Helen Mirren "didn’t like" playing a dying woman in Goodbye June but took role for Kate Winslet

Veteran actress Helen Mirren has opened up about her emotional experience portraying a woman facing terminal illness in the Netflix holiday drama Goodbye June, explaining that she didn’t actually want to play a character who dies but ultimately accepted the part to support longtime friend and director Kate Winslet.

Goodbye June marks Winslet’s feature directorial debut and features Mirren as the matriarch June, whose terminal cancer diagnosis brings her family together during a poignant Christmas season. Mirren has said she typically avoids roles involving cancer or dementia, but was persuaded to join the project because of her respect for Winslet and the strength of the script, written by Winslet’s son, Joe Anders.

In a recent interview, Winslet recalled Mirren’s early hesitation, noting that the actress told her frankly, “I don’t really want to be doing this at all, but I’m doing it for you and I’m doing it to support you.”

Mirren’s discomfort centered on the emotional weight of portraying June’s final days, particularly the intimate and vulnerable moments that come with showing a beloved character confronting her mortality. Despite this, she committed to the role as a gesture of loyalty and artistic collaboration.

On set, Winslet took deliberate steps to create an environment that would help her cast feel safe and grounded in the emotional material.

She minimized technical distractions by using hidden microphones, locking off cameras, and keeping crew members out of the actors’ immediate space whenever possible, allowing performers to inhabit their scenes in a more natural, unguarded way.

Winslet’s approach was designed to foster intimacy and authenticity, particularly in the deeply personal moments between June and her family.

Mirren also handled the emotional demands of her character in her own way, choosing not to dwell on the heaviness of June’s situation until the moment of filming each scene.

Winslet described how Mirren would occasionally express her discomfort with the costume or setup before stepping into character, and then instinctively deliver performances of remarkable depth and truth.

The cast, which includes Winslet herself alongside Andrea Riseborough, Toni Collette, Timothy Spall, and Johnny Flynn, brought a familial dynamic to the story that reflects the film’s themes of love, loss, and reconciliation.

Goodbye June premiered on Netflix as part of the holiday slate and has drawn attention for its emotional resonance and the strong creative partnership between Winslet and Mirren.

Their friendship and mutual artistic respect, alongside Winslet’s sensitive direction and Mirren’s deeply human performance, have become central talking points in discussions of the film’s emotional core and overall impact.