2009-02-27 12:16:07 - 'The Queen' star Helen Mirren is taking her roles as a Jewish secret agent so seriously she is learning Hebrew.

Helen Mirren is learning Hebrew. The 63-year-old actress - who plays a Jewish spy in upcoming film 'The Debt' - is so serious about her latest role she has spent weeks in Israel studying the ancient language.

Helen - who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Britain's Queen Elizabeth in 2006 film 'The Queen' - is also researching Israeli history, Nazism and the Mossad spy organisation. A source said: "Helen has spent past six weeks reading the history of Israel, Mossad and the life and times of Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal and she's learning Hebrew too. "She's really taking this seriously and she's totally immersed herself into the way of life over there." It's not the first time Helen has gone to extremes while researching a role - she recently spent a night in a brothel to prepare for upcoming drama 'Love Ranch'. She said: "My husband was the director and he grabbed me kicking and screaming to the brothel. 'You've got to do this! You're going whether you like it or not.' "