LOS ANGELES: Dame Helen Mirren is a fan of eccentric singer Lady Gaga because of her ''performance'' of sexuality.

Dame Helen Mirren loves Lady Gaga.

The 'Last Station' actress - who was infamously photographed wearing a bikini on holiday in Italy in 2008 - says she is interested in "slightly perverse" sexuality and is a particular fan of the way the eccentric singer presents herself.

She said: "To this day I love sexuality. I love the art of sexuality. I love Lady Gaga and the performance of sexuality. The mysterious, the artistic and the slightly perverse. I'm interested in all that."

The 64-year-old star - who is married to director Taylor Hackford - admits she hates the way she was perceived when she first started working in theatre productions in the early 70s.

She explained: "In my mind I was a serious actress. But the men in that era got away with such sexist shape. It was constant. They were pushing me into being Barbara Windsor, that sort of carry on type.

"And it wasn't because of my beauty. I was never beautiful. It was because of my breasts. I don't mind being sexy, but on my terms."