Never call Judi Dench a national treasure: “No, no, no, I loathe that word”
It’s not hard to see why Dame Judi Dench is considered one of the greatest stars in the industry. She has been acting for decades, starting out in the theatre where she has since picked up various Olivier Awards and even a Tony Award, making her one of the most prolific and celebrated actors to have ever taken to Britain’s stages.
Dench joined the Old Vic Company in the late 1950s, and it was here that she cut her teeth in various productions, lending herself to many Shakespeare plays, ultimately leading her to become a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. The actor gained extensive experience by playing a range of complex characters during this time, from villains to heroines, gearing her up for a career in Hollywood.
Dench was initially uninterested in film, starring in just a handful of titles during the 1960s, which were mainly rather forgettable British titles like A Study in Terror, Four in the Morning, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The actor was told she had the wrong face for films, which led her to claim, “It put me off films for a long time, and my few early excursions into the cinema did little to change my mind.”
While A Midsummer Night’s Dream was poorly received, Dench appeared alongside Helen Mirren in the film, and the two have gone on to become some of the country’s most well-known stars. In fact, they’re often referred to as British national treasures, although this is something that Dench absolutely cannot stand.
The term is usually meant endearingly, although the criteria for who is a national treasure is pretty wide in scope these days, with everyone from David Attenborough to Gemma Collins receiving the label. To Dench, the term has negative connotations which she dislikes: “No, no, no. I loathe that word… It’s something very, very dusty, behind a glass, in a corner. I don’t want to be a relic … You know, you just get on with life, don’t you? And hope that the job you’ve chosen to do you do as well as you can. That’s all you worry about. And be kind to people.”
Dench’s national treasure status was seemingly assumed when she appeared as M in the James Bond franchise, leading her to star in seven movies about the iconic 007 agent, as well as cameoing in Spectre following her character’s death in Skyfall. Alongside her tenure in the beloved British film series, she has appeared in many great period dramas, like Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre, as well as winning an Oscar for the 1998 film Shakespeare in Love.
So, while Dench hates the label, it seems as though it’s one she is simply unable to escape. Yet, she makes a good point; the term implies a sort of immovability and boxing in, while Dench wants to keep progressing forwards, appearing in a wide range of films and perhaps even surprising people with her acting choices.
“I hate to play parts that are expected,” she revealed in the same interview.
