Helen Mirren has revealed the reason behind her US citizenship.
The British Oscar-winning actress became a naturalized American citizen in 2017 - 14 years after Queen Elizabeth II appointed her a dame in 2003.
In this week's issue of People, the 76-year-old star opened up about her decision to take on dual nationality - and why she's proud to be an American.
"My husband [Taylor Hackford] is American. My stepchildren are obviously American. My nephew lived in America, worked in America," she said, adding: "So I had certainly been an American resident for a very long time."
She went on to say that she had never realized she could become an American citizen without giving up her British passport.
"When I understood, which I hadn't quite grasped before, that I could be a British citizen and an American citizen — because I would not like to give up my British citizenship — then I thought, 'Well, that's great. That's the perfect world,'" she said.
Later in the interview, The Good Liar actress recalled how she was living in New York when the 9/11 attacks took place. According to her, seeing the terrorist attacks was a turning point for her, and they made her realize how closely she identified with the nation.
"I saw the second tower come down. I had an epiphany. I realized where my allegiance and my heart and my intellect lay in that confrontation between extremism, religiosity — all those things and everything that America represents," she recalled.
"And I thought, 'I'm an American,'" she added. "I got an American flag, and I put it outside my window."
Later this month, the decorated actress will be honored with a Life Achievement Award by the Screen Actors Guild, at their annual ceremony on February 27.
It's an award well-deserved. With a grand total of 13 SAG Award nominations and five SAG Award wins, Mirren is the most decorated Life Achievement recipient in the Guild's history.
The ceremony - which will mark the 28th annual SAG Awards - will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, February 27 from The Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California.