Helen Mirren 'loved' filming her sex scenes in 'Catherine the Great'

For some actors, filming a sex scene in front of other people can be a daunting task. They can get awkward and shy, but not Dame Helen Mirren, who said she enjoyed filming the risque shots in her new series "Catherine the Great."

The 74-year-old Oscar-winning actress is not one to shy away from daring roles especially not one that involves bed scenes. She does not get bothered by the film crew. After all, she is only doing her job.

For her sex scene in "Catherine the Great," Mirren never felt awkward. In fact, the experience was quite the opposite. "I loved every minute of it. Catherine was a serial monogamist and one of her lines was, 'I'm in love with love,'" Mirren told Foxtel magazine.

In the HBO series, the actress filmed a sex scene with not just one but two men. Talking about portraying the role of the iconic Russian monarch, Mirren described Catherine as a "woman who always wanted to have a man, but she didn't want to relinquish power." She said Catherine the Great "loved sex and she loves a sexual relationship."

"The Good Liar" star also shared her opinion about the unfair treatment of women in history, who were punished for their sexuality. The actress also clearly did her research for her role in "Catherine the Great," when she referred to rumours that the queen was some kind of "debauched, mad, sexual creature."

Mirren's statement is a nod to the infamous rumour that claimed Catherine died having sex with a horse. Her demise was reportedly caused by an accident after the leather harness holding the horse snapped and the animal crushed her to death.

Despite Catherine's success as a Russian ruler, her sex life was the dominating subject in history and the series will reveal how this helped during her reign.

"Catherine the Great" is a four-part historical drama that premiered on Oct. 21. Aside from Mirren, the cast includes Jason Clarke as Russian military leader Grigory Potemkin, Rory Kinnear ( Nikita Ivanovich Panin), Joseph Quinn (Tsarevich Paul), and Richard Roxburgh (Grigory Orlov). The series follows the end of Catherine's reign and her love affair with Grigory Potemkin.