Judi Dench – The Name is ‘M’

Dame Judith Olivia “Judi” Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA is a famous English film and theatre actress best known for her portrayal of ‘M’, the boss in the James Bond films, a role she appeared in in all the James Bonds films from 1995 to 2015. A veteran of the Royal Shakespeare Company Dench became one of the most successful British film and theatre actress and eventually moved to a film and TV career. Dench was mostly seen in period dramas and plays before she was cast as M.

Dench has received 7 Academy Award nominations, winning in 1998 for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love. Furthermore, Dench has been felicitated with six British Academy Film Awards, four BAFTA TV Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as a Tony Award. She is known for her work in films like ‘Mrs Brown’, ‘Chocolat’, ‘Iris’, ‘Mrs Henderson Presents’, ‘Notes on a Scandal’ and ‘Philomena’ among several others.

Early Life and Education

Dench was born on 9 December 1934 in Heworth, North Riding of Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom as the only daughter out of the three children born to Dublin, Ireland based British doctor Reginald Arthur Dench and his wife Eleanora Olive (née Jones). She was raised in the city of her birth along with her brothers, actor Jeffrey Dench and Peter Dench.

Dench was educated at a Quaker (Religious Society of Friends) independent secondary school known as The Mount School in York. She was an active member of the Quaker Society. Dench later enrolled into Royal Central School of Speech & Drama at the University of London, England.

Career Rise

Dench began her career as a stage artiste and appeared in several hit Royal Shakespeare Company theatre and Broadway productions in UK. She gained prominence for her performances in the Shakespearean Plays ‘Hamlet’ as Ophelia and ‘Henry V’ as Kathrine and Anya in Anton Chekhov’s ‘The Cherry Orchard’. Dench rose to prominence in 1966 for her work in the film ‘Four in the Morning’ which earned her a BAFTA Award. In 1968, Dench won a TV BAFTA for her work in the BBC drama series ‘Talking to a Stranger’. Dench’s was cast as ‘M’ the boss of the popular fictional British agent 007 James Bond and became the first woman to be cast in the role. She made her first appearance as M in the 1995 film ‘Golden Eye’.

Dench received her first leading film role in the 1997 film ‘Mrs Brown’ based on Queen Victoria’s friendship with her servant John Brown. The film was declared an “unexpected” commercial success. Dench received an Academy Award nomination and won another BAFTA award for her performance.  In 1997, Dench reprised her role of ‘M’ in the James Bond film ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ and in the following year, appeared as Queen Elizabeth I in ‘Shakespeare in Love’ for which she won an Academy Award among several other accolades. Dench has since delivered powerful performances in films like ‘Tea with Mussolini’, ‘Chronicles of Riddick ‘, ‘Jane Eyre’, ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ and its sequel. She also reprised her role of ‘M’ in the films ‘The World Is Not Enough’, ‘Die Another Day’, ‘Casino Royale’, ‘Quantum of Solace’ ‘Skyfall’ and ‘Spectre’.

 Judy Dench – Young Pictures

        

 

Husband

Dench got married to British actor Michael Williams in February 1971. The couple became parents to a daughter, actress Finty Williams (born Tara Cressida Frances Williams) in September 1972. Dench and Williams were married for 30 years until he passed in 2001 after battling lung cancer.

Dench began a relationship with David Mills, a conservationist in 2010 after being friends for a long time and stated that the process was “very, very gradual and grown up” since she wasn’t prepared nor expected to be in a relationship after the death of her husband. In 2013, Dench underwent knee surgery. She takes eye injections for the treatment of macular degeneration.

Judi Dench – Net Worth

Dench has an estimated net worth of approximately $35 Million.