Dame Judi Dench is an international treasure.
An Oscar winner — and multiple nominee — she’s also a force in the theater. She’s literally my favorite person I’ve come across in the arts since we all met her through the movie “Mrs. Brown.”
Now Dame Judi — whose eyesight problems have prevented her from doing more acting — has published a memoir. I love the title — “Is It Too Late to Make a Run For It?” And yes, it is!
The book is such a great read (although I did notice no mention of Harvey Weinstein, who turned her into an Oscar champ — but we understand).
She won the Oscar in 1999 for “Shakespeare in Love” as supporting actress. She was nominated right before that for lead in “Mrs. Brown.”
Here are her observations about the Oscars:
“Did you know that we were locked out of the Oscars one year? We arrived late and they wouldn’t let us in. All the enormous limousines had blocked up the roads, and
then we had the red carpet to contend with, which is about a hundred yards long. And what with the micro- phones and photographers and the TV hosts asking you to
wave to the helicopters overhead, it took us over an hour to walk it. When we finally arrived at the venue they said, ‘Sorry, we’re closing now,’ and wouldn’t let us into the theatre. We hadn’t realised there was a time limit. And so Fint
and I found ourselves locked in a vestibule with Morgan Freeman and Penélope Cruz. Ten minutes later, the doors flew open behind us and in strode Charlize Theron. She
barged straight past and said to the security guard, ‘I need to be in there,’ and he just opened the door to the theatre and let her through. We all traipsed in behind and, after a ker- fuffle with the seating arrangements, eventually sat down.”
She adds: “That might’ve been the year when Jack Nicholson walked past me and said, ‘Good job, Jude.’ I pretended to be all suave and sophisticated but I was so starstruck I was like a jelly inside.”
Judi says she lied to Kevin Costner’s wife (presumably his first) when she asked if Dench’s eyes were really that blue?
She recalls “I had blue lenses in, didn’t I? I thought I’d make them a lot bluer that night.” Her co-writer on the book asks: “So you lied to Kevin Costner’s wife?”
Her response:: “Yes, but they’ve since split up.”
So that makes it alright, you see!
And this, from the day after the “Shakespeare” win:
“The day after I won the Academy Award in 1999, Mikey” — her husband — “flew back to England with the Oscar in his hand luggage. In the evening he took it to our local pub to show everyone. I was unable to travel home with him because I had to fly to New York to open Amy’s View on Broadway. On my flight from LA I fell asleep, and when I woke up there were a lot of Post-it notes attached to my blanket – messages from other passengers saying well done. It was very touching.”
PS I don’t know if this story is included, but a few years ago I ran into the great British actor Bill Nighy at the premiere of a “Marigold Hotel” movie. I asked if he’d seen Judi lately. He said, yes, not only that but he went to her house for dinner and grilled lambchops for him!
God bless Judi Dench!
