Judi Dench
Born: 1934-12-09 in York, North Yorkshire, England
Known For: Acting
Biography
Dame Judith Olivia "Judi" Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA (born 9 December 1934) is an English film, stage and television actress. Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years she played in several of William Shakespeare's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth. She branched into film work, and won a BAFTA Award as Most Promising Newcomer; however, most of her work during this period was in theatre. Not generally known as a singer, she drew strong reviews for her leading role in the musical Cabaret in 1968. During the next two decades, she established herself as one of the most significant British theatre performers, working for the National Theatre Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company. In television, she achieved success during this period, in the series A Fine Romance from 1981 until 1984 and in 1992 began a continuing role in the television romantic comedy series As Time Goes By. Her film appearances were infrequent until she was cast as M in GoldenEye (1995), a role she played in each James Bond film until Skyfall (2012). She received several notable film awards for her role as Queen Victoria in Mrs. Brown (1997), and has since been acclaimed for her work in such films as Shakespeare in Love (1998), Chocolat (2000), Iris (2001), Mrs Henderson Presents (2005) and Notes on a Scandal (2006), and the television production The Last of the Blonde Bombshells (2001). Regarded by critics as one of the greatest actresses of the post-war period, and frequently named as the leading British actress in polls, Dench has received many award nominations for her acting in theatre, film and television; her awards include ten BAFTAs, seven Laurence Olivier Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Golden Globes, an Academy Award, and a Tony Award. She was married to actor Michael Williams from 1971 until his death in 2001. They are the parents of actress Finty Williams.
Filmography
2026
- The Magic Faraway Tree as The Fridge (voice)
- David Attenborough’s 100 Years on Planet Earth as Self
- Joke
2025
- Tea with Judi Dench as Self
- Morecambe & Wise: The Unseen Tapes as Self
- Judi Dench: Shakespeare, My Family and Me as Self
2024
2023
- Shakespeare: Rise of a Genius as Self
- Allelujah as Mary
- The Coronation Concert as Self (archive footage)
- MCAINE: An Anagram of Cinema as Self - Actress (archive footage)
2022
- Remembers… as Self
- Spirited as Dame Judi Dench
- Louis Theroux Interviews as Self
- Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends as Self
- Quintessentially British as Self
- Judi Dench: Our National Treasure as Self (archive footage)
- Born to be The King as Narrator
- I Remember It Well: Dame Judi Dench in Conversation with Gyles Bandreth as Self
2021
- Belfast as Granny
- Off the Rails as Diana
- The Show Must Go On! - Live at the Palace Theatre as Self - Preshow Announcement (voice)
2020
- Staged as Judi
- Artemis Fowl as Commander Root
- Six Minutes to Midnight as Miss Rocholl
- Blithe Spirit as Madame Arcati
- The Big Night In as Self
2019
- Cats as Old Deuteronomy
- Judi Dench's Wild Borneo Adventure as Self
2018
- All Is True as Anne Shakespeare
- Red Joan as Joan Elizabeth Stanley
- Nothing Like a Dame as Self
- Palo Santo as Mother of Palo Santo
2017
- Murder on the Orient Express as Princess Dragomiroff
- Tulip Fever as The Abbess of St. Ursula
- Victoria & Abdul as Queen Victoria
- Judi Dench: My Passion for Trees as Self
2016
- Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children as Miss Avocet
- Shakespeare Live! From the RSC as Self - Performer
- Judi Dench: All the World's Her Stage as Self
2015
- Spectre as M (uncredited)
- The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel as Evelyn Greenslade
- Branagh Theatre Live: The Winter's Tale as Paulina
- Roald Dahl's Esio Trot as Mrs. Silver
- The Vote as Christine Metcalfe
- Dames of Classic Drama at the BBC as Self (archive material)
2014
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as Self
- Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self
2013
- Vicious as Judi Dench (voice, uncredited)
- Talking Pictures as Self (archive footage)
- Philomena as Philomena
- National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage as Cleopatra/Desiree Armfeldt
- Six by Sondheim as Self (archive footage)
- Muse of Fire as Self
2012
- The Hollow Crown as Cecily
- Skyfall as M
- The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel as Evelyn Greenslade
- Everything or Nothing as Self
- Stars in Shorts as Mary
- Top Gear: 50 Years of Bond Cars as Self
- Run For Your Wife as Bag Lady
2011
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides as Society Lady
- Jane Eyre as Mrs. Fairfax
- J. Edgar as Anna Marie Hoover
- My Week with Marilyn as Dame Sybil Thorndike
- Into the Woods as The Giant (voice)
- James Bond Supports International Women's Day as M (voice)
- Friend Request Pending as Mary
2009
- Nine as Lilli
- Rage as Mona Carvell
- Live from Studio Five as Self
2008
- Quantum of Solace as M
2007
- The Graham Norton Show as Self
- Cranford as Miss Matilda Jenkyns
2006
- The One Show as Self
- Casino Royale as M
- Notes on a Scandal as Barbara Covett
- Doogal as Narrator (voice)
- Directing Bond: The Martin Chronicles
- Angelina Ballerina: All Dancers on Deck as Miss Lilly (voice)
2005
- Pride & Prejudice as Lady Catherine de Bourgh
- Mrs. Henderson Presents as Mrs. Laura Henderson
- The Funny Blokes of British Comedy as Jean Pargetter (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Angelina Ballerina: The Big Performance as Miss Lilly (voice)
- Angelina Ballerina: Angelina's Princess Dance as Miss Lilly (voice)
- We Become Silent - The Last Days of Health Freedom as Narrator
2004
- Who Do You Think You Are? as Self
- Home on the Range as Mrs. Caloway (voice)
- The Chronicles of Riddick as Aereon
- Ladies in Lavender as Ursula
- A Dairy Tale as Mrs. Calloway (voice)
- Angelina Ballerina: The Show Must Go On as Miss Lilly (voice)
- Maria Callas: Living and Dying for Art and Love as Self
2003
- Bugs! as Narrator (voice)
- Angelina Ballerina - Lights, Camera, Action! as Miss Lilly (voice)
2002
- Die Another Day as M
- The Importance of Being Earnest as Lady Bracknell
- Die Another Day: From Script to Screen as Self
- Billy Connolly: A BAFTA Tribute as Self
- Best Ever Bond as Self
- Shaken and Stirred on Ice as Self
- Richard Rodgers: Some Enchanted Evening as Performer: "Sixteen Going on Seventeen"
- Judi Dench Talks to Richard Eyre as Self
- The Life of Shakespeare as self
2001
- Angelina Ballerina as Miss Lilly (voice)
- The Shipping News as Agnis Hamm
- Iris as Iris Murdoch
2000
- Chocolat as Armande Voizin
- The Last of the Blonde Bombshells as Elizabeth
- Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport as Self - Narrator (voice)
1999
- The World Is Not Enough as M
- Tea with Mussolini as Arabella
- Billy Connolly: Erect for 30 Years
1998
- Parkinson as Self
- Shakespeare in Love as Queen Elizabeth
- Hey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh as Desiree Armfeldt (segment "Send In The Clowns")
- Highly Classified: The World of 007 as Self
1997
- Tomorrow Never Dies as M
- Hububb ... (Writer)
- Mrs Brown as Queen Victoria
1996
- Hamlet as Hecuba
1995
- GoldenEye as M
- Jack & Sarah as Margaret
- Goldeneye: The Secret Files as Self
- GoldenEye: The Secret Files - The Cast as Self
1994
1992
- HBO First Look as Self
- As Time Goes By as Jean Pargetter
- J.R.R.T. : A Study of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, 1892-1973 as Narrator
1991
- Pebble Mill as Self
- Performance as Christine Foskett
- Absolute Hell as Christine Foskett
1990
- Can You Hear Me Thinking? as Anne
1989
- Henry V as Mistress Quickly
- Behaving Badly as Bridget Mayor
- Look Back in Anger ... (Director)
1988
- Countryfile as Self
- A Handful of Dust as Mrs. Beaver
- An Audience With Victoria Wood as Self
- One More Audience with Dame Edna Everage as Self (uncredited)
1987
- Going Live! as Self
- 84 Charing Cross Road as Nora Doel
- Make and Break as Mrs. Rogers
- Ghosts as Helene Alving
- The Angelic Conversation as (voice)
1986
- A Room with a View as Eleanor Lavish
1985
- Theatre Night
- Wetherby as Marcia Pilborough
- Mr. and Mrs. Edgehill as Dorrie Edgehill
- The Browning Version as Millie Crocker-Harris
1984
1983
- Saigon: Year of the Cat as Barbara Dean
1981
- A Fine Romance as Laura Dalton
- The Cherry Orchard as Mme. Ranevsky
- Going Gently as Sister Scarli
1980
- Love in a Cold Climate as Aunt Sadie
1979
- Macbeth as Lady Macbeth
- Village Wooing as Z
- On Giant's Shoulders as Hazel Wiles
1978
- An Audience with... as Self
- The Comedy of Errors as Adriana
- Langrishe, Go Down as Imogen Langrishe
1977
- BBC2 Play of the Week as Imogen Langrishe
1976
- My Homeland as Reader
1968
- Ooh La La! as Amélie
- A Midsummer Night's Dream as Titania
1967
- Omnibus as Self - Reading Poetry
- ITV Playhouse as Helen Payle
1966
- Talking to a Stranger as Terry Stevens - Daughter
1965
- BBC Play of the Month as Elizabeth Moris
- A Study in Terror as Sally
- Four in the Morning as Wife ("Judi")
- He Who Rides a Tiger as Joanne
1964
- Theatre 625 as Valentine Wannop
- Detective as Charlotte Revel
- The Third Secret as Miss Ada Humphries
1963
- Festival as Angela Thwaites
1962
- The Cherry Orchard as Anya
1960
- An Age of Kings as Katherine of Valois
1956
- Tony Awards as Self - Presenter / Winner
1953
- The Oscars as Self
1949
- The BAFTA Awards as Self