Helen Mirren based new film character on Martha Stewart

London: Dame Helen Mirren has revealed that she based her retired assassin character in new film ‘Red’ on lifestyle queen Martha Stewart.

The Oscar winner said that the idea of ``becoming Martha" for the film came to her in a "flash of inspiration" and she instructed the hair and make-up department heads on the set to make her look like Stewart to help her nail the tough character. "I thought, ``She’s Martha Stewart,`` so from that point on I based everything on Martha Stewart. The hair was Martha Stewart’s hair, the colour, the cut; the clothes were Martha Stewart. I loved my white dress which was made for me and my snow camouflage outfit which I didn’t realise existed but apparently it does,” the Daily Express quoted Mirren as saying. "I thought Martha Stewart combines this perfect combination of sweetness and kindness and gentleness with unbelievable efficiency with this kind of laser-like ability to concentrate and get the job done. I thought that’s a perfect thing for my character Victoria,” she added. And Mirren took daily dose of inspiration from the lifestyle mogul— thanks to a photo the actress hung in her trailer. "I had a picture of Martha up in my trailer and in the make-up room, so every day I could look at her and be inspired. "I watch her show and I’m always sitting there with note paper saying, ``Oh, that’s how you clean windows,`` or, ``That’s what you should do with your washing-up gloves after you’re finished with them; you’ve got to turn them inside out.`` She’s absolutely amazing with a font of domestic information which I love,” she added. ANI