Judi Dench facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Judi Dench
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Dench in 2007
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| Born |
Judith Olivia Dench
9 December 1934 |
| Education | Royal Central School of Speech and Drama |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1957–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Michael Williams
(m. 1971; died 2001) |
| Partner(s) | David Mills (2010–present) |
| Children | Finty Williams |
| Relatives |
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| Awards | Full list |
Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is a famous English actress. Many people think she is one of Britain's best actors ever. She is known for playing many different kinds of roles in movies, on television, and on stage.
Over her long career, which has lasted for more than 70 years, Dench has won many awards. These include an Academy Award, a Tony Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and seven Olivier Awards. She is celebrated for her amazing talent and hard work.
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Early Life and Family
Judi Dench was born in Heworth, a part of York, England. Her father, Reginald, was a doctor from Dorset, and her mother, Eleanora, was from Dublin, Ireland. Her parents met while they were students at Trinity College Dublin.
Dench grew up with two older brothers, Peter and Jeffery. Jeffery also became an actor. Because her father was the doctor for the York Theatre Royal and her mother worked with the costumes, Dench was around actors and the theatre from a young age.
She went to a Quaker school called The Mount School. At first, she wanted to be a set designer. But she was inspired to act after seeing the famous actress Peggy Ashcroft on stage. She decided to go to the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, where she graduated with top honors.
Career Beginnings
Dench started her professional acting career in 1957. She joined the Old Vic Company and played Ophelia in Hamlet. For the next few years, she acted in many of William Shakespeare's plays, including Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth.
Although she mostly worked in the theatre, she also started appearing in movies. She won a BAFTA Award for being the Most Promising Newcomer. In 1968, she received great reviews for playing Sally Bowles in the musical Cabaret. This role showed that she could also sing and dance.
Over the next 20 years, Dench became one of the most important theatre actors in Britain. She worked with famous groups like the National Theatre Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).
Famous Theatre Roles
With the RSC, Dench played many memorable characters. In 1976, she played Adriana in a musical version of The Comedy of Errors. She also starred with Donald Sinden in Much Ado About Nothing. A famous critic, Bernard Levin, wrote that she was a "comic actress of consummate skill."
One of her most famous roles was Lady Macbeth in Macbeth in 1976. The play was performed on a small, simple stage, which made the acting even more powerful. Her performance alongside Ian McKellen was a huge success. She won a Best Actress award for this role in 1977.
Television and Film Success
Dench also became well-known for her work on television. She starred in popular comedy shows like A Fine Romance (1981–1984) and As Time Goes By (1992–2005).
For a long time, she did not appear in many movies. But she had important supporting roles in films like A Room with a View (1985). Her career changed in 1995 when she was cast as M, the boss of James Bond, in the movie GoldenEye.
Playing M in James Bond
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Dench was the first woman to play M. The character was based on Dame Stella Rimington, who was the real-life head of MI5. Dench played M in eight James Bond films, from GoldenEye with Pierce Brosnan to Spectre with Daniel Craig.
Her character was tough, smart, and respected. In the 2012 film Skyfall, M had a very important role, and the story focused on an attack against her. Dench's final appearance as M was a small part in Spectre (2015).
Winning an Academy Award
In 1997, Dench starred as Queen Victoria in the film Mrs Brown. Her performance was so good that she was nominated for an Academy Award. This film made her a big star in Hollywood.
The next year, she played Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love (1998). Even though she was only on screen for about eight minutes, her performance was powerful. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for this role.
A Star of the 21st Century
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Throughout the 2000s, Dench continued to star in many successful films. She earned more Oscar nominations for her roles in:
- Chocolat (2000)
- Iris (2001), where she played the writer Iris Murdoch.
- Mrs Henderson Presents (2005)
- Notes on a Scandal (2006), where she acted alongside Cate Blanchett.
In 2012, she starred in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel with other famous British actors like Maggie Smith. The film was a surprise hit about a group of British retirees who move to India. She returned for the sequel, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, in 2015.
In 2013, she starred in Philomena, a film based on a true story about a woman searching for her son. This role earned her another Oscar nomination. Her most recent nomination came in 2021 for the film Belfast.
Personal Life
Judi Dench married actor Michael Williams in 1971. They had one daughter, Finty Williams, who is also an actress. Judi and Michael were together until he passed away in 2001.
Since 2010, Dench has been in a relationship with David Mills, a conservationist who works to protect wildlife. They met when she opened a new squirrel area at the British Wildlife Centre.
Dench has spoken out against the movie industry for not giving enough roles to older actresses. She believes that age should not stop anyone from trying new things.
In 2012, she shared that she has a condition called macular degeneration, which affects her eyesight. This makes it hard for her to read scripts, so she has someone read them to her. Despite this, she has continued to act in many roles.
Charity Work and Honours
Dench supports many charities. She is a patron of the Karuna Trust, which helps poor communities in India. She also supports Survival International, an organization that protects the rights of indigenous people.
She is a patron of the Shakespeare Schools Festival, which helps children perform Shakespeare's plays in professional theatres.
For her amazing career, Dench has received many honours. In 1988, she was made a Dame, which is the female equivalent of a knight. This is why she is often called Dame Judi Dench.
Awards and Nominations
Judi Dench has won many of the biggest awards in acting. She has been nominated for an Academy Award eight times and won once.
- 1997: Nominated for Best Actress for Mrs. Brown
- 1998: Won Best Supporting Actress for Shakespeare in Love
- 2000: Nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Chocolat
- 2001: Nominated for Best Actress for Iris
- 2005: Nominated for Best Actress for Mrs Henderson Presents
- 2006: Nominated for Best Actress for Notes on a Scandal
- 2013: Nominated for Best Actress for Philomena
- 2021: Nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Belfast
She has also won seven Laurence Olivier Awards for her work in theatre, which is a record.
Images for kids
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Dench with Skyfall co-star Ben Whishaw at the Noël Coward Theatre in 2013
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Dench in March 2023
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See also
In Spanish: Judi Dench para niños
