans.
The A-List
Kate Hudson, Chris Pine and more stars will be sharing a few sushi bites together.
But Wait, There's More
Their table also includes more big names like George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Pamela Anderson.
Bringing the Laughs
Melissa McCarthy and Stranger Things star Joe Keery are sure to keep Kyra Sedgwick in stitches throughout the night.