The much-anticipated tenth installment in the Fast and the Furious franchise is out this week and Today news and entertainment presenter Brooke Boney had the opportunity to sit down with the cast.

Dame Helen Mirren is one of the newest additions to the epic cast and told Brooke she “begged” Vin Diesel to let her be a part of Fast X.

“When I stumbled my way into it I said ‘Why don’t you put me in one of your movies, I’d be really good’ and I begged Vin for a chance and he very kindly incorporated me into one and I managed to cling on,” she said.

Mirren said she ‘begged’ Vin Diesel for a role in the film. (Universal Pictures)
 

With Charlize Theron, Brie Larson and Rita Moreno also featuring in Fast X, Mirren is one of four Oscar-winning women who are now involved in the franchise.

She told Brooke for herself, watching movies in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, the type of empowering roles for women in the Fast and the Furious franchise wasn’t something that happened before the first film came out with Michelle Rodriguez.

And the skill that has gone into creating all the elaborate and heart-stopping action sequences in each film up until now has only got better and better with time.

Mirren said the Fast franchise is impressive in it’s portrayal of empowering women. (Universal Pictures)
 

“It has that history, which is extraordinary in film making,” she said.

“However long ago when it was first made the kinds of stunts and digital effects were not available and so you’ve seen the films incorporate the new technologies and so it will be an interesting, I’m sure there will be university film courses dedicated to it.”

Fast X will be out in cinemas on May 18.

See more of Brooke’s exclusive chat with Dame Helen Mirren in the video above

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