Judi Dench You’d think that once you’ve hit seventy years of age, your acting days are pretty much behind you. But the sheer talent, spunk, spark, and tenacity we see in the ever-talented British actress Judi Dench, formally known as Dame Judith Olivia Dench. assures us she’s going to give it all she’s got for as long as possible. Born on December 9, 1934, the seventy-something actress has under her belt an impressive collection of awards—including a Tony, Golden Globe, Oscar, three BAFTAs, and six Laurence Oliviers, as well as a bunch of nominations for Oscars, Emmys, Golden Globes, and SAGs. She became famous in what is now the U.K. as one of its top actresses, mostly because of her stage work, which transferred into American audiences. But North America was most enthralled with her film work that essentially began when she snagged the coveted role of M in the James Bond series starting in 1995; although she began appearing in films and TV series long before that.
Dench, who’s been bestowed with the honors of the Order of the Companions of Honour, the Order of the British Empire, and the Royal Society of Arts, was born in York, North Yorkshire, and grew up there as well as in Tyldesley, Greater Manchester. She studied drama at London’s Central School of Speech and Drama, after which she first appeared professionally in the theater world in 1957’s Hamlet, as Ophelia. After that, Dench joined the Royal Shakespeare Company as well as the National Theatre, which led to many fine performances that garnered her multiple theater awards for best actress. Dench is also a noted television actress, most notably in Jackanory, A Fine Romance, and As Time Goes By. Although her list of filmography is quite extensive, beginning in the mid-60s, Dench’s film career didn’t really take off until 1995 when she landed the role of M in GoldenEye, co-starring Pierce Brosnan as James Bond as well as Famke Janssen, a role which she reprised in 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies, with Brosnan and Teri Hatcher; The World is Not Enough in 1999, with Brosnan, Denise Richards, and John Cleese; Die Another Day in 2002, with Brosnan, Cleese, and Halle Berry; and the latest installment of the James Bond series, 2006’s Casino Royale, with Daniel Craig taking over the role of Bond.
Dench has taken on a number of other memorable roles, most notably that of Queen Elizabeth in 1998’s Shakespeare in Love. Her short, eight-minute role in the film, which starred Joseph Fiennes, Gwyneth Paltrow, Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth, and Ben Affleck, garnered Dench an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. She was also nominated for Oscars for her appearances in Mrs. Brown in 1997, with Billy Connolly and Geoffrey Palmer; Chocolat in 2000, with Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp; Iris in 2001, with Kate Winslet playing the younger version of her character Iris Murdoch; Mrs. Henderson Presents in 2005; and Notes on a Scandal in 2006, opposite Cate Blanchett and for which she also received Golden Globe and SAG Award nods. Other notable films in which she has either starred or appeared include 2001’s The Shipping News, co-starring Kevin Spacey and Julianne Moore; The Importance of Being Earnest in 2002, alongside Colin Firth, Rupert Everett, and Reese Witherspoon; Ladies in Lavender in 2004, opposite Maggie Smith; and Pride & Prejudice in 2005, starring Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, and Donald Sutherland. Dench married British actor Michael Williams in 1971, and stayed married to him until he died of lung cancer in 2001. The couple has one child, Tara Cressida Williams, the actress known as Finty Williams. YUDDY |
