Helen Mirren grateful for `Prime Suspect` role

London: Veteran actress Helen Mirren says she was able to survive in the industry because of her role in the popular TV show `Prime Suspect`.

The Oscar winning actress, 66, who portrayed the role of detective Jane Tennison in the 1990s British series, insists the show helped her remain in showbiz when many of her peers were struggling to find work, reported Contactmusic. "I don`t know if it`s too few parts or too few actresses. It`s a difficult time in a woman`s career and I`ve seen that with many brilliant colleagues who started out the same time as me. They were very successful during their 30s and I`m talking now about very successful theatre actresses with an incredible history of experience, not somebody who did a TV show in their teens. "But suddenly in their 40s and 50s there seems to be less and less work for them and it seems to be more difficult to earn a living as an actress. I was so lucky that I had `Prime Suspect` to get me through that. Because of it I got asked to do movies and could have a theatre presence, and here I am still in the business so to speak," said Mirren. PTI