early years
Judi Dench was born on December 9, 1934 in North Yorkshire, England. From an early age, the girl showed a passion for acting. Dench's father was a doctor at the Theater Royal in Yorkshire, so visiting this institution was not new to the little girl.
Even as a young girl, Judi Dench showed a passion for theater and acting. She loved to dress up and sing while her mother played the piano. At first, Judy helped other actors dress up during performances, coming to the theater with her father.
The future actress first studied at an elite girls' school, then was briefly transferred to an art school before entering the Royal Central School of Speech and Dramatic Art in London. For this step, the girl thanks her brother Jeffrey all her life, a fellow aspiring actor who went to this school and pushed his sister.
Childhood and youth
The full name of the actress is Judith Olivia Dench. The future star was born on December 9, 1934 in the English city of York. The girl's father worked as a doctor. In addition to regular patients, the man also served the actors of the city's Royal Theater, so Judy, along with her brother Geoffrey, was often behind the scenes, watching rehearsals and actors preparing for performances. Perhaps, thanks to such a close acquaintance with theatrical life, Judy became interested in acting, which eventually became the main work of her life.
During her school years, Judi Dench attended dance and drawing clubs. The girl made progress and even planned to become a graphic designer when she grew up. However, fate decreed differently: Judy’s passion for theater outweighed Judy’s other interests, and the girl, after graduating from school, moved to London to seriously master the acting profession. In the capital, Judi Dench entered the School of Diction and Drama. It is noteworthy that the girl’s brother was already studying there.
Acting debut
Judi Dench's natural talent and versatility were impossible to ignore. Despite this, her first debut came in 1957, when she played Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet. This play was staged in London's Old Vic Theatre, which still exists today. The actress worked there for another four years.
In 1961, Dench joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, becoming one of Britain's leading actresses. It seemed that what could be better than becoming part of a large and popular theater. But Judi Dench was unstoppable. She made her television debut in the BBC series Hilda Lessways. The actress began to develop in this direction, performing in comedic works, including stage productions of Oscar Wilde. In 1968, she got the role of Sally Bowles in Cabaret.
Carier start
As an actress, Judi Dench first appeared in the theater in 1957. Her first role was Ophelia in the production of Hamlet. The theater where she started working was called OldVicCompany. Critics really liked her Ophelia, and soon the actress received the main role in Romeo and Juliet directed by Franco Zeffirelli. Since 1961, Judi Dench began playing at the Royal Shakespeare Theater. She appeared in almost all productions, talentedly portraying a variety of Shakespearean heroines. It is not surprising that she was named among the best actresses of the post-war years. As Judi Dench herself later admitted more than once, in her youth it was Shakespeare who inspired her to discover new facets of acting and constantly move forward.
Career highlights
By 1960, actress Judi Dench had made herself known on television. Her participation in “Four in the Morning” (1966) as a young wife was awarded by the British Film Academy. Thanks to this film, the young actress received many television awards, recognition and a path to cinema. However, there were no other outstanding performances in British films. Along with this, the actress continued to work on stage in her native England.
But how Judi Dench won the hearts of American viewers in her youth is another question. As soon as the actress arrived in the United States, she immediately became the star of the television romantic comedy “As Time Goes By.” But Hollywood was slow to recognize Judy's potential.
It all happened after the release of the film “GoldenEye” about James Bond, where the actress received the role of M. She appeared several more times as this character. Among the latter was the role in the new film “007: Skyfall” (2012).
In 1997, the actress endeared herself to audiences with her first leading role as Queen Victoria in the film Her Majesty Mrs Brown. Literally a year later, Judy starred in the film “Shakespeare in Love” (1998), but this time in the role of Elizabeth I. It was thanks to this role that the actress received her first Oscar. And this despite the fact that the girl was in the film for no more than eight minutes in total. But Dench's acting was so dazzling that she was awarded a popular and significant film award.
Theater
In 1957, Judi Dench's professional acting biography began. The girl appeared on stage in the image of Shakespeare's Ophelia. The debut turned out to be successful, Judy was noticed by both the audience and strict theater critics. Some time later, in 1960, the actress again got the role of Shakespeare's heroine. This time Judy appeared in the role of Juliet. The director of the production was the well-known Franco Zeffirelli.
Judi Dench in the play "Cabaret"
A year later, Judi Dench was invited to join the official staff of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Literally in the very first year of work, the girl was awarded the title of best metropolitan actress. Judi Dench was then given roles in every performance. The actress constantly improved and every time she performed on stage as if it was the main role in her life.
Other significant roles
Other memorable roles followed in films such as “Chocolat” (2000), “Iris” (2001), “Mrs. Henderson Presents” (2005) and “Diary of a Scandal” (2006). Dench joined an ensemble cast of acclaimed British actors in Marigold Hotel: The Best of Exotic (2011), and then returned in 2020 for the sequel, Marigold Hotel: Check In. She also played a touching role in the film “Philomena” (2013), which was based on the famous story of how a woman searched for her child after he was adopted by strangers.
- In 2020, Judi Dench (you can see a photo of the actress below) starred in the film together with Dustin Hoffman in the BBC adaptation of Roald Dahl’s “Ahap Erech”.
- In 2020, the actress appeared in Tim Burton’s film adaptation of “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.”
- In 2020, Judi Dench received a Golden Globe for her role. The actress played Queen Victoria in Stephen Frears' film Victoria and Abdul.
- In 2020, we again see our beloved Judi Dench on the screens in the film “Murder on the Orient Express”, in the role of Princess Dragomirova.
Judi Dench now
Now the actress, even despite her advanced age, is not going to leave art. The actress continues to act, delighting fans with new roles. Thus, in 2020, three films with the participation of Judi Dench were released - “Murder on the Orient Express”, “Tulip Fever” and “Victoria and Abdul”.
Judi Dench in 2017
The actress devotes her free time to her beloved grandson, as well as caring for her pets. Judi Dench has hamsters, aquarium fish and a dog.
The actress’s grandson, who also chose the acting path, admits that he is proud of his talented grandmother and dreams of soon starring in a film with her.
Awards and achievements
Judi Dench's filmography is amazing and surprising. She has more than 110 projects in her treasury, not counting many years of work on stage.
In 1996, the actress received two unprecedented Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Actress and Best Actress in a Musical.
In 1999 she won her first Oscar. That same year, Dench received a Tony Award for her leading role in Amy Weed.
At the peak of recognition
In “Shakespeare in Love” 1998, the artist again got used to the image of a royal person. Dench was awarded an Oscar for Elizabeth the First.
Although the minor character did not stay on the screen for long, the performer was named the best actress of the century in England. In the film adaptation of Joan Harris’ famous novel “Chocolate,” the performer wonderfully portrayed Armande Voisin.
In “The World Is Not Enough,” she again became M and took part in the filming of “Tea with Mussolini.” “Ladies in Purple” and “Jack and Sarah” were recognized as masterpieces. The new film projects “Quantum of Solace” and “Casino Royale” are impressive.
In 2006, Judy played a schoolteacher in Diary of a Scandal. Her character blackmails her own colleague with a relationship with a student. The work brought a new nomination for an Oscar statuette. Dench's partner was Cate Blanchett.
Even at an advanced age, Judy does not think about retirement. Fans saw her in “Pirates of the Caribbean”, “Jane Eyre”, “007: Skyfall”.
Attitude to work
The actress's approach to work is very unusual. With all this, films with Judi Dench turn out to be incredibly interesting, complete and high-quality. She may not read the script or even familiarize herself with the concept of the film adaptation, preferring to rely on the words and opinions of her friends and colleagues. They often help her make the right decision.
Many actors note that Judy is a little difficult to work with. She often comes to rehearsals without even reading the entire script. But it’s hard to argue with the results of her work. Throughout her career, Dench was recognized as the best actress in Britain and the USA, more than once. In addition to winning the Oscar in 1999, the actress has received a total of seven nominations for this film award. She has also won two Golden Globes, six Laurence Olivier Awards and ten British Academy Film and Television Awards.
Additionally, Dench was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1970 and made a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1988. The actress was awarded a fellowship by the Royal Society of Arts in 2006 and also won a fellowship from the British Film Institute in 2011.
Judi Dench was rejected from film roles because of her “inappropriate appearance”
Oscar-winning actress Judi Dench posed for British Vogue at the age of 85 and became the oldest star to appear on the cover of the gloss in its 104 years of existence. And in an interview with The Mirror, the film star admitted that despite her great success, a film career was never her dream after she was told that she would “never act in a film.”
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Judi Dench achieved greater success, devoting 60 years of her life to the film industry. Contrary to the predictions of her ill-wishers, she became a sought-after actress.
Of course, there are things that the film star regrets to this day. She told reporters about one of them. It turns out Judi Dench thinks she should have filmed "more sex scenes" when she was young.
1957
Throughout my life I have had several sex scenes. A few more in the theater. What a disappointment.
The star first appeared on stage in 1957, and her film debut took place in 1964 in the film “The Third Secret.” Ms. Dench gained worldwide fame from such famous films as the new series of the epic about James Bond, where she played M - Bond’s boss, and the film “Shakespeare in Love,” in which she played the role of Queen Elizabeth I. For the latter, she received an Oscar in 1998 year.
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However, despite everything she has achieved, including seven Oscar nominations, the actress admitted that she was initially told she didn't have the right looks to star in films. Judy did not despair, because she liked playing in the theater more.
I was told that I would never act in films. I didn't like my appearance. And I didn’t want to make films. I never thought that I would have a bright future in the film industry because the stage is my true passion,
- said the Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
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Photo source: ANL/REX
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Personal life
Judi Dench married actor Michael Williams in 1971. The couple worked together several times, including in the British television series “Beautiful Love” (1981-1984), and then in the film “Tea with Mussolini” (1999). Michael Williams died of lung cancer in 2001. The couple has one child, actress Tara Cressida Frances William, who is best known under the stage name Finty Williams.
Immediately after her husband's funeral, Judi Dench began traveling around Canada and Nova Scotia to film The Shipping News (2001). It was like therapy for her to help her cope with her grief. Even the actress herself repeatedly admitted that grief provided her with a huge amount of energy, and Judy was unable to channel it into her suffering. She used it to cope with the loss and continue living a normal life.
Despite being diagnosed with macular degeneration and undergoing knee surgery in recent years, Judi Dench continues to dedicate herself to her craft and attract rave reviews. That is why a huge number of viewers call her one of the most famous actresses of her generation.
Since 2010, Dench has been in a relationship with journalist David Mills. Four years later, the actress admitted in an interview with the Times that she did not expect to find love again after the death of her husband. “I wasn't ready for this. At first it was very strange, and then gradually the feeling grew into something wonderful,” admits Judi Dench.
In 2012, the actress was discussed in many newspapers and programs due to her disease - macular degeneration, but the problem was resolved with an injection in the eye and an assistant who read scripts to her. In 2013, Judy underwent knee surgery, but stated after some time that she had recovered from the procedure and was ready to start working. “This is not a problem for me,” said the actress.
Fight for a place in the sun
Judi Dench is a famous scandalous person, and not because someone crossed her path or looked at her the wrong way in a restaurant. The actress, on the contrary, defends the right to exist for older actresses. “I'm tired of hearing that I'm too old to try something new. I’m able to decide for myself what things I can do and what I can’t do,” Dench said. “Age is a number. This is what has been forced upon you and it drives me incredibly crazy. Especially when people ask if I'm going to retire, if I'm ready to die. But the most annoying thing is when they ask a question about my age,” the actress continued.
Interesting facts from life
- Few people know this, but Judi Dench sings quite well. This can be judged when the actress performed in the musical “Cabaret” (1968).
- One of her most famous roles is as M in the James Bond films. It all started in 1995 in the film “GoldenEye”, where the main actor was Pierce Brosnan.
- In 1996, Judi Dench became the first woman in history to win two Laurence Olivier Awards. It is important to note that she won them for two different performances.
- Dench has a distinct, rich and husky voice. It can often be heard in cartoons and animated stories. In the animated series “Ballerina Angelina,” the actress dubbed the character Miss Lily.
- The actress simply loves horse riding. Judy has a horse named Smokey Oakie.
- The actress in 2013 admitted to the world about her religion, which she adheres to. Judi Dench is a member of the Quaker community, which was founded by George Fox in the 17th century.
Catherine Deneuve (73 years old)
Deneuve has been recognized more than once as the most beautiful woman in the world. And it seems that she is not going to give up the “palm”. The actress never hid her age and, on the contrary, spoke about it with pleasure. To maintain physical fitness, Deneuve prefers long walks. She is convinced that true beauty lies in charm, of which she has more than enough.
“There are no pronounced wrinkles on Katrin’s face, and at the same time the shape has changed: in her youth it was triangular, now it has become more round - the result of camouflaging the missing volumes with fillers. In my opinion, it’s not very successful, as the face looks puffy. The forehead and eyebrow area are smooth – botulinum toxin injections.”
