Although she had long been a revered stage and screen star in her native England, this remarkable actress didn't come to prominence stateside until well past middle age, when she appeared in a string of art-house hits in the '90s. Beginning her career on the British stage in the '50s, Dench tackled some of theater's most iconic roles over the next few decades, such as Ophelia in
Hamlet, the title Egyptian queen in
Antony and Cleopatra, Lady Bracknell in
The Importance of Being Earnest, and decadent diva Sally Bowles in
Cabaret. Dench invariably earned raves for her work and in the '60s began adding TV roles to her résumé, proving that she was just as adept at comedy as classics by starring in two popular Britcoms:
A Fine Romance, alongside her real-life husband Michael Williams, and
As Time Goes By, opposite longtime friend Geoffrey Palmer. Throughout her lauded career, she earned practically every accolade possible in her homeland: a record six Olivier Awards for her stage work, 20 BAFTA nominations (and nine wins) for her TV and film performances, and was granted the title of Officer of the British Empire in 1970, then promoted to dame in 1988. And yet it would still take another 10 years for the U.S. to officially recognize her talents. She appeared in a number of supporting movie roles in the '90s, notably as the first female incarnation of M, James Bond's boss, beginning with 1995's
GoldenEye. Two years later, she snagged her very first leading film role when she played Queen Victoria in the biopic
Mrs. Brown, which earned Dench her first Academy Award nomination. But it was her turn as another monarch, Queen Elizabeth I in 1998's
Shakespeare in Love, that would finally win her an Oscar. Although she only had eight minutes of screen time, she left an indelible impression as the headstrong leader. A few months after taking home the statuette, she netted another American award, the Tony, for her performance in
Amy's View, her first Broadway appearance in 40 years. At an age when most people would opt for retirement, the sexagenarian thespian was in high demand, garnering praise and nominations for practically every project she tackled, including four more Oscar nods (
Chocolat, Iris, Mrs. Henderson Presents, Notes on a Scandal) and a Golden Globe for her spirited turn in the TV-movie
The Last of the Blonde Bombshells.
Judi Dench Fast Facts:
- Her father was the official doctor for the Theatre Royal in York.
- Attended high school with novelist A.S. Byatt
- Made her professional acting debut in 1957 as Ophelia in an Old Vic production of Hamlet.
- Made history in 1996 by becoming the first person to win two Olivier awards in the same season: Best Actress for Absolute Hell and Best Actress in A Musical for A Little Night Music.
- Judi Dench Relationships:
- Rebekah Elmaloglou - Cousin
- Jeffrey Dench - Brother
- Michael Williams - Husband (deceased)
- Finty Williams - Daughter
- Olave Dench - Mother
- Peter Dench - Brother
- Reginald Arthur Dench - Father
- Sebastian Elmaloglou - Cousin
- Judi Dench Awards:
- 2001 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Winner
- 1998 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - Winner
- 2002 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee
- 2007 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee
- 2006 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- 1999 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 2001 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 2001 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie - Nominee
- 1997 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 2001 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 2005 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 2006 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 1998 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - Winner
- 2000 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - Nominee
- 1999 Tony: Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play - Winner
- 2008 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie - Nominee
- 2008 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie - Nominee
- 2008 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie - Nominee
- College:
- Central School of Speech and Drama, London, England
