Helen Mirren reveals the ‘epiphany’ that led her to want to become an American citizen

She’s a dame in the USA.

Helen Mirren is reflecting on the moment she decided to become an American citizen.

The London-born stage and screen giant, who was appointed a dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 2003, said in a recent interview that although she’d had many connections with the United States, she only decided to apply for U.S. citizenship after living through the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

“My husband [Oscar-winning director Taylor Hackford] is American. My stepchildren are obviously American. My nephew lived in America, worked in America,” she told People. “So I had certainly been an American resident for a very long time.”

But in 2001 the world changed — and so did she.

The Oscar, Tony, Emmy and BAFTA-winning actress said that she was living in New York City during the Sept. 11 attacks.

“I saw the second tower come down,” she said recalling the tragic events that unfolded in lower Manhattan in the morning of that sunny, late-summer Tuesday.

“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 added.

“And I thought, ‘I’m an American,’” the 76-year-old actress continued. “I got an American flag, and I put it outside my window.”

Mirren, who for a while didn’t know she had an option to have dual citizenship, eventually became an American citizen in 2017.

“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.

Becoming a citizen was “so moving,” she noted.

“I didn’t realize how profound a feeling it would be,” she continued. “It brought up feelings of patriotism that I didn’t think I had. I think it was to do with the intrinsic generosity of America.”

The prolific actress, who has appeared in more than 140 films and TV shows — including “The Queen,” “The Good Liar” and three of the “Fast & Furious” movies — is set to be honored with the Life Achievement Award by the Screen Actors Guild on Feb. 27.