The Oscar-nominated beauty decided to turn her back on Tinseltown and move to the U.K. 18 years ago after falling in love with British director Simon Curtis.
And the Downton Abbey star is adamant she has no regrets about focusing on working in Europe – because she hasn’t come under pressure to have cosmetic surgery.
She tells Britain’s Daily Mirror, “It’s a mystery to me. As far as I can see women who have facelifts don’t look younger, just weirder. You see them on screen with these tight, little porcelain faces – then the hand goes up to the face and it looks like it belongs to an alien. I find it really freaky.
“Still, I think it’s better in England and in Europe in general where women are allowed to age and still get work – whereas in Hollywood it tends to be a different story.
“There are exceptions, like Meryl Streep. She’s one of few actresses of a certain age that a movie company are prepared to build a film around. But it’s a long way from the days of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford when mature women were celebrated on screen.”
