Dame Judi Dench has revealed that early in her career, a Hollywood producer told her she would never make it as a film star because her face was “wrong.” Despite this setback, she went on to become one of cinema’s most recognisable faces, including her iconic role as M in the James Bond series.
Now 91, Dame Judi appeared opposite both Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig, featuring in more Bond films than most actors who played 007. Her work as M was just a part of a vast career that earned her an Academy Award for 1999’s Shakespeare in Love.
Early rejection from a Hollywood producer
In an interview with The Times, Dame Judi reflected on her early days as a theatre performer with The Vic. “Very few people aspired to work in cinema. I certainly never expected to,” she said. “Then one day I was invited to meet a big Hollywood producer at his office near Hyde Park. I must’ve been about 23.”
“He stared at me for a long time, then said: ‘Very nice to meet you, but you’ll never make a movie because you have every single thing wrong with your face.’” Dame Judi added, “I suppose that was the era when you had to be quite a looker,” noting that he had been “very polite about it.”
She continued: “With amazing presence I said, ‘Thank you very much for your time,’ stood up, put the chair back against the wall and, as I left, I thought: ‘What a relief. I can throw all my energies into becoming a theatre actor.’”
Rise to fame and Bond success
Nevertheless, a career in film and television did follow, with Dame Judi winning a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer for Four in the Morning (1965). Her biggest roles came in the late ’90s, when she was cast as M in GoldenEye, opposite Pierce Brosnan’s Bond. Two years later, she took the lead role in the historical drama Mrs Brown, playing a grieving Queen Victoria.
In the same year she won her first Oscar, she returned for Brosnan’s second Bond film, Tomorrow Never Dies. She continued the role for two more Brosnan outings, and then Daniel Craig’s debut in Casino Royale (2006). Skyfall (2012) saw Dame Judi finally retire from playing M, with the character being fatally wounded during the film’s emotional finale.
Later career and retirement
Since then, Dame Judi has continued to stay busy, appearing in Philomena (2013), Murder on the Orient Express (2017) and Cats (2019). Her 2012 diagnosis with severe age-related macular degeneration (near total vision loss) means she is mostly retired, although she remains one of cinema’s most distinctive voices.
She appears opposite friend and Cats co-star Sir Ian McKellen on the TV film Tea With Judi Dench, which she previously shared with director Kenneth Branagh. Speaking ahead of its Sky Arts premiere in August, Dame Judi said: “I am absolutely delighted to be returning for a second film, and even more pleased to be sharing the experience with the wonderful Sir Ian McKellen. The response to the first film was deeply touching, and it’s a great privilege to continue these conversations and capture moments of great friendship.”
