Dame Helen Mirren says she's 'tired of being called sexy'

Oscar-winning actress also shares her views on the battle for wage equality for women

Actress Helen Mirren attends the 22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 30, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. ( (Getty Images)

Dame Helen Mirren has said the media's focus on her looks has been a longstanding cause of frustration.

The British actress has won numerous top acting prizes, including an Oscar, a Tony and four Emmys, but is frequently referred to as a "sex symbol".

"I've always been tired of being called 'sexy'. It’s annoying and irritating - I just have to put up with it," she told the Radio Times.

Mirren also shared her views on wage equality for women, praising fellow actress Patricia Arquette for raising the issue during her acceptance speech at last year's Academy Awards.

"You can argue that an awards show is not the right forum, but you can bang on about it, as I have, and nobody listens and nobody reports it, and then the moment comes when people are ready," she said.

"The great thing is that she wasn’t just talking about Hollywood, she was talking about women in all industries. In my lifetime I've seen things go from utterly iniquitous to fairly iniquitous to slightly iniquitous - but at least we're moving in the right direction."