In photos: Helen Mirren's outburst dressed as the Queen, plus 5 other celebrity rants we loved
A troupe of street performers got a shock on May 4, 2013, when Helen Mirren, dressed as Queen Elizabeth II, emerged from a London theatre during the intermission of her performance, to berate them for disrupting her show.
THE RANT: "I'm afraid there were a few 'thespian' words used," Mirren is quoted as saying about her rant at drummers who were marching through the streets to promote a gay music festival. WHY WE LOVE IT: Who wouldn’t love to see one of the planet’s top actresses, decked out as the Queen, dressing down a crowd of rowdy dummers for their rude manners. Our only regret is we didn't see her real-world performance live. Shown here is an image of Helen Mirren in a scene from the film, The Queen.
THE RANT: Country star Miranda Lambert took to Twitter to call out Chris Brown after he performed twice at the Grammy Awards in February 2012. Lambert was disgusted by his appearance at the event, tweeting, “He beat on a girl ... not cool that we act like that didn’t happen.” Brown brutally assaulted his girlfriend, pop star Rihanna, following the Grammys in 2009. WHY WE LOVE IT: Rihanna may have forgiven him (the pair are again a couple), but the outspoken Lambert has maintained her position on Brown – and more importantly, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Scientists, who host the Grammy Awards. “I wanted everyone to know that I don’t agree with the message it’s sending to young women. It’s not okay. At all. To be celebrated after doing something like that,” she said in the February, 2013, issue of Redbook. In this photo, Miranda Lambert performs at the 47th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 1, 2012.Steve Marcus/Reuters
THE RANT: At their Soul2Soul concert in 2007, a fan got a little too grabby with Faith Hill’s better half Tim McGraw, who was performing with her on-stage. Hill, mid-song and microphone in hand, scolded the fan: “Somebody needs to teach you some class, my friend! You don’t go grabbin’ ... somebody’s husband’s balls, you understand me? ” WHY WE LOVE IT: Sure, the language was a little uncouth, and her word choices a little clumsy – but she’s right, no? Here, McGraw and Hill arrive at the 45th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 18, 2010.Steve Marcus/Reuters
THE RANT: This was more like a heartfelt, heartwarming ramble. When actress Jodie Foster was honored at the 70th Annual Golden Globe awards, she gave a long speech in which she thanked her “ex-partner in love but righteous soul sister in life, my confessor, ski buddy, consigliere, most beloved BFF of 20 years, Cydney Bernard.” The speech left some a bit confused, but most interpreted as the moment she came out by acknowledging her longtime partner and mother of their two boys. WHY WE LOVE IT: The speech was also genuine, affecting and unexpected. Here is Foster during her speech at the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 13, 2013, in Beverly Hills, Calif.Paul Drinkwater/The Associated Press
THE RANT: Jennifer Lawrence met won best actress Oscar, she was interviewed backstage by ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. When Jack Nicholson interrupted the interview, the flirty banter between the two was pure gold. “You look like an old girlfriend,” he said. “Oh really? Do I look like a new one?” she shot back. WHY WE LOVE IT: This is the type of sass, wit and charm we wish we might exhibit if Nicholson came creeping up to say hello. Unfortunately, it would probably sound something like, “Eeeek!” Here, Lawrence arrives at the 85th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California February 24, 2013.Lucas Jackson/Reuters
THE RANT:Like Mirren, Tony-award winning Broadway actress Patty LuPone has no patience for distractions in the theatre. During a performance of Gypsy on Jan. 10, 2009, she stopped in the middle of a song and demanded that a man, who had been taking photos with a flash, be removed. “You heard the announcement in the beginning. You heard the announcement at the intermission! Who do you think you are?” she yelled at him. After he was removed, she restarted her number. WHY WE LOVE IT: We applaud her guts in standing up for public decorum, just like the audience did. Here, LuPone (as Mrs. Lovett) and Michael Cerveris (as Sweeney Todd) and in a scene from Sweeney Todd.