Dame Helen Mirren's Oscar win was a liberating experience because all of her "ungenerous feelings" towards other stars disappeared after she picked up the Best Actress trophy for her role in The Queen.
Despite a stellar career which has seen her win four Baftas, four Emmys and three Golden Globes, Mirren admits she still envied other actors' achievements, and it was her big win at the 2006 Academy Awards which finally made her relax about her career.
She tells Britain's The Observer, "Though I think that drive - 'Why am I stuck doing this? Why aren't I doing that' - never goes away. All that 'What on earth am I doing with my life?' is a constant.
"In the full knowledge that awards mean nothing, winning the Oscar for The Queen was fabulous in that I felt I didn't have to worry any more. All those ungenerous feelings - 'Why did she get it and not me?' - just disappeared overnight. It's horrible and unpleasant and disturbing, all of that, but it doesn't stop you feeling it. I feel very much I can now do exactly what I want."