This edition of the Hunger Games fan site series "Campaigning For Coin" is our last one! Today we're focusing on fan favorite President Coin-cast, Helen Mirren. This series is where the Hunger Games fan sites sound off on different actresses we think may (or may not) be right for the role of President Alma Coin in Mockingjay Parts 1 & 2. As always, be warned: Spoilers!
Photo by Giles Keyte
Helen Mirren as President Coin by Nikola-Nikart
PanemPropaganda
Molly: Helen Mirren has been bandied about all over this fandom as a top pick for President Coin. I didn’t have her in my mind as I was reading Mockingjay, and I have to admit that Jodie Foster is my One True Love for Coin. But ever since I saw the amazing “Mirren as Coin” edit by Nikola-Nikart on tumblr, I can’t get her out of my mind for the role. I think some roles would be genius with a newcomer (ahem, Annie). But this one, well, this one needs impact. We need someone in this role that can make us believe she could, with military precision, control a district for many years, underground, in secret while shepherding them through an epidemic and masterminding a rebellion, and then intimidate the crap out of Philip Seymour Hoffman, Woody Harrelson, and most importantly, Jennifer Lawrence. She’s too old, you say? Please. Jennifer Lawrence is supposed to be 17 years old in Mockingjay. I think we can all suspend disbelief long enough to put Helen Mirren in there as a 50-something. Have you seen the woman in a bikini? (No, seriously, the red bikini. Go Helen!!) And the woman can freaking ACT. She would be the perfect foil for Donald Sutherland as President Snow. Helen Mirren as Coin? Yes, please!!
Adam: Is Helen Mirren too old? That's been the general complaint against one of England's greatest dames, and it's a valid one. But then -- Mirren has fought off aging with nearly as much proficiency as Katniss against the Careers. Mirren is also an extraordinary acting talent, and she has a proven track record of delivering a variety of complex characters with benevolent and sinister intentions. I'll admit, I have been a banner-waver for Mirren's consideration, and I think, though there are other extremely talented and capable actresses, none could match the aura and majesty of this Academy Award winner. (And if you're really concerned about age, you know these makeup people can shave off 20 years, right?)
Amanda: I'm pretty sure Helen Mirren is one of those actresses who needs no introduction. Everyone knows who she is, what she looks like, and that she's been nominated for more acting awards than seems humanly possible....even if you've somehow never seen one of her movies. Which is basically the boat I'm in. Almost embarrassingly, I think the only movie I've ever seen Helen in is Red. But you know what, I'd still be more than happy to have her as Coin! I don't think anyone can argue against her acting ability and amazing reputation among her peers. She's older than I pictured Coin, but I could get over that in a matter of minutes because I'm pretty sure she could masterfully pull off Coin's cool, calm, determined, authoritative demeanor. I certainly wouldn't be the casting director to tell her "no" if she wanted the role!
Kait: Helen Mirren is an extraordinary talent. There's no doubt about it! But there's one thing that she's not... and that's Alma Coin. Despite her talent, Mirren is significantly older than the middle-aged character described in the books at age 68. There are plenty of incidents in which we can put character vs. actor age aside, but this just isn't one of them. She's really great at playing hard-edged authority figures, so she gets suggested for all the roles of this nature and after a while, it feels like typecasting. And while she has a voice that commands authority, she has the type of on-screen presence that would likely make the audience guess that Coin's intentions aren't purely helpful and ruin the fun of the ambigious character arc. We're not dissing the Dame! We love her! Just not for this role.
Courtney/Tiffany: Helen Mirren is the first actress that immediately came to our mind when first reading about Coin in Mockingjay. Her look fits very well with Coin's description, and she's always been our number one pick. Some people say she's too old, but we think that's not a good enough reason to cut Helen Mirren out of the mix. First of all, casting for The Hunger Games has historically gone older than the book description (Lenny Kravitz, Donald Sutherland, etc.). Second, age in real life and age on the screen are not the same thing. We would prefer an older actress for Coin than a younger one. Nothing scares us more than a stern older lady with a too perfect haircut. We would also like to point out that many think Glenn Close is a great option for Coin. Guess what, friends?! She's only TWO YEARS younger than Helen Mirren. Regarding age, if Glenn Close could be the next Coin, why not Mirren? Lastly, since casting has been older for the actors and actresses, we think that since they went so old with Snow, they'll want a somewhat similar age range for Coin as the counterpart.
Now that we've gotten the age issue out of the way, Helen Mirren would be a spectacular choice on acting skills alone. She's played a ton of women in power, and has a very commanding presence. I bet she's got a whole closet devoted to all her acting awards, which goes with the casting trend of the adult actors. She would be a great match for Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, something we are dying to see. It's no wonder she's a fan favorite for President Coin.