The “hideous” role Judi Dench loved every second of: “We had such a good time”
If you need a versatile star, Judi Dench has always been a first port of call. Since her early days in the theatre, she has taken on the role of practically every Shakespearean leading lady, from Lady Macbeth to Ophelia. One minute, she can be cold and unforgiving, the next, she’s warm and comedic.
Her secret lies in her ability to command the screen with such impressive ease, a stoic look can be exchanged for an easy smile with the drop of a hat, with no genre proving too difficult. She’s a British icon, a reflection of the country’s greatest theatrical talents, who has since secured her legacy on the big screen too.
With this versatility at hand as one of the greatest resources in her toolbox, Dench has embodied characters far removed from each other, including several that she believes to be particularly “hideous.”
It must be fun getting to play a character that is basically the opposite of yourself, because in every role that seems foreign to your own character, you’ll likely find something to relate to, a hidden semblance of familiarity that you can tap into, or use to unlock and exercise your most buried desires and fantasies.
Dench enjoys playing these kinds of characters, like when she was tasked with portraying the obsessive and cunning teacher Barbara Covett in Richard Eyre’s Notes on a Scandal. Starring alongside Cate Blanchett and Bill Nighy, the film follows Dench’s ageing, unwed teacher as she becomes infatuated with Blanchett’s Sheba, a young new teacher at the school.
When Barbara catches Sheba getting it on with a 15-year-old pupil, she uses this secret to her advantage, manipulating the object of her desire to try and get what she wants. It’s a clever film – written by no less than Patrick Marber – seductive and tense in its unfolding depiction of unravelling obsession and deceit.
Dench plays the character with several layers. This is a woman that we can’t side with, she’s cruel and unpopular, crafty in her methods of manipulation, selfishly ignoring the fact that she has witnessed a complete abuse of power (that has put a child at risk) for the sake of her own wants.
At the same time, this isn’t a one-dimensional figure of cruelty – we can see the loneliness and the desperation practically bleeding off the screen. She’s a tragic figure. When asked if she enjoyed playing the character by The Telegraph, she admitted, “I did. Every minute. Because she’s hideous!”
The actor also revealed that she “had such a good time” filming with Blanchett, and this allowed the pair to form a strong chemistry on screen, one which would land both of them Oscar nominations. Neither of them won, but the acclaim they received was enough to emphasise the genius of these two women, who are undoubtedly some of the greatest in the business.
Evidently, real fun can be gleaned from getting the chance to indulge in a totally unforgiving and repulsive character, because what’s more enjoyable than getting to act like that with absolutely no consequences?
