"Dame Mirren gets £500k for Wii Fit ad"

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 8 November, 2010

Allegedly.

Nintendo paid Dame Helen Mirren half a million quid to advertise Wii Fit, according to a new report.

Mirren, who has more acting awards than everyone else put together, swelled her bank account by £500,000 after a whopping two days work shooting the telly ads for Wii Fit Plus, according to MSN.

Apparently Nintendo "insisted" on the 65-year-old actress for the campaign "because they believe her glamorous look and svelte figure will attract over-50s to the game".

A friend of the Oscar winner said: "Nintendo insisted they wanted Helen and no one else. They wanted an older, more attractive woman to show that the Wii isn't just for children."

In the ad, Mirren says: "You need never get bored as every day you can tailor a new workout."

Money for old rope and all that.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (23) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • CHACK #1 2 years ago

    failing economy, what failing economy?

  • ISmoke #2 2 years ago

    You've got to be kidding. 2 days work.

    Two fucking days!

  • Frenzie #3 2 years ago

    For 500K she should change her name to Dame Helen Wii-ren.

    /gets coat

  • mashk #4 2 years ago

    Big fan of Helen Mirren. Back in the 80s, you could guarantee that in almost any film she starred in, she'd get her tits out. Very few actresses could give you that kind of guarantee.

  • Dolly #5 2 years ago

    For that sort of money, maybe she gets her tits out in this ad as well?

  • youhavenomail #6 2 years ago

    This may well attract the over 50s, but little will they know that it's not quite so much fun as it seems when you don't get offered £500,000 to play it.

  • spazmo #7 2 years ago

    Jamie Redknapp and family were paid £750k. Allegedly.

  • bad09 #8 2 years ago

    Paid?

    But...but...these celebs really play and love it don't they? Why would they lie to us?

  • souvlaki #9 2 years ago


    I have just signed a contract to get paid £250k for the Sony move adds. I just have to get Sony to sign it now.

  • macmurphy #10 2 years ago

    Yeah, definitely should have unleashed the norkage and done some jangling.

    Cougars, videogames, nudity. What's not to like.

  • ChocNut #11 2 years ago

    She was good in RED.

  • lennon #12 2 years ago

    Lol so I can keep an eye on my dogs fitness as well now. Nice.

  • Horse #13 2 years ago

    The headline reads like Mirren paid Nintendo the 500k to be in the ad!

  • parablax #14 2 years ago

    Say nintendo make £20 from every console/wii fit sale, Mirren would only have to pull in 25000 extra sales to cover her fees.

    Great work if you cna get it!

  • butler` #15 2 years ago

    A modest dent in their marketing budget, I guess.

  • Alf-Life #16 2 years ago

    @ISmoke: "You've got to be kidding. 2 days work.

    Two fucking days!"

    ...well, 2 days plus 40+ odd years acting experience/reputation.

  • drxym #17 2 years ago

    Nintendo UK appear to have given up selling games on their merits. Instead, they wheel in celebs Ant & Dec, Helen Mirren, Patrick Stewart, Nicole Kidman etc to wax about how wonderful the games are. Sadly that kind of advertising must work or they wouldn't do it.

    I will not be surprised if Kinect gets same "look at the celebs / beautiful people not the games" treatment. The amount of money hatting to Oprah / Ellen suggests this is their future modus.

    Anyway I don't blame the actors for doing this. Money for old rope and possibly not quite so demeaning as appearing in a Uwe Boll movie.
    Edited by drxym at 08/11/10 @ 16:09

  • Mono_X #18 2 years ago

    Anything that legitimizes gaming in the eyes of the general public and makes it acceptable is good IMO.

  • Weezer #19 2 years ago

    Famous celebrity gets paid loads to do an advert SHOCKER!!`

    Only it's not a fucking shock is it? Happens every day. Or do you think Ant & Dec did it for some toffees and a copy of Super Mario Galaxy 2?

    Grow up.

  • cowell #20 2 years ago

    Is it just me who hates the current Nintendo ad format. I clearly know nothing as they are massively succesful. However to me the crop of celeb and normo ads are nauseating and insincere. Most laughable was probably the one with the 50 something woman playing Dragon Quest as if it was some mystery/ hidden object Layton style game. Not the last time I looked....

  • immateriaux #21 2 years ago

    Watching that video, I was surprised to see how much weight Ronaldinho has put on in the chest area - it's like he has boobs.

  • Killdare #22 2 years ago

    "Dame Mirren" - I see reporters in the USA still don't get that Dames use the first name (apart from Widow Twanky). Downton Abbey's going to leave them all massively confused.

  • Syrette #23 2 years ago

    Nintendo ads are pathetic and embarrassing to watch from a gamer's perspective.

    Cringe-worthy, every single one of them.