Judi Dench
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.
Known For

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Late Night with Seth Meyers

The Graham Norton Show

Tony Awards

The One Show

BBC Play of the Month

The Oscars

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
All Movies (140)
- David Attenborough's 100 Years on Planet Earth2026 · as Self
- The Magic Faraway Tree2026 · as The Fridge (voice)
- Joke2026
- Judi Dench: Shakespeare, My Family and Me2025 · as Self
- Tea with Judi Dench2025 · as Self
- Morecambe & Wise: The Unseen Tapes2025 · as Self
- Dame Judi and Jay: The Odd Couple2024 · as Self
- The Coronation Concert2023 · as Self (archive footage)
- Allelujah2023 · as Mary
- MCAINE: An Anagram of Cinema2023 · as Self - Actress (archive footage)
- Spirited2022 · as Dame Judi Dench
- Quintessentially British2022 · as Self
- Born to be The King2022 · as Narrator
- Judi Dench: Our National Treasure2022 · as Self (archive footage)
- I Remember It Well: Dame Judi Dench in Conversation with Gyles Bandreth2022 · as Self
- Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends2022 · as Self
- Belfast2021 · as Granny
- Off the Rails2021 · as Diana
- The Show Must Go On! - Live at the Palace Theatre2021 · as Self - Preshow Announcement (voice)
- Blithe Spirit2020 · as Madame Arcati
- Six Minutes to Midnight2020 · as Miss Rocholl
- Artemis Fowl2020 · as Commander Root
- The Big Night In2020 · as Self
- Cats2019 · as Old Deuteronomy
- All Is True2018 · as Anne Shakespeare
- Red Joan2018 · as Joan Elizabeth Stanley
- Palo Santo2018 · as Mother of Palo Santo
- Nothing Like a Dame2018 · as Self
- Judi Dench: My Passion for Trees2017 · as Self
- Murder on the Orient Express2017 · as Princess Dragomiroff
- Victoria & Abdul2017 · as Queen Victoria
- Tulip Fever2017 · as The Abbess of St. Ursula
- Judi Dench: All the World's Her Stage2016 · as Self
- Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children2016 · as Miss Avocet
- Shakespeare Live! From the RSC2016 · as Self - Performer
- Branagh Theatre Live: The Winter's Tale2015 · as Paulina
- Dames of Classic Drama at the BBC2015 · as Self (archive material)
- Spectre2015 · as M (uncredited)
- The Vote2015 · as Christine Metcalfe
- The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel2015 · as Evelyn Greenslade
- Roald Dahl's Esio Trot2015 · as Mrs. Silver
- Six by Sondheim2013 · as Self (archive footage)
- National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage2013 · as Cleopatra/Desiree Armfeldt
- Philomena2013 · as Philomena
- Muse of Fire2013 · as Self
- Top Gear: 50 Years of Bond Cars2012 · as Self
- Skyfall2012 · as M
- Everything or Nothing2012 · as Self
- Stars in Shorts2012 · as Mary
- Run For Your Wife2012 · as Bag Lady
- The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel2012 · as Evelyn Greenslade
- My Week with Marilyn2011 · as Dame Sybil Thorndike
- J. Edgar2011 · as Anna Marie Hoover
- Friend Request Pending2011 · as Mary
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides2011 · as Society Lady
- Into the Woods2011 · as The Giant (voice)
- Jane Eyre2011 · as Mrs. Fairfax
- James Bond Supports International Women's Day2011 · as M (voice)
- Nine2009 · as Lilli
- Rage2009 · as Mona Carvell
- Quantum of Solace2008 · as M
- Notes on a Scandal2006 · as Barbara Covett
- Casino Royale2006 · as M
- Angelina Ballerina: All Dancers on Deck2006 · as Miss Lilly (voice)
- Directing Bond: The Martin Chronicles2006
- Doogal2006 · as Narrator (voice)
- Pride & Prejudice2005 · as Lady Catherine de Bourgh
- Mrs. Henderson Presents2005 · as Mrs. Laura Henderson
- Angelina Ballerina: Angelina's Princess Dance2005 · as Miss Lilly (voice)
- We Become Silent - The Last Days of Health Freedom2005 · as Narrator
- The Funny Blokes of British Comedy2005 · as Jean Pargetter (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Angelina Ballerina: The Big Performance2005 · as Miss Lilly (voice)
- Angelina Ballerina: The Show Must Go On2004 · as Miss Lilly (voice)
- Ladies in Lavender2004 · as Ursula
- A Dairy Tale2004 · as Mrs. Calloway (voice)
- The Chronicles of Riddick2004 · as Aereon
- Home on the Range2004 · as Mrs. Caloway (voice)
- Maria Callas: Living and Dying for Art and Love2004 · as Self
- Bugs!2003 · as Narrator (voice)
- Angelina Ballerina - Lights, Camera, Action!2003 · as Miss Lilly (voice)
- Billy Connolly: A BAFTA Tribute2002 · as Self
- Judi Dench Talks to Richard Eyre2002 · as Self
- Best Ever Bond2002 · as Self
- Die Another Day: From Script to Screen2002 · as Self
- Die Another Day2002 · as M
- Bond Girls Are Forever2002 · as Herself
- The Importance of Being Earnest2002 · as Lady Bracknell
- Richard Rodgers: Some Enchanted Evening2002 · as Performer: "Sixteen Going on Seventeen"
- The Life of Shakespeare2002 · as self
- Shaken and Stirred on Ice2002 · as Self
- The Shipping News2001 · as Agnis Hamm
- Iris2001 · as Iris Murdoch
- Chocolat2000 · as Armande Voizin
- Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport2000 · as Self - Narrator (voice)
- The Last of the Blonde Bombshells2000 · as Elizabeth
- The World Is Not Enough1999 · as M
- Tea with Mussolini1999 · as Arabella
- Billy Connolly: Erect for 30 Years1999
- Shakespeare in Love1998 · as Queen Elizabeth
- Hey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh1998 · as Desiree Armfeldt (segment "Send In The Clowns")
- Highly Classified: The World of 0071998 · as Self
- Tomorrow Never Dies1997 · as M
- Mrs Brown1997 · as Queen Victoria
- Hamlet1996 · as Hecuba
- Goldeneye: The Secret Files1995 · as Self
- GoldenEye1995 · as M
- Jack & Sarah1995 · as Margaret
- GoldenEye: The Secret Files - The Cast1995 · as Self
- J.R.R.T. : A Study of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, 1892-19731992 · as Narrator
- Absolute Hell1991 · as Christine Foskett
- Can You Hear Me Thinking?1990 · as Anne
- Henry V1989 · as Mistress Quickly
- One More Audience with Dame Edna Everage1988 · as Self (uncredited)
- An Audience With Victoria Wood1988 · as Self
- A Handful of Dust1988 · as Mrs. Beaver
- Ghosts1987 · as Helene Alving
- The Angelic Conversation1987 · as (voice)
- 84 Charing Cross Road1987 · as Nora Doel
- Make and Break1987 · as Mrs. Rogers
- A Room with a View1986 · as Eleanor Lavish
- The Browning Version1985 · as Millie Crocker-Harris
- Mr. and Mrs. Edgehill1985 · as Dorrie Edgehill
- Wetherby1985 · as Marcia Pilborough
- Saigon: Year of the Cat1983 · as Barbara Dean
- The Cherry Orchard1981 · as Mme. Ranevsky
- Going Gently1981 · as Sister Scarli
- Village Wooing1979 · as Z
- On Giant's Shoulders1979 · as Hazel Wiles
- Macbeth1979 · as Lady Macbeth
- The Comedy of Errors1978 · as Adriana
- Langrishe, Go Down1978 · as Imogen Langrishe
- My Homeland1976 · as Reader
- Dead Cert1974 · as Laura Davidson
- Luther1974 · as Katharina
- A Midsummer Night's Dream1968 · as Titania
- Four in the Morning1965 · as Wife ("Judi")
- A Study in Terror1965 · as Sally
- He Who Rides a Tiger1965 · as Joanne
- The Third Secret1964 · as Miss Ada Humphries
- The Cherry Orchard1962 · as Anya
All TV Shows (50)
- Shakespeare: Rise of a Genius2023 · as Self
- Louis Theroux Interviews2022 · as Self
- Remembers…2022 · as Self
- Staged2020 · as Judi
- Judi Dench's Wild Borneo Adventure2019 · as Self
- Late Night with Seth Meyers2014 · as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon2014 · as Self
- Vicious2013 · as Judi Dench (voice, uncredited)
- Talking Pictures2013 · as Self (archive footage)
- The Hollow Crown2012 · as Cecily
- Live from Studio Five2009 · as Self
- Cranford2007 · as Miss Matilda Jenkyns
- The Graham Norton Show2007 · as Self
- The One Show2006 · as Self
- Who Do You Think You Are?2004 · as Self
- Angelina Ballerina2001 · as Miss Lilly (voice)
- Parkinson1998 · as Self
- Middlemarch1994
- HBO First Look1992 · as Self
- As Time Goes By1992 · as Jean Pargetter
- Pebble Mill1991 · as Self
- Performance1991 · as Christine Foskett
- Screen One1989 · as Anne
- Behaving Badly1989 · as Bridget Mayor
- Countryfile1988 · as Self
- Going Live!1987 · as Self
- Theatre Night1985
- Theatre Night1985 · as Helene Alving
- Playing Shakespeare1984
- A Fine Romance1981 · as Laura Dalton
- Love in a Cold Climate1980 · as Aunt Sadie
- An Audience with...1978 · as Self
- BBC2 Play of the Week1977 · as Imogen Langrishe
- BBC2 Play of the Week1977 · as Helen Wiles
- Playhouse1974 · as Sister Scarli
- Confession1970 · as Woman
- Ooh La La!1968 · as Amélie
- Omnibus1967 · as Self - Reading Poetry
- ITV Playhouse1967 · as Helen Payle
- ITV Playhouse1967 · as Z
- Talking to a Stranger1966 · as Terry Stevens - Daughter
- BBC Play of the Month1965 · as Elizabeth Moris
- Theatre 6251964 · as Valentine Wannop
- Theatre 6251964 · as Terry Stevens
- Detective1964 · as Charlotte Revel
- Festival1963 · as Angela Thwaites
- An Age of Kings1960 · as Katherine of Valois
- Tony Awards1956 · as Self - Presenter / Winner
- The Oscars1953 · as Self
- The BAFTA Awards1949 · as Self