A-list star set for major change of direction as she plays drug dealing gangster in Guy Ritchie’s new TV drama

SHE’LL always be best remembered for playing the late Queen Elizabeth II, but Dame Helen Mirren's latest role couldn’t be further from the beloved royal.

I can reveal the Oscar-winning actress will appear as a drug-dealing gangster in a new TV show by Guy Ritchie.

Her character, Maeve Harrigan, oversees a shadowy business empire from her giant mansion in the Cotswolds.

A TV insider said: “Fans of Dame Helen won’t believe their eyes when they see her tackle her new role, and not just because it couldn’t be more different to the Queen.

“It also sees her take on a TV project, which is rare for her these days, given that she’s a firm star in the Hollywood movie firmament.”

When bosses announced the new Paramount+ series last week, they simply called it the “New Guy Ritchie Project”.

I understand it also goes by two other names, The Associate and The Fixer, though executives have yet to nail down what it will be called by the time it drops next year.

But both names give off strong vibes of the criminal underworld that features in the show.

Dame Helen will star opposite Tom Hardy as Harry Da Souza, who the titles of the show refer to.

He represents the criminal Harrigan family.

Hailing from Ireland, they include former James Bond Pierce Brosnan as the clan’s patriarch, Conrad Harrigan.

Other A-listers taking part include Paddy Considine, Joanne Froggatt and Anson Boon.

But it’s still obvious who the queen is in that cast list . . .