British Actress Helen Mirren: The best thing about Israel is Israelis

British Actress: The best thing about Israel is Israelis

CBNNews.com

Monday, November 02, 2015

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JERUSALEM, Israel -- British actress Helen Mirren warmed the hearts of many at the 29th Israel Film Festival in Los Angeles when she said the best thing about Israel is Israelis.

The 70-year-old award-winning actress received IFF’s Career Achievement Award while American screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, 54, received the Film and Television Achievement Award.

Mirren said a visit to Israel early in her career was “one of the building blocks that have made me into the actress that I am, doing the kind of work I do, that I seek to do and the way in which I seek to do it.”

“Likewise, I was thinking about the building blocks that made Israel the great country that it is and the courage and the commitment of those early people working on the kibbutz that I was lucky enough in those days to meet and work alongside briefly,” Mirren said.

“I love Israel. I think it’s a great, great country,” she continued. “I think that through all the difficulties and all the pain that Israel has suffered in the past and will in the future, the great thing that Israel has is Israelis, and they will guide it through.”

Among her many accomplishments, Mirren won best actress at the 2007 Academy Awards for her performance as Queen Elizabeth.

Sorkin, 54, has also enjoyed many successes as a Hollywood screenwriter. He’s been nominated at this year’s Academy Award for the screenplay for “Steve Jobs.”

“It couldn’t be more important to support Israel,” Sorkin said at the ceremonies.