1. First, she portrayed a highly emotional, complex, beleagured Elizabeth I in the HBO movie which featured grisly beheadings, tragic deaths, wars, internal political strife, bitter betrayal, heartbreak, violent insurgency, religious intolerance, painful self-sacrifice, and unrequited love among other things.

2. Shortly afterward, she co-starred in "Shadowboxer" in which she portrayed a terminally ill hit woman involved in a pseudo-incestuous relationship with her "stepson" who eventually (spoiler alert) blows her brains out during a violent sexual bout.

3. She then portrayed the title character in "The Queen", a somber, dour, dowdy figure who endures the tragic death of her daughter-in-law and the subsequent disapproval, even hatred, from the British people whom she thought she knew and understood.

4. Lastly, she portrays a lonely, alcoholic police detective in the final installment of "Prime Suspect" facing an unwanted retirement, lack of respect from her peers and underlings (a classic trademark of the PS series), a dying father from whom she has been estranged and her own inner demons while trying to solve the horrible murder of a young girl.

LOL: After all this, who on earth can possibly blame the poor woman for wanting to have a bit more fun with a lighter, smaller, non-award-worthy role in a harmless popcorn film?

I'd say the lady DESERVES a break!