Dame Judi Dench is an English actress who has worked in theatre, television, and film. Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years, she played in several of Shakespeare's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth. She branched into film work, and won a BAFTA Award as Most Promising Newcomer for the film Four in the Morning (1965); however, most of her work during this period was in theatre.

Over the next two decades, she established herself as one of the most significant British theatre performers, working for the National Theatre Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company. In television, she achieved success during this period, in the series A Fine Romance from 1981 until 1984 and in 1992 began a continuing role in the television romantic dramedy series As Time Goes By that lasted until 2005.

Her film appearances were infrequent until she was cast as M in GoldenEye (1995), a role she continued to play in James Bond in films through to Spectre (2015). The decision to portray M as female is often rumoured to have been inspired by the then-head of MI5, Stella Rimington. She has starred in many acclaimed films since then, and won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1999 for Shakespeare in Love (1998). She has earned seven other nominations, for the films Mrs Brown (1997), Chocolat (2000), Iris (2001), Mrs Henderson Presents (2005), Notes on a Scandal (2006), Philomena (2013), and Belfast (2021).

She has also received a cumulative total of 27 BAFTA nominations: fifteen for film and twelve for television, winning six and four respectively, for a grand total of ten altogether. Aside from her aforementioned Newcomer win, her other BAFTA Film Award wins include A Room with a View (1985), A Handful of Dust (1988), Mrs Brown (1997), Shakespeare in Love (1998), and Iris (2001). Her BAFTA TV Award wins include Talking to a Stranger (1966), The Cherry Orchard (1981), A Fine Romance (1981–1984), and The Last of the Blonde Bombshells (2000).

Filmography Film Year Title Role Director Notes1964Miss Humphries Charles Crichton1965Four in the MorningWife Anthony SimmonsSally James HillHe Who Rides a TigerJoanne Charles Crichton (2)1968Titania Peter Hall1974Luther Katharina von Bora Guy GreenDead CertLaura Davidson Tony Richardson1985Wetherby Marcia Pilborough David HareNarrator Derek JarmanVoiceA Room with a ViewEleanor Lavish James Ivory 198784 Charing Cross RoadNora Doel David Jones1988A Handful of DustMrs. Beaver Charles Sturridge1989Henry VMistress Nell Quickly Kenneth Branagh1995Jack and SarahMargaret Tim SullivanGoldenEyeM Martin Campbell1996HamletHecuba Kenneth Branagh (2)1997Mrs BrownQueen Victoria John MaddenTomorrow Never DiesM Roger Spottiswoode1998Shakespeare in LoveElizabeth I John Madden (2) 1999Tea with MussoliniArabella Franco ZeffirelliM Michael Apted2000Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the KindertransportNarrator Mark Jonathan Harris Voice; Documentary filmChocolat Armande Voizin Lasse Hallström2001IrisIris Murdoch Richard Eyre Agnis Hamm Lasse Hallström (2)2002The Importance of Being EarnestLady Bracknell Oliver ParkerDie Another DayM Lee Tamahori2003Bugss! A Rainforest AdventureVoice; documentary film about insects in Borneo.2004Home on the RangeMrs. Caloway Will Finn & John Sanford VoiceAereon David TwohyLadies in LavenderUrsula Widdington Charles Dance2005Pride & Prejudice Lady Catherine de Bourgh Joe WrightMrs Henderson PresentsLaura Henderson Stephen Frears2006DoogalNarratorBorthwick, Duval, & PassinghamVoiceCasino RoyaleM Martin Campbell (2)Notes on a Scandal Barbara Covett Richard Eyre2008Quantum of SolaceM Marc Forster2009RageMona Carvell Sally PotterNineLilli Rob Marshall2011Jane EyreMrs. Alice Fairfax Cary Joji FukunagaPirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger TidesSociety Lady Rob Marshall (2)CameoMy Week with MarilynDame Sybil Thorndike Simon CurtisFriend Request PendingMary Chris FogginShort filmJ. Edgar Anna Marie Hoover Clint EastwoodThe Best Exotic Marigold HotelEvelyn Greenslade John Madden (3)2012Run for Your WifeBag Lady Ray Cooney & John LutonCameoSkyfallM Sam Mendes2013PhilomenaPhilomena Lee Stephen Frears (2)2015The Second Best Exotic Marigold HotelEvelyn Greenslade John Madden (4)2015 The Lady in the VanSpectreM Sam Mendes (2)Cameo; Uncredited 2016Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar ChildrenMiss Esmeralda Avocet Tim Burton 2017Tulip FeverThe Abbess Justin ChadwickVictoria & AbdulQueen Victoria Stephen Frears (3) Murder on the Orient Express Princess Natalia Dragomiroff Kenneth Branagh (3) 2018 Red Joan Joan Stanley Trevor Nunn All Is True Anne Hathaway Kenneth Branagh (4) Nothing Like a Dame Herself Roger Michell Documentary film 2019 Cats Old Deuteronomy Tom Hooper 2020 Artemis Fowl Commander Julius Root Kenneth Branagh (5)Six Minutes to Midnight Miss RochollAndy Goddard Blithe Spirit Madame Arcati Edward Hall 2021 Off the Rails Diana Jules Williamson Belfast Granny Kenneth Branagh (6) 2022 Allelujah Mary Richard Eyre (2) Spirited Herself Sean AndersCameo2026The Magic Faraway Tree The Fridge Ben Gregor Voice The Forgeries of Jealousy Titania Stephen J. Nelson Voice; Short film

Television Year Title Role Notes1959Hilda LesswaysHilda LesswaysMiniseriesITV Play of the WeekDido MorganPlay: Family on Trial1960The Terrible ChoiceGood AngelSeriesArmchair TheatreEmily StrachanEpisode: "Pink String and Sealing Wax"An Age of KingsKatherine of France2 episodesThe Four Just MenAnnaEpisode: "Treviso Dam"1962The Cherry OrchardAnya1963Z-CarsElena CollinsEpisode: "Made for Each Other"1964FestivalAngela ThwaitesEpisode: "August for the People"DetectiveCharlotte RevelEpisode: "Dishonoured Bones"1964–1966Theatre 625: Parade's EndValentine Wannop/Terry Stevens4 episodes, including Talking to a Stranger1965The Troubleshooters Gwyneth EvansEpisode: "Safety Man"1966Court MartialMartheEpisode: "Let No Man Speak"Play of the MonthElizebeth MorisEpisode: "Days to Come"1968JackanoryStoryteller12 episodes1968–1979ITV PlayhouseHelen Payle/Z2 episodes1970ConfessionWomanEpisode: "Neighbours"1973Ooh La La!AmélieEpisode: "Keep an Eye on Amélie"19742nd HouseUnknownEpisode: "Frank's for the Memory"1978Langrishe, Go DownImogen LangrisheMiniseries1979A Performance of Macbeth by William ShakespeareLady MacbethVideotaped version of RSC productionOn Giant's ShouldersHazel WilesTV movie1980Love in a Cold ClimateAunt SadieMini-series (8 episodes)1981The Cherry OrchardMme. RanevskyTV movieBBC2 PlayhouseSister ScarliEpisode: "Going Gently"A Fine RomanceLaura DaltonSeries (26 episodes; 1981–1984)1983Saigon: Year of the CatBarbara DeanTV movie1985The Browning VersionMillie Crocker-HarrisMr. and Mrs. EdgehillDorrie Edgehill1987Theatre NightMrs. Alving/Mrs. Rogers2 episodes1989Behaving BadlyBridget MayorMini-series1990Screen OneAnnaEpisode: "Can You Hear Me Thinking?"1991PerformanceChristine FoskettPlay: Absolute Hell1992The TorchAbaMini-seriesAs Time Goes ByJean HardcastleSeries (67 episodes; 1992–2005)1993ABC For KidsAnnouncerChildren's programming1994MiddlemarchGeorge Eliot2 episodes; voice1996The Great War: 1914-1918NarratorBBC Documentary Mini-series1996A Film Portrait of J. R. R. TolkienDocumentary film2000ElizabethTelevision film2002Angelina BallerinaMiss LillySeries (23 episodes); voice2007CranfordMiss Matilda "Matty" JenkynsMini-series2009Return to Cranford2013ViciousHerselfEpisode: "Anniversary"; voice2014Roald Dahl's Esio TrotMs. SilverTelevision film2015The VoteChristine Metcalfe2016The Hollow CrownCecily, Duchess of YorkEpisode: "Richard III"Judi Dench: All the World's Her Stage Herself BBC documentary produced and directed by Francis Whately2017Judi Dench: My Passion for TreesHerself / Presenter Documentary2019Judi Dench's Wild Borneo AdventureHerself2020StagedEpisode: "The Cookie Jar"2022Louis Theroux Interviews: Dame Judi Dench Documentary interview 2023 The Divine Judi Dench: Our National Treasure Herself; archive footage Channel 5 documentary Dame Judi Dench Countryfile Special Herself Special episode Portrait Artist of the Decade Special episode 2024 Dame Judi & Jay: The Odd Couple Channel 4 documentary; also features Jay Blades 2025 Tea With Judi Dench Also featuring Kenneth Branagh Judi Dench: Shakespeare, My Family and Me Documentary

Theatre