Judi Dench, one of the most popular and recognized actresses, is praised for both her on-screen talent and her composure and elegance off-screen. She is one of a select group of living legends, having performed consistently on stage and in films for the past 60 years.
The actress, 88, has played some of the most recognizable and coveted roles in her career. She has long been one of the leading lights of the British acting world, but in recent years, her career has slowed due to persistent health issues.
However, that doesn’t stop the actress from backing down and skillfully retaliating against harsh criticism.
The seasoned actress has undoubtedly delivered a masterclass in shutting down her critics’ negativity with a classy yet scathing response.
Judi Dench Silenced Her Critic In A Scathing Way
Judi Dench has spent the major part of life entertaining the public on stage and screen. But the Oscar-winning actress is also not someone, who would remain silent for not addressing her critics. The actress once acknowledged in one of her previous interviews with BBC‘s Louis Theroux that dealing with the “silly or unappreciative” side of critics requires one to “keep a sense of humor”.
Charles Spencer, who has penned several book reviews for The Guardian and The Independent on Sunday as well as feature articles for The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph, was once the target of Dench’s ire.
During the interview, Theroux asked her a question in an effort to stir up the actress’ memory:
“Is there a critic called Charles Spencer?”
The actress accepted, saying:
“Yep.”
The host then tried to remind her of her response to Spencer’s criticism:
“You remember what you wrote to him?”
He responded the following to Dench’s request to “remind me”:
“You said now I know what CS stands for, complete sh*t.”
She allegedly sent him a letter in response to Spencer’s critical evaluation of her performance in Madame de Sade.
Judi Dench On Filming Challenges Due To Health
Judi Dench has a long history in the industry and is regarded as one of Britain’s greatest actresses, but recent years have seen a slowdown in her career due to health issues.
The Oscar-winning actress was told that she had age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in 2012, and she also had to stop driving because of her failing eyesight. Dench talked about these challenges in an interview with The Daily Mirror‘s Notebook magazine.
She specifically mentioned that because of her eye condition, the actress finds it difficult to learn lines for projects. She still maintained that she wants to work “as much as [she] can”.
“I mean I can’t see on a film set anymore. And I can’t see to read. So I can’t see much. But, you know, you just deal with it. Get on.”
Further expressing her sentiments, the actress said:
“It’s difficult for me if I have any length of a part. I haven’t yet found a way. Because I have so many friends who will teach me the script. But I have a photographic memory.”
Dench has played a variety of roles, but her work as M in the James Bond films has received the most attention from the public. She also received the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love.
The actress’s last film appearances were in Richard Eyre’s British drama film Allelujah and Sean Anders’ American Christmas musical comedy movie Spirited.
Source- BBC; The Daily Mirror’s Notebook magazine
