Quick Answer
Clue: “Queen Elizabeth I or II, for Helen Mirren”
Answer: ROLE
Answer length: 4 letters
Clue number and direction: 4-Down in the NYT Mini crossword for January 27, 2026.
The New York Times crossword clue “Queen Elizabeth I or II, for Helen Mirren” is answered with ROLE, completing the down entry at 4-Down.
Why ROLE Is the Right NYT Answer
- Helen Mirren has famously portrayed both Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Elizabeth II, in different productions, so each queen was a role she played as an actor.
- The clue uses that film-and-TV trivia to point you to the generic noun ROLE rather than naming a specific movie.
- Answer pages for the January 27, 2026 NYT Mini confirm ROLE as the 4-letter solution, matching both the clue’s structure and the required length.
What ROLE Means in Plain English
- A role is the part an actor plays in a film, TV show, or stage production. In this clue, both Queen Elizabeth I and II are acting roles that Helen Mirren took on in different projects.
- More generally, role can also mean a function or job someone has in a group or situation, but the Helen Mirren reference clearly anchors it in the acting sense.
Crossword-Specific Help for ROLE
- In the grid, ROLE appears as R O L E at 4-Down. With crossings from across answers SCARF, HUMOR, IMPLY, NILE, and ENE you may first see patterns like R_LE, RO_E, or _OLE, which quickly resolve to ROLE with this clue.
- ROLE is a very common crossword answer, turning up in clues like “Actor’s part,” “Stage job,” “De Niro has many,” or “Part for Streep.” Pairing it with a specific actor and character, as in this NYT Mini, is a typical modern twist.
Solving Tips for Similar NYT Clues
- When a clue name-checks an actor plus one or more characters (e.g., “Rocky or Rambo, for Stallone”), the answer is often ROLE (or ROLES in the plural).
- For 4-letter slots where the clue mentions “part for,” “Meryl Streep has one in…,” or “Julia Roberts’s ____ in…,” ROLE is usually your best first guess.
Use crossings: in this Mini, letters from SCARF, CUMIN, AMPLE, and ENE help fix R-O-L-E vertically in the 4-Down position.
