• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Judi Dench Says She Stopped Going For Lead Roles In Movies For 30 Years After Director's Harsh Remark

Home> Film & TV

Published 14:15 12 Jul 2022 GMT+1

Judi Dench Says She Stopped Going For Lead Roles In Movies For 30 Years After Director's Harsh Remark

The star received a cutting remark from a movie director back in the 1960s and decided to stick with theatre

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

Dame Judi Dench has revealed the cutting remark made to her by a film director that put her off going for lead roles in movies for 30 years. 

Back in the 1960s, Dench was already a successful actor having appeared on stage as well as a number of TV roles – and looked to make a move into films after her agent secured her an audition with a director. 

However, after a mean-spirited remark from a director, Dench shelved the idea of becoming a leading lady for a long time. 

Alamy

Advert

In an interview with The Sunday Times, 87-year-old Dench revealed: “He was perfectly nice, but at the end he said, 'You’ll never make a film; you have the wrong face'." 

She replied: “And I said, ‘That is fine, I don’t like film anyway. I want to go back to the theatre’.”

And she did, but she would later make the director eat his words – picking up her first lead film role aged 63 in 1997’s Mrs Brown, where she played Queen Victoria. 

Her turn as the lead was so good, she even bagged herself an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role. 

Advert

Although she didn’t win that award, the following year Dench was nominated and won the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in Shakespeare in Love.

Over the years, she’s been nominated four more times for Best Actress in a Leading Role – in 2001’s Iris; Mrs Henderson Presents; Notes on a Scandal and most recently in 2013 for Philomena. 

The director who wasn’t impressed by Dench back in the 60s clearly didn’t have a clue what he was talking about. 

Earlier this year, the legendary actor went viral after she made a cheeky comment about her virginity at the Oscars. 

Advert

Comedian Guillermo Rodriguez was working the red carpet at 94th Academy Awards for Jimmy Kimmel Live, when he spotted Dench and approached her, asking: “[Do you] want to say hello to the person that you lost your virginity to?”

At first, Dench looked slightly confused, before asking: “Lost my virginity to?” 

But her stern look turned to a smirk as she added: “Long dead.”

A clip of the exchange soon went viral with fans declaring their love for Dench over her witty comeback. 

Advert

Sharing the clip, one fan wrote, “I love Dame Judi Dench so f*****g much" while another said: “We don’t deserve Dame Judi.”

A third chimed in: “I’m losing my mind to Dame Judi Dench’s answer to Guillermo asking if she wanted to say hello to the person she lost her virginity to.”

If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected] 

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV

Claire Reid
Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at UNILAD who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

2 hours ago
12 hours ago
17 hours ago
19 hours ago
  • 2 hours ago

    96% rated Prime Video series with 'perfect ending' saw 8.3 million hour weekly binge

    Viewers say the binge-worthy series is in 'a league of its own'

    Film & TV
  • 12 hours ago

    'Must see' Prime Video series lands 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating as star wins $125,000

    The 16-episode series makes for the perfect binge-watch

    Film & TV
  • 17 hours ago

    Prime Video subscribers hail 'perfect' series they binged for 6.6 billion minutes in one month with spin-off on the way

    The show has been praised for perfect casting and exciting plot

    Film & TV
  • 19 hours ago

    Netflix viewers left surprised by Fast and Furious as debut movie returns to streamer

    Fast and Furious fans have noticed key thing about the earlier films compared to the later ones

    Film & TV
  • Miles Teller was paid just $8,000 for lead role in an Oscar-winning movie
  • Chimp Crazy star sentenced to 4 years in prison for faking pet chimp's death and hiding it in basement
  • Heartbreaking story of lead actor who was only paid $300 for film that made $90,000,000
  • Pamela Anderson explains why she’s stripped away her Baywatch persona almost 30 years after leaving show