Judi Dench

Dame Judith Olivia Dench, CH, DBE (born 9 December, 1934), known as Dame Judi Dench, is an Academy Award-winning English actress who was born in North Yorkshire.

In her native country, Dench has developed a reputation as arguably the greatest actress in post-World War II history, primarily through her work in theatre, which has been her main forte throughout her career. She has more than once come first in polls to find Britain's best actress [http://www.timeout.com/film/news/303.html. Furthermore, she gained worldwide popular fame when she took over the role of M when the James Bond film series restarted in 1995.

Biography

Dench was born to Reginald Arthur Dench and Eleanora and was raised a Quaker. When Judi Dench was thirteen, she entered The Mount School, York.

In 1971 she married British actor Michael Williams and they had their only child, Tara Cressida Williams (aka "Finty Williams"), on 24 September, 1972. Their daughter later became an actor like her parents. Dame Judi starred with her husband in the 1980s British sitcom, A Fine Romance. Michael Williams died of lung cancer, aged 65, in 2001.

Her notable relatives include Emma Dench, eminent Roman historian at Birkbeck College, London.

Today, she is a patron of The Leaveners, Friends' School Saffron Walden^{^*} and the Archway Theatre, Horley, UK.

Career

She received her dramatic training at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London and made her professional debut as Ophelia in Hamlet in Liverpool in 1957. She subsequently spent several seasons in repertory in Oxford and Nottingham. In 1961, she joined the Royal Shakespeare Company and made numerous appearances with the company in Stratford and London over the next two decades, winning several best actress awards.

Dench has also made numerous appearances in the West End and with the National Theatre in London. She is a multiple winner of the main awards for performances on the London stage, including a record six Laurence Olivier Awards. She has also appeared with success on Broadway in Amy's Room,and has occasionally directed plays.

As she enters her seventies, Dame Judi remains probably the biggest draw on the London stage. She is often compared and contrasted with Dame Maggie Smith, another British actress of the same generation, with whom she has appeared in several movies and on stage in David Hare's two-hander Breath of Life. She returned to the West End stage in April 2006 in Hay Fever alongside Peter Bowles, Belinda Lang and Kim Medcalf.

Her many television appearances include lead roles in the series As Time Goes By and A Fine Romance.

Dench was created an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) in 1970, and raised to Dame Commander (DBE) in 1988. She was made a Companion of Honour (CH) in 2005. In 2000-2001 she received an Honorary DLitt from Durham University.

She is currently appearing opposite Ewan MacGregor in an advert for Film Four, in which she is dressed as a lobster.^*

Selected filmography

A Room with a View (1985)
A Handful of Dust (1987)
Henry V (1989)
Mrs. Brown (1997; also known as Her Majesty, Mrs. Brown)
Shakespeare in Love (1998)
Tea With Mussolini (1999)
Chocolat (2000)
Iris (2001)
The Shipping News (2001)
The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)
Ladies in Lavender (2004)
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005)
Notes On a Scandal (2006)

James Bond

In 1995 she took over the role of M in the James Bond series and has appeared in the films:

She has also lent her voice for the role of M in two James Bond video games:

Selected discography

A Midsummer Night's Dream (1995); from Felix Mendelssohn as Recitant. Conducted by Seiji Ozawa.

Selected awards and recognition

Theatre

1999 - Tony Award for Best Actress for Amy's View
1997 - London Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress for Amy's View
1996 - Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress for Absolute Hell
1996 - Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Entertainment for A Little Night Music
1987 - Laurence Olivier Award, Evening Standard Award and London Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress for Antony and Cleopatra
1984 - Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a New Play for Pack of Lies
1982 - London Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress for The Importance of Being Earnest and A Kind of Alaska
1980 - Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Revival for Juno and the Paycock
1977 - Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Revival for Macbeth

Film and television

2005 - Nominated Academy Award for Best Actress for Mrs. Henderson Presents
2005 - Nominated Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Mrs. Henderson Presents
2002 - Nominated Academy Award for Best Actress for Iris
2001 - Nominated Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Chocolat
1999 - Won Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Shakespeare in Love
1998 - Nominated Academy Award for Best Actress and won Golden Globe for Mrs. Brown
1987 - Won BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress for A Room with a View
1967 - Won BAFTA Television Award for Best Actress for Talking to a Stranger
1966 - Won BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer for Four in the Morning

Trivia

Dench won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing Elizabeth I in the film Shakespeare in Love. That same year, Australian actress Cate Blanchett was also nominated in the lead actress category for portraying the same character. The role is one of three roles that have been nominated twice in Oscar history, the other two being Mafia chieftain Don Vito Corleone and poolshark "Fast Eddie" Felson.

External links

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