Dame Helen Mirren thinks David Beckham is ''unbelievably beautiful''.

The 69-year-old actress - who is married to director Taylor Hackford - is in awe of the retired soccer star's handsome features but would prefer people's attractiveness to be celebrated for other qualities than what they look like.

She said: ''I don't really like the word 'beauty'. There are physically beautiful people in the world - David Beckham, for instance, is unbelievably beautiful - then there are other people that are not beautiful, but are very attractive because of their personality, energy, brilliance, genius; all kinds of things.

''So I have a resistance to the word 'beautiful'. I wish we could find another word that takes it away from physical beauty and brings it more into the world of true attractiveness.''

The 'Hitchcock' star also admitted she isn't ''naturally'' very confident but has learned to believe in herself more because of her work.

She told the Daily Mail newspaper: ''People say to me 'Oh, you're so self-confident' but I am not naturally self-confident, I just have had to be in my work and my life. If it's a problem, it's my problem -- I've got to deal with it.''

And the veteran actress admits she doesn't worry about her looks as much now as she did when she was younger, but she still isn't entirely happy with her appearance.

She said: ''I used to worry a lot more about my looks than I do now.

''I think the great advantage of getting older is that you let go of certain things. Having said that, I think all women worry to some degree -- and I don't think men are exempt.''