Gaga fan Helen Mirren

Dame Helen Mirren is a fan of eccentric singer Lady Gaga because of her ''performance'' of sexuality.

Dame Helen Mirren loves Lady Gaga.

The 'Last Station' actress - who was infamously photographed wearing a bikini on holiday in Italy in 2008 - says she is interested in "slightly perverse" sexuality and is a particular fan of the way the eccentric singer presents herself.

She said: "To this day I love sexuality. I love the art of sexuality. I love Lady Gaga and the performance of sexuality. The mysterious, the artistic and the slightly perverse. I'm interested in all that."

The 64-year-old star - who is married to director Taylor Hackford - admits she hates the way she was perceived when she first started working in theatre productions in the early 70s.

She explained: "In my mind I was a serious actress. But the men in that era got away with such sexist c**p. It was constant. They were pushing me into being Barbara Windsor, that sort of carry on type.

"And it wasn't because of my beauty. I was never beautiful. It was because of my breasts. I don't mind being sexy, but on my terms."