Helen Mirren, the 81-year-old Academy Award-winning actress, said she avoids visiting doctors and instead turns to artificial intelligence for health advice, adding that the approach has produced the results she wanted so far.
Mirren made the comments in an interview with Entertainment Weekly at the Toronto International Film Festival, appearing alongside her "A Talent for Murder" co-stars Alden Ehrenreich and Olivia Cooke.
During the conversation, Ehrenreich and Cooke said they grew closer while filming because they both describe themselves as hypochondriacs. Mirren interjected at that point, saying she should probably be diagnosed with the opposite of hypochondria, since she simply ignores everything completely.
Mirren on skipping the doctor
Ehrenreich then asked the actress whether she avoids going to the doctor. She said she denies everything, that she avoids doctors entirely, and that so far it has been working.
Ehrenreich joked that he would be thrilled if he could have a doctor living inside his house. Mirren replied that he already does. She said it is called artificial intelligence, calling AI amazing and giving as an example how it might respond that something hurts, but not that much, which she called unbelievable.
The Toronto International Film Festival, where the interview took place, is one of the world's largest publicly attended film festivals and a major stop each autumn for stars promoting new releases.
Mirren's past comments on wellness
Although she avoids doctor visits, Mirren has spoken before about looking after her health over the years. In an earlier interview with Vogue, she said she prioritizes care that works "from the inside out."
She said the first step is to check your diet and find what makes you feel good, adding that she would be the first person to eat fish and chips, but that what you put into your body affects how you feel about yourself, so that is where to start. She said the next step is exercise, which she said does not mean signing up for expensive gyms.
