The Untold Truth Of Judi Dench

Judi Dench is one of the most recognizable British actresses working in Hollywood, but you might be surprised to find out that international success didn't come all that easy for the star. Now a household name, with an impressive array of acting awards, Dench has never taken her career for granted, and approaches each role like it might be her last. Speaking about performing in Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors in 1976, she recalled the director asking her why she cried on opening night. As she told i, "I just never think I'm going to be employed again. I've always had that fear."

Despite never expecting her success, Dench's laudable career continues to prove what a talent she is. But as for being called a national treasure, Dench is less than enamored with the label. As she told The New York Times in 2017, "I hate that. ... It's not just tedious. It's some old rock in a cupboard that the glass is shut on and nobody gets it out to dust it. I loathe it." Instead, the performer would prefer "to be called a joker. A jobbing actor. Somebody who has a laugh." Join us as we explore the untold truth of Judi Dench.

As a powerhouse of cinema, with a plethora of awards under her belt, you might expect Judi Dench to be incredibly confident in her chosen vocation. However, the actress isn't so sure of herself, and regularly questions whether she's worthy of the roles she's given. Surprisingly, the prolific actress told The Guardian, "I've always been very, very insecure about where the next job is coming from." Speaking about being cast in the movie musical Nine, Dench told the publication, "I was absolutely overcome. I don't take any of it for granted, ever." The stalwart's sense of awe is especially endearing, considering quite how successful she's been throughout her career.

And according to a 2011 chat with The Telegraph, Dench admitted that she'd hoped her insecurities would go away after time. She explained, "So I prefer not to watch the films at all. That lack of confidence, which I thought would get better, has not really improved. Whenever I think it will get better, something else happens." If Dench doesn't believe believe in her own inimitable performance abilities, what hope is there for the rest of us?

When Judi Dench was told by a Hollywood honcho that she'd never make it in the movies, she wasn't all that fazed by it. Reflecting on the rejection, Dench told BBC Radio 4's Front Row in 2020, "Because I wasn't really interested in filming it didn't concern me. Had it have been in the theater then I don't know what I would have done ... I remember it but I don't think I was hurt by it." Instead, Dench had her heart set on the stage, and wasn't concerned about not being a hit on the silver screen. She confirmed to The Guardian, "I didn't think I'd have a film career at all, but theater's what I love most, anyway. If you'd said to me 49 years ago that I'd come to enjoy the process of filming, I wouldn't have believed you."

As for why she prefers theater to the movies, Dench told Front Row, "One night you'll perform in the theatre and you'll think, afterwards, 'I can do that bit better; I know that bit should be better,' or, 'I'll try that in another way.' That's the excitement of the theatre. And of course, the audience supplies an enormous amount of that to you."

Not all Hollywood relationships last, but Judi Dench found happiness with husband Michael Williams, to whom she was married for thirty years. Williams passed away in 2001 from lung cancer, and Dench revealed to The Guardian, "Anybody who's had a very happy marriage must feel the same. On the one side, you feel fantastically lucky you had what we had — we knew each other 39 years and were married for 30. And yet, when the person is not there, you suddenly think, oof, it's not wonderful." The New York Times noted that Williams "sent [Dench] a red rose every Friday," throughout their time together, which is incredibly romantic.

During her interview with The Guardian, Dench reflected on her long and happy marriage to the actor, and confessed, "The fact that all his married life he was Mr. Judi Dench, that's difficult for any man." However, she has nothing but admiration for her husband's talents as a performer: "[H]e was such a good actor, and has done such marvelous things." Despite having found a new partner since losing her husband, Dench told Good Housekeeping (via the Daily Mail) in 2017 that she has no intention of getting married again. The actress said, "He's not going to propose. No, no, no, no, no! Let's all just pull ourselves together and be our age!"

Fans of British actress Judi Dench might be surprised to find out that she has a slightly strange, but pretty understandable fear. Opening up to The Guardian in 2011, Dench explained, "I'm very frightened of worms, ever since one jumped into my sandal when I was a little girl. I can get on with a snake, just not worms." She prefers snakes over worms? How is that even possible? But wait, it gets stranger. The actress also noted, "And I hate the dark; I used to get claustrophobic in the cinema," which is a little unfortunate for an actress.

Dench even revealed to The Hamilton Spectator in 2019 that her peculiar worm phobia is so severe that she won't "do gardening." So, she outsources the job, which frankly is probably something most non-worm-phobic A-Listers do anyway. Still, it's rather remarkable to think this Academy Award winner, who can perform Shakespeare in front of a live audience, can't even pull weeds for fear of a little nightcrawler.

The movie version of the musical Cats didn't have the best reception when it was released in 2019. Judi Dench appears as Old Deuteronomy in the film, but it may surprise fans to find out that she hasn't seen the finished product. She revealed to BBC Radio 4's Front Row, "I didn't read anything about the response to [Cats], nor have I seen it, and I've only seen a picture of myself." She also explained that seeing an image of herself in costume reminded her of a pet she once had. Dench told Front Row, "I didn't realize that I was playing [her pet cat] Carpet. I thought I was playing a really, kind of, clapped out old mangy cat who didn't have much fur and was at the end of her life. I didn't realize I was this wonderful show cat!"

Speaking to Out at a press conference for the movie, Dench suggested that her character, which is usually played by a male actor, was trans. The actress explained, "I kind of call it 'trans Deuteronomy,' is the part for me, you know." She also said, "it was lovely, lovely to be led about and be an aged cat, very nice indeed," making it sound as though she had a ball making the movie musical. For her supporting role in the adaptation, Dench was nominated for a Razzie, which hands out awards for the worst performances of the year. Unfortunately (or fortunately, perhaps?), she lost out to co-star Rebel Wilson.

Judi Dench's career continues to go from strength to strength, and the actress has no plans to stop acting anytime soon. Speaking to Collider in October 2018, upon the release of her movie Red Joan, Dench said, "People keep asking me why aren't you going to retire? That word is simply not used in our family. People retire usually in order to do the things they really want to do, walk or paint or travel the world. And that is what my job is to me; I just love it." A quick look at Dench's IMDb page shows that the actress has a full roster of movies completed and in post-production, and it's safe to say even more titles will appear in the near future.

As she told Collider, "I love working with different people, I love working with actors, I love learning something new each time. My career is genuinely my hobby. I don't want to retire and don't know what I would do if I did." And fans of her work likely don't know what they'd do if she retired either.