Helen Mirren’s Dark Turn in ‘MobLand’ Outshines Her ‘1923’ Performance

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In the years of 1923, the character of Cara Dutton, portrayed by Helen Mirren, emerged as the resilient and truthful matriarch of the Dutton family on screen. Unafraid of the tough labor that Montana demanded, Cara embodied both wisdom and affection. Opposite Harrison Ford as Jacob Dutton, Mirren infused her performance as Cara with a good dose of clever dialogue. Reminiscent of Cara Dutton in numerous aspects is Mirren’s portrayal of Maeve Harrigan on the series MobLand. As the spouse of Pierce Brosnan’s Conrad Harrigan, Maeve once again takes on the role of matriarch, a strong woman who exerts power from behind the scenes. In contrast to Cara, Maeve showcases a ruthless side that adds an intriguing contrast, making her captivating to watch.

Mirren has consistently taken on powerful female characters, leaving me in awe at each portrayal. With roles such as Queen Elizabeth II in “The Queen” (2006), British intelligence officer Colonel Katherine Powell in “Eye in the Sky” (2015), and former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in “Golda” (2023) to her credit, it’s quite difficult not to be impressed.

Lately, Mirren has introduced two remarkable female characters from contemporary television onto Paramount+. Cara Dutton in “1923” and Maeve Harrington in “MobLand” are indeed powerful women, and Mirren is an ideal fit for both roles.

Helen Mirren Redefined the Portrayal of Women in Westerns with ‘1923’

1923 marked a significant shift for Helen Mirren as an actress, since prior to that year, she hadn’t shown any interest in western films. In her words from 2025, this change was due to the unique appeal of the projects presented to her in 1923.

Women like Cara should be deeply appreciative towards Taylor Sheridan for crafting exceptional roles for women. His body of work is filled with outstanding female characters. Such roles were scarcely present when I was immersed in the industry, and as a viewer, I rarely encountered such individuals on screen before. Frankly speaking, Westerns weren’t my cup of tea due to the poorly portrayed women in them.

As Cara Dutton, Mirren reshaped the portrayal of women in Westerns by redefining the role. She was a steadfast spouse who went to great lengths to safeguard her family amidst the rugged terrain of Montana. She wasn’t afraid to engage in a confrontation, demonstrated unyielding fortitude, and offered insightful, poetic guidance to those around her, both men and women alike.

In her role as a strong female character, Mirren didn’t exactly tread new ground, but the way she skillfully depicted the highs and lows of frontier women was truly remarkable. She masterfully balanced subtlety with directness, portraying Cara Dutton as a powerful and compassionate woman driven by deep familial ties.

‘MobLand’ Showcases Helen Mirren’s Ability To Portray the Complexities of Women

In the series ‘MobLand’, Maeve Harrington functions more as a shadowy figure, much like Cara Dutton in ‘1923’. Being married to Conrad Harrington (Pierce Brosnan), the head of a London crime clan, Maeve is something of a mystery. Like Cara Dutton, Maeve exhibits great strength and ferocity, yet her reasons for doing so are not entirely understood.

In the premiere of MobLand, her brother-in-law’s death was indirectly caused when she offered advice to her husband, a role he often finds himself indecisive about and relies on Maeve for guidance. This incident raises questions about who truly controls the Harrington crime organization’s actions.

Mirren expressed during an interview with CNN that she didn’t want the character of Maeve to be flat or one-dimensional. Instead of portraying just one character among many powerful figures fighting for dominance, she decided to take on a more complex role: “What truly makes a character captivating isn’t their power, but their vulnerability… Maeve is a villain in a story about villains. It will be intriguing to see where her journey ultimately leads.

In her own words, Mirren mentioned that the role of Maeve reminded her most of playing Lady Macbeth in a past stage production. Moreover, she pointed out that the bond between Maeve and Conrad resembled more of a dynamic involving both dependence and competition, rather than love.

Helen Mirren Portrays the Similarities and Differences Between Cara Dutton and Maeve Harrington Perfectly

Helen Mirren revealed to Parade magazine that she didn’t have a script when she agreed to star in 1923. Instead, the chance to collaborate with Taylor Sheridan and Harrison Ford was what drew her to the project. Similarly, for MobLand, it was the prospect of working with Guy Ritchie, Pierce Brosnan, and Tom Hardy that motivated her to join the show.

Speaking on the likeness between Cara Dutton and Maeve Harrington, Mirren shared her perspective on how she developed both characters:

As a cinema enthusiast, I couldn’t help but notice the shared Irish heritage between these characters. My creative choice was to give Cara Dutton an Irish background since I envisioned them as immigrants, fresh off the boat. Then enters Maeve Harrigan, a name that screams Irish roots, and she’s the wife of an Irish crime boss. Consequently, I had no choice but to portray my role as Irish in this context. Interestingly, the decision to give these characters an authentically Irish accent was made right from the first day on set.

As for their differences,

The writing styles, settings, and personalities between these two characters are remarkably distinct. They both play significant roles as matriarchs, but their approaches to controlling situations differ significantly. Maeve is a character who often employs cunning and manipulation in her actions, while Cara appears to be more of a supportive partner, an equal to her husband, Jacob, portrayed by Harrison. They represent a trailblazing couple, peering into the future with determination. To put it another way, Maeve is a character who can be quite devious and manipulative, very ambitious, possibly even psychotic in nature.

All in all, Mirren effortlessly portrays both Cara Dutton and Maeve Harrington exceptionally well. As Maeve, whether she’s psychotic or not, her performance reaches an exceptional level, and I can’t wait to see more of it.

Stream both 1923 and MobLand on Paramount+.

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2025-04-09 00:32