Popeater

LONDON (Sept. 2) - Oscar-winning British actress Helen Mirren saidshe used to love cocaine, but stopped taking the drug afterlearning that a Nazi war criminal profited from the trade,according to a magazine.

The 63-year-old, who won an Academy Award for her role in "TheQueen," was quoted by British GQ magazine as saying she used to dabble inmarijuana and cocaine when she was younger.

Skip over this content

Helen Mirren tells GQ that she used to dabble in cocaine, but was turned off to the drug after reading about how Nazi criminal Klaus Barbie was living in South America off of the riches he made as a coke baron.

"I loved coke. I never did a lot, just a little bit atparties," Mirren was quoted as telling the magazine in aninterview, which was made available to the media Monday. "But whatended it for me was when they caught (Nazi war criminal) KlausBarbie, the Butcher of Lyon, in the early 80s. He was hiding inSouth America and living off the proceeds of being a cocaine baron.

"And I read that in the paper, and all the cards fell intoplace, and I saw how my little sniff of cocaine at a party had anabsolute direct route to this ... horrible man in South America,"she was quoted as saying.

Mirren wasn't holding back during her interview, saying she was date-raped "a couple of times" when she was younger but kept it private. "You couldn't do that in those days," she said of her decision to stay quiet.

Her past history gave her an unusual perspective on date rape, and she tells GQ that a woman who was intimate with a man but said no to sex at the last second most likely couldn't "have that man into court."

Skip over this content

This Week in Pop Culture

Oct. 10, 2006: Sharon Osbourne stunned the audience of her British talk show 'The Sharon Osbourne Show' by showing up drunk on set. Ozzy Osbourne's wife, who was celebrating her 54th birthday, swayed and giggled her way through interviews with British TV personality Michael Barrymore and singer Amy Winehouse.

Kevin Winter, Getty Images

Oct. 11, 2005: Mariah Carey bought a seat for her dog on a flight from NYC to LA, but the airline refused to let the dog aboard because he was "too big". In response, Mariah dispatched her chauffeur to drive Jack the Jack Russell terrier 3,000 miles across America.

James Devaney, Wire Image

Oct. 11, 1975: Live ... from New York ... it's the debut of 'Saturday Night Live,' with host George Carlin and featuring musical guests Janis Ian and Billy Preston.

Everett Collection

Oct. 13, 1971: Sacha Baron Cohen is born in England. Following an education at Cambridge, he will conquer the world of comedy when he morphs into Kazakh reporter Borat Sagdiyev.

Christophe Ena, AP

Oct. 9, 1940: John Winston Lennon is born in Liverpool, England, to Julia and Freddie Lennon. After his parents' break-up, he will spend much of his childhood in the care of his aunt, Mimi Smith. As a teen he will team up with Paul McCartney and George Harrison to form the Quarrymen, eventually evolving into arguably the greatest rock band ever.

Oct. 9, 2006: After a rivalry arose from the 'Simple Life' co-stars and BBFs, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie finally patch up their differences and enjoy a meal together in Los Angeles.

Todd Williamson, Wire Image

Oct. 8, 2005: Vogue editor-in-chief Anna "The Devil" Wintour gets a face full of a tofu pie courtesy of PETA activists outraged by her magazine's running of ads for fur-based clothing. (PETA / AP)

PETA / AP

Oct. 13, 2005:'Lost' actor Josh Holloway and his wife, Yessica, were robbed at gunpoint at their Hawaiian home . The thief took cash, credit cards and a Mercedes-Benz, which was later found abandoned.

Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

Oct. 13, 2005: Tommy Lee was taken to the hospital after a stunt went wrong during a concert. Faulty pyrotechnics exploded beneath the drummer as he was swinging from a cable several feet above the stage.

Amanda Edwards, Getty Images

Oct. 12, 1944: A mob of 30,000, most of them female teens, swarm the Paramount Theater in Manhattan in an effort to secure tickets to Frank Sinatra's show, a crush of madness that is dubbed the Columbus Day Riot.

Bettman, Corbis

British Home Office Minister Tony McNulty shot back criticism, saying "No means no, means no, and that needs to be the message as clearly as we can in terms of rape."

During the interview, Mirren said she used to steal during what shedescribed as a "very poor" youth.

"I needed to shoplift for food," she reportedly said, addingthat while she enjoyed "the accoutrements of movie star life" shestill had frugal instincts, cutting her own hair and wearingdollar-store glasses.

Mirren said she was not a royalist but had become a fan of QueenElizabeth II since playing her in "The Queen."

"It's a miracle she's never gone mad," Mirren was quoted assaying. "She is a remarkable person, who has achieved an amazingthing with a life she neither chose for herself, nor particularlywanted."

Mirren's interview is carried in the British edition of GQ,which goes on sale Thursday.

Friend Up PopEater on Facebook