Helen Mirren got the Oscar for her performance as the famous monarch in “The Queen.” Now the five Pembroek Welsh Corgis who portrayed the queen’s dogs are up for a newly created Fido Award at the London Film Festival on Oct. 28, 2007.
The dogs, Anna, Poppy, Megan, Alice, and Oliver, face some stiff competition in the Historical Hounds category. Contenders include the collie mix in “Control,” about the life of Ian Curtis, the leader singer of the 1980s band Joy Division, and the dog in “Molière,” about the early life of the French playwright.
Mirren, for one, enjoyed sharing screen time with the dogs, who are owned by British caterer Liz Smith. “I loved those Corgis because they were funny,” she said in an interview with the London Observer. “I can understand why the Queen has them.”
Mirren wasn’t intimated by the dogs’ lack of professional film training. “I am good with dogs and know how to get them to do what I want,” Mirren said. “Forget winning an Oscar, I’d be more proud of an award for dog handling.”