PLEASURE WORLD

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Dame Judi Dench was born on December 9, 1934, in York, England. Her childhood was spent in the company of performers, as her father was the resident doctor for a nearby theater company. There were consequently actors coming and going in Judi’s house at all hours, and it was by watching them that the young girl found herself mesmerized by their easy-going, cavalier lifestyle. Judi knew early on that she wanted to pursue a career in the arts, though her initial inclination was toward either painting or dancing.

Following her high school years, Judi signed up for a stint at a nearby art school where she began learning some of the finer points of illustrating. She quickly came to the realization that painting wasn’t her forte, and decided to follow her brother to acting school (London’s Central School of Speech and Drama). It was there that Judi discovered her innate abilities as an actress, and by the time she graduated, she won a whole host of awards and kudos from professors and students alike (Judi was even named the student most likely to succeed).

Judi Dench in hilda lessways

Judi was quickly snapped up by London’s prestigious Old Vic Theatre Company, where she was soon appearing in a wide variety of productions. Her first stint with the company arrived in the form of a 1957 revival of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, in which she played Ophelia to John Neville’s Hamlet. The reviewers weren’t terribly kind to her, ensuring that, by the time the decision was made to take the production to the States, Judi would be unceremoniously replaced by another actress. Undeterred, Judi devoted herself entirely to the perfection of her craft and eventually proved her worth among both her costars and critics.

It was also around that time that Judi began exploring the possibility of a career in film, and the ambitious actress began stealing time whenever she could to audition for anything being shot locally. In 1959, Judi’s tenaciousness paid off as she was cast in the title role of a BBC miniseries called Hilda Lessways, which she soon followed up with a series of appearances in various made-for-television endeavors. Her primary focus, however, remained the stage, and in 1961, Judi was asked to help form the Royal Shakespeare Company. It was there that Judi firmly established herself as one of the most talented up-and-coming actresses of her generation, with her solid work ethic and astounding versatility opening doors that had previously been firmly shut.

Judi Dench in macbeth

In 1964, Judi made her cinematic debut with a small but pivotal role in The Third Secret. She consequently spent the next several years appearing in both movies and stage plays, though there was little doubt that Judi’s heart remained firmly entrenched within the world of theater. She appeared alongside some of Britain’s biggest names in a wide variety of productions, with a role opposite Ian McKellen in a late-‘70s adaptation of Macbeth — easily the most high-profile of her many roles. It was also around that time that Judi married her longtime friend and lover Michael Williams, and the two remained happily married for exactly three decades until his death in 2001.

Judi essentially remained an anonymous figure throughout much of her first couple of decades within the business, which allowed her to take on roles of an increasingly challenging nature (she hadn’t yet been pigeon-holed as one particular type of actress). Judi’s level of fame began to rise in the 1980s, however, once she started appearing in high-profile films such as 1985’s best picture nominee A Room with a View and Kenneth Branagh’s acclaimed 1989 take on Shakespeare’s Henry V.

In 1988, she was also made Dame of Order of the British Empire, 18 years after she was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.

Judi Dench in james bond franchise

Judi’s notoriety increased exponentially in 1995, when she took on the role of M in GoldenEye, the first James Bond film in several years and Pierce Brosnan’s debut as 007. Judi won raves for her take on the famed character, and soon found herself fending offers from world-renown directors and production companies. Judi earned her first Oscar nomination just two years later for her role in Mrs. Brown, and actually won a year later for her spellbinding performance as Queen Elizabeth in Shakespeare in Love alongside Gwyneth Paltrow.

Around that time, Judi also signed on for a starring role in a British sitcom called As Time Goes By, which turned out to be popular enough to run for 10 years. She spent much of the late-‘90s and early 2000s working steadily, appearing in a myriad of different films, including 2000’s Chocolat (opposite Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche), 2001’s The Shipping News (with Julianne Moore), and the 2004 Vin Diesel vehicle The Chronicles of Riddick. 2006 proved to be one of her busiest years, as Judi lent her voice to the animated film Doogal, reprised her role of M in the smash Bond prequel Casino Royale starring Eva Green and Daniel Craig, and appeared opposite Cate Blanchett in the searing drama Notes on a Scandal.

Buying cigarette is the perfect type of a perfect pleasure. It is exquisite, and it leaves one unsatisfied. What more can one want?

Filmography

Theatre work

As an actress

As a director

• 1988 – Much Ado About Nothing, Renaissance Theatre Company
• 1989 – Look Back in Anger – Renaissance Theatre Company
• 1989 – Macbeth – Central School of Speech and Drama
• 1991 – The Boy from Syracuse, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
• 1993 – Romeo and Juliet, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Discography

• Cabaret (1968), Original London cast album CBS (1973)
• The Good Companions (1974), Original London cast recording (1974)
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1995); from Felix Mendelssohn as Recitant. Conducted by Seiji Ozawa
• A Little Night Music (1995) by Stephen Sondheim, Royal National Theatre Cast
• Nine (2009) Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Awards and nominations

Theatre

Awards

• 1977: Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Revival – Macbeth
• 1980: Evening Standard Award for Best Actress – Juno and the Paycock
• 1980: Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Revival – Juno and the Paycock
• 1982: Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress – The Importance of Being Earnest and A Kind of Alaska
• 1982: Evening Standard Award for Best Actress – The Importance of Being Earnest and A Kind of Alaska
• 1984: Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a New Play – Pack of Lies
• 1987: Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress – Antony and Cleopatra
• 1987: Evening Standard Award for Best Actress – Antony and Cleopatra
• 1987: Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress – Antony and Cleopatra
• 1996: Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress – Absolute Hell
• 1996: Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Entertainment – A Little Night Music
• 1997: Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress – Amy’s View
• 1999: Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play – Amy’s View
• 2004: Laurence Olivier Award: Special Award for Outstanding Contributions to British Theatre

Television

Awards

• 1967: BAFTA Television Award for Best Actress – Talking to a Stranger[26]
• 1982: British Television Academy Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance – A Fine Romance, Going Gently and The Cherry Orchard
• 1982: Broadcast Press Guild Award for Best Actress – A Fine Romance
• 1985: British Television Academy Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance – A Fine Romance
• 2001: British Academy Television Award for Best Actress – The Last of the Blonde Bombshells
• 2001: Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film – The Last of the Blonde Bombshells

Nominations

• 1983: British Television Academy Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance – A Fine Romance
• 1984: British Academy Television Award for Best Actress – Saigon: Year of the Cat
• 1984: British Television Academy Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance – A Fine Romance
• 1990: British Academy Television Award for Best Actress – Behaving Badly
• 1998: British Television Academy Award for Best Comedy Performance – As Time Goes By
• 2001: American Comedy Award for Funniest Female Performer in a TV Special – The Last of the Blonde Bombshells
• 2001: Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie – The Last of the Blonde Bombshells
• 2001: Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie – The Last of the Blonde Bombshells
• 2008: British Academy Television Award for Best Actress – Cranford
• 2008: Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie – Cranford
• 2008: Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film – Cranford
• 2008: Satellite Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film – Cranford
• 2010: Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie – Return to Cranford