The joy of Judi
Louis Theroux chats to British acting legend Dame Judi Dench about her incredible life and career…
She’s one of our most-acclaimed actors, but if one film director had had his way, Dame Judi Dench would never have graced our screens.
‘He said, “I don’t think you’ll ever be in a film because you have everything wrong with your face,”’ she tells Louis Theroux as they share a candid chat for this second episode of his documentary series.
Of course, Dame Judi has totally proved this unkind man wrong as she’s been a star of stage and screen for more than 60 years, playing iconic roles such as M in the Bond franchise and Queen Victoria in Mrs Brown. She also won an Oscar for her role as Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love. Dame Judi invites Louis to her Surrey home, bought with the proceeds from a Clover advert she filmed with her late husband Michael Williams, and the pair are seen feeding the ducks together, enjoying a meal with her family and even filming a Tiktok dance!
Dame Judi also speaks about her 30-year marriage to fellow actor Michael.
‘We were very happy. Michael used to laugh, and when he laughed, he used to cry,’ she remembers fondly.
The pair also discuss Dame Judi’s closeness to her daughter Finty and grandson Sam, who lived with her during lockdown. And she admits she hates being labelled a national treasure.
‘With Dame Judi what I came across was enormous warmth and humour,’ says Louis, ‘but a surprising hesitancy to acknowledge her own brilliance.’