Mirren says she left the cramming to the players and is unworried about being a novice game show emcee.
Helen Mirren is oddly absent from the Harry Potter film franchise that proved close to a full-employment act for Britain’s acting greats. But she’s found her own path into its magical world. Dame Helen, as the Oscar, Emmy and Tony-winning actor is properly addressed, makes her debut as a quiz host with “Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses.” The weekly, four-part series begins at 7 p.m. Sunday on TBS and Cartoon Network. In episode one, contestants representing the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff houses field trivia questions about J.K. Rowling’s novels-turned-films in a bid to claim a championship trophy and prizes. Mirren left the cramming to the players and is unworried about being a novice game show emcee. “I can certainly play a strict host,” she said, drolly. Mirren’s willingness to take on something different shouldn’t raise eyebrows. She’s celebrated for her regal roles — including “The Queen,” “Elizabeth I” and “Catherine the Great” — but also counts the Fast & the Furious movie franchise among her varied credits. Her return to a comic book-based project is upcoming: She plays a mythological goddess in “Shazam! Fury of the Gods.” Mirren’s baptism in the genre came with the film “Red” and its sequel.
