Dame Helen gets Oscar nomination

Essex's very own Hollywood star Dame Helen Mirren is in the running for yet another award with an Oscar nomination for her role in The Last Station.

The Leigh-on-Sea actress was among the nominees announced yesterday for this year's Academy Awards.

She's a contender for the best lead actress Oscar for performance as Leo Tolstoy's wife in The Last Station which also stars Christopher Plummer and James McAvoy.

"I'm very happy and honoured for Christopher, myself and our film," said Dame Helen on hearing the news.

"I think Tolstoy himself would have been perplexed by all this, but, Sofya his wife would have been over the moon. So in that spirit, I am too."

Dame Helen won an Oscar for The Queen in 2008.

The Last Station is released nationwide on February 19.